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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Soil, Water & Air Resources Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #350718

Title: How Insects Survive Winter in the Midwest

Author
item Kistner-Thomas, Erica

Submitted to: Midwest Climate Hub Website
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2018
Publication Date: 1/29/2018
Citation: Kistner, E.J. 2018. How Insects Survive Winter in the Midwest. Midwest Climate Hub Website. http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/cliwatch/eNews/observer_201801_full.html.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Understanding how insects cope with cold temperatures can not only help entomologists more accurately forecast when and where insects are active, but it may also help us understand how climate change will influence insect pests. This newsletter article provides a comprehensive overview of how Midwestern insects survive the winter in terms of physiological and behavioral adaptations. In the Midwest, overwintering insects display two type of cold adaptations: freeze tolerance and freeze avoidance. Freeze tolerant insects keep their bodies from freezing by producing alcohols that act as antifreeze while freeze avoiding insects seek shelter from the cold and may even take up residence inside human dwellings. Examples of common overwintering insects across the Midwest region are discussed. Management recommendations on how to safely combat nuisance insect pests invading work places and private residences are also provided. Finally, I discuss how citizens can easily identify and report new insect pests of agricultural concern (e.g. brown marmorated stink bug) in their local area via the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) website or mobile app.