Oxygen supply limits the heat tolerance of locusts during the first instar only

Extreme heat directly limits an organism’s survival and reproduction, but scientists cannot agree on what causes organisms to lose function or die during heating. According to the theory of oxygen- and capacity-limitation of thermal tolerance, heat stress occurs when a warming organism’s demand for oxygen exceeds its supply, triggering a widespread drop in ATP concentration. This model predicts that an organism’s heat tolerance should decrease under hypoxia, yet most terrestrial organisms tolerate the same amount of warming across a wide range of oxygen concentrations. This point is especially true for adult insects, who deliver oxygen through highly efficient respiratory systems. However, oxygen limitation at high temperatures may be more common during immature life stages, which have less developed respiratory systems. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effects of heat and hypoxia on the survival of locusts ( Schistocerca cancellata ) throughout development. We demonstrate that the heat tolerance of locusts depends on oxygen supply during the first instar but not during later instars. This finding provides further support for the idea that oxygen limitation of thermal tolerance depends on respiratory performance, especially during immature life stages.