Integrating temperature and nutrition - Environmental impacts on an insect immune system

Globally increasing temperatures may strongly affect insect herbivore performance. In contrast to direct effects of temperature on herbivores, indirect effects mediated via thermal effects on host-plant quality are only poorly understood, despite having the potential to substantially impact the herbivores' performance. Part of this performance is the organisms' immune system which may be of pivotal importance for local survival. We here use a full-factorial design to explore the direct (larvae were reared at 17 degrees C or 25 degrees C) and indirect effects (host plants were reared at 17 degrees C or 25 degrees C) of temperature on immune function of the temperate-zone butterfly Pieris napi. At the higher rearing temperature haemocyte numbers and prophenoloxidase activity were reduced. Plant temperature, in contrast, did not affect immune competence despite clear effects on insect growth patterns. Overall, thermal and dietary impacts on the insects' immune responses were weak and trait-specific. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.