Temperature Effects in Wild Orange‐Tip Butterflies

The response of organisms to climate change will depend partly on the cumulative impact of altered temperature regimes through development. I investigated shifts in phenology and body size correlated with temperature changes over the entire lifespan of wild orange‐tip butterflies. Emergence timing shifted either earlier or later in response to warmer temperatures, depending on developmental period. Wing length increased with warmer temperatures in the pupal period. Responsive periods only partially overlapped those affecting host‐plant phenology (flowering date). In general, the combined effects of temperature changes on multiple traits integrated over development will be important in modeling responses to climate change. Photo credit: James Davies. Photo credit: James Davies. These photographs illustrate the article “Multiple temperature effects on phenology and body size in wild butterflies predict a complex response to climate change” by W. James Davies published in Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.261