Cold cicadas and hot rocks: Thermal responses and thermoregulation in some New Zealand cicadas (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini)

Abstract

We determine the thermal responses for 11 species from four genera of New Zealand cicadas. Thermal responses are remarkably similar regardless of environment or elevation inhabited by the species. The thermal responses of New Zealand cicadas do not show the same variability as cicada species in similarly diverse environments in Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America nor the correlation to elevation as seen in some North American cicadas. Behavioral thermoregulation appears to be the mechanism permitting the distribution of species into specific habitats so that diverging thermal adaptation was not necessary as speciation occurred. The first example of a cicada using conductive heat transfer to thermoregulate is provided. These data show an evolutionary divergence from what otherwise have been convergent thermal adaptation patterns in a variety of cicadas separated by large geographic distances and species phylogeny.

Keywords: Divergence; Temperature; Thermal responses; Thermoregulation.