title: Temperature-dependent development, cold tolerance, and potential distribution of Cricotopus lebetis (Diptera: Chironomidae), a tip miner of Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae).
abstract: A chironomid midge, Cricotopus lebetis (Sublette) (Diptera: Chironomidae), was discovered attacking the apical meristems of Hydrilla verticillata (L.f. Royle) in Crystal River, Citrus Co., Florida in 1992. The larvae mine the stems of H. verticillata and cause basal branching and stunting of the plant. Temperature-dependent development, cold tolerance, and the potential distribution of the midge were investigated. The results of the temperature-dependent development study showed that optimal temperatures for larval development were between 20 and 30°C, and these data were used to construct a map of the potential number of generations per year of C. lebetis in Florida. Data from the cold tolerance study, in conjunction with historical weather data, were used to generate a predicted distribution of C. lebetis in the United States. A distribution was also predicted using an ecological niche modeling approach by characterizing the climate at locations where C. lebetis is known to occur and then finding other locations with similar climate. The distributions predicted using the two modeling approaches were not significantly different and suggested that much of the southeastern United States was climatically suitable for C. lebetis.
authors.affiliation: Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL.
authors.forename: Karen N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Stratman
authors.affiliation: Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL billover@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Overholt
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.affiliation: Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.affiliation: United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, Gainesville, FL.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Netherland
authors.affiliation: Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL.
authors.forename: Patrick C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D002683:Chironomidae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002980:Climate; D031321:Hydrocharitaceae / Q000469:parasitology*; D058865:Introduced Species; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D015144:Southeastern United States; D013696:Temperature
keywords: biological control; degree day; distribution; predicted distribution; temperature requirement