Scholarlink

<p>Understanding thermal responses in ectotherms is key to assessing vulnerability to climate change. Tarantulas (Theraphosidae) are informative models due to their sedentary lifestyle, long life cycles, and reliance on specific microhabitats. We present the first integrative assessment of the thermal ecology of <i>Plesiopelma longisternale</i>, a widespread Argentine species, combining experimentally derived thermal limits and thermal preferences with species distribution models, and compare its thermal profile with the sympatric <i>Grammostola vachoni</i> to explore patterns of thermal niche differentiation. <i>Plesiopelma longisternale</i> showed a minimum thermal limit near 4&#xa0;°C, a maximum near 44&#xa0;°C, a thermal optimum of 29.5&#xa0;°C, a narrow thermal performance breadth, and a preferred temperature of approximately 32&#xa0;°C. Models integrating climatic and thermal parameters predicted strong reductions in climatically suitable habitat under future warming scenarios, exceeding 70% by 2060–2080 and 80% by 2081–2100, with increased habitat fragmentation. Comparisons with <i>G. vachoni</i> revealed partial divergence in thermal strategies, consistent with differences in reproductive phenology. Overall, <i>P. longisternale</i> may be particularly sensitive to warming due to its narrower thermal performance range and more limited upper thermal tolerance. Implication for insect conservation: Our results indicate that integrating thermal physiology into distribution models improves assessments of climatic vulnerability in sedentary arthropods and highlights mountain systems as potential climatic refugia under future warming.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Thermal ecology of Plesiopelma longisternale: novel insights and comparative analysis with a sympatric species

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

查看全文
  • Schwerdt Leonela,
  • Ana Elena de Villalobos,
  • Ferretti Nelson

摘要

Understanding thermal responses in ectotherms is key to assessing vulnerability to climate change. Tarantulas (Theraphosidae) are informative models due to their sedentary lifestyle, long life cycles, and reliance on specific microhabitats. We present the first integrative assessment of the thermal ecology of Plesiopelma longisternale, a widespread Argentine species, combining experimentally derived thermal limits and thermal preferences with species distribution models, and compare its thermal profile with the sympatric Grammostola vachoni to explore patterns of thermal niche differentiation. Plesiopelma longisternale showed a minimum thermal limit near 4 °C, a maximum near 44 °C, a thermal optimum of 29.5 °C, a narrow thermal performance breadth, and a preferred temperature of approximately 32 °C. Models integrating climatic and thermal parameters predicted strong reductions in climatically suitable habitat under future warming scenarios, exceeding 70% by 2060–2080 and 80% by 2081–2100, with increased habitat fragmentation. Comparisons with G. vachoni revealed partial divergence in thermal strategies, consistent with differences in reproductive phenology. Overall, P. longisternale may be particularly sensitive to warming due to its narrower thermal performance range and more limited upper thermal tolerance. Implication for insect conservation: Our results indicate that integrating thermal physiology into distribution models improves assessments of climatic vulnerability in sedentary arthropods and highlights mountain systems as potential climatic refugia under future warming.