Differences in Thermal Tolerance Between Two Thermally Isolated and Genetically Indistinct Populations of \u3ci\u3eParagnetina Media\u3c/i\u3e (Walker) (Plecoptera: Perlodidae)

The critical thermal maximum (CTM) of Paragnetina media (Walker) (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) was studied at two sites of the Big Sable River in northwestern Lower Michigan during summer 2013. The sites were separated by ~8 km and differed in temperature by ~1°C in the early spring to ~5°C in mid-summer. Individual P. media specimens from the warm site had consistently higher CTM when acclimated to the mean temperature of the two sites for 3 days prior to experimental trials during May, June, and July. When acclimated for an additional 3 days to a higher or lower temperature, this thermal disadvantage disappeared. Groups of individuals from both sites simultaneously acclimated to both site temperatures for 3 days exhibited similar CTMs, except that cold site specimens acclimated to the cold temperature had a lower CTM than the other treatments. Sequencing of the CO1 gene revealed that nearly 75% of specimens shared a single haplotype, which was found in both warm and cold site individuals. Our results suggest that both long term and short term thermal history can influence thermal tolerance within populations of the same species that do not appear genetically distinct