Influence of cold temperature and exposure time on egg overwintering survival in the white-whiskered grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Abstract

The effect of cold temperatures and exposure time on egg survival and hatching success were examined in the white-whiskered grasshopper, Ageneotettix deorum. Temperature treatments ranged from 4°C to -35°C, with treatment times ranging from 48 to 240 hours. Both decreasing temperatures and exposure time negatively affected egg survival, with a temperature below -25°C being lethal. Similar lethal temperatures are known for several North American grasshopper species. The relatively shallow location of A. deorum egg pods would result in increased vulnerability of eggs to cold temperatures in the absence of snow.