The only native insect in Antarctica may be extinct

Simulations in the study showed that a 2°C rise in winter temperatures could reduce the survival of the Antarctic midges.

The Antarctic midge, the only known native insect in Antarctica, is being pushed to the brink of extinction due to a warming climate that could alter the continent's food web, according to the report. The study was published in the journal Functional Ecology on June 12.

Antarctic midges are adapted to harsh environments.

Antarctic flies are flightless insects that are smaller than a pea. They have evolved to survive in extremely harsh conditions. According to the research team, including expert Jack Devlin at the University of Kentucky, USA, winters in the warming region are threatening their existence.

This animal completes its life cycle in about two years, most of which is in the larval form. In the new study, the team assessed the larvae's response to a simulated winter of about six months in three heat scenarios: warm (-1 degrees Celsius), normal (-3 degrees Celsius) and cold (-3 degrees Celsius). - 5 ° C). For each situation, they placed the larvae in three distinct types of environments in which they normally live: decaying organic matter, live moss, and Prasiola crispa algae.

Monitoring the simulated winter stages, the team measured the larvae's survival, motility, tissue damage, energy stores and molecular stress response. As a result, a winter warming of 2 degrees Celsius can reduce insect survival rates, while also reducing energy stores. An energy deficiency can negatively affect later growth and reproduction.

If the larvae burn off more stored energy as winter warms, they will eventually become extinct on certain islands, according to entomologist Joshua Benoit at the University of Cincinnati. Antarctica has very few species that live solely on land, so the loss of native midges could also change the continent's food web.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to adequately simulate winter length and determine physiological losses in different winter environments in Antarctic arthropods. The results suggest winter." Continued warming in the Antarctic Peninsula could adversely affect cold-adapted invertebrates and related terrestrial communities," the team said.