D3076: Research on how heatwaves affect insects: An overview of commonly studied factors

Anthropogenic climate change is resulting in wide-ranging consequences for ecosystems and organisms. One aspect of these consequences is the increase in frequency, duration, and intensity of heatwaves. Insects can be heavily affected by heatwaves, and negative responses to heatwaves may play a role in insect declines globally. In turn, this decline would impact the important roles that insects play in essential ecosystem services. We are conducting a comprehensive meta-analysis on how heatwaves impact insects. Using a literature survey with topic-specific keyword searches, we compiled all papers that studied insect individual or population responses to heatwaves. Here, we present the initial descriptive statistics and trends of our research in regards to which factors are most commonly studied regarding insects. Specifically, we will review when and where insect heatwave research takes place, the most-studied insect taxa, guilds, life stages, and dietary habits. Lastly, we review the most-studied fitness measures for insects. Our initial findings demonstrate that the majority of studies are laboratory studies that focus on the effects of summer heatwaves on herbivores, larvae, and Coleoptera in Europe and Asia. Due to the importance of insects in ecosystem services and as indicators of environmental health, a better understanding of insect response to heatwaves will broaden our understanding of ecosystem-wide heatwave impacts.