The almond seed wasp (Eurytoma amygdali) is a serious pest of almond orchards, causing significant yield losses through larval feeding inside kernels. This study examined the effects of low-temperature exposure duration, larval microhabitat position, and temperature fluctuations on overwintering larval survival under field and laboratory conditions in an almond orchard in Kerman Province, Iran. In the first experiment, infested fruits were exposed to −18 °C for 12 days under different placement conditions (air suspension, soil surface, dry soil, and moist soil). In the second experiment, larvae were subjected to fluctuating temperature regimes for 27 days to simulate winter conditions. Results showed that prolonged exposure to severe cold significantly reduced larval survival, with strong effects of microhabitat. Larvae in fruits placed on the soil surface exhibited the highest survival under freezing conditions. In contrast,those buried in dry soil showed the highest mortality, with survival declining more rapidly over time. In the temperature fluctuation experiment, the highest survival rate was observed under natural orchard conditions (90.00 ± 3.02%), whereas the lowest was in the alternating freezer–orchard treatment (58.00 ± 4.90%). Significant differences were observed among treatments, indicating strong effects of thermal regime on survival. Overall, the findings demonstrate that both microhabitat characteristics and temperature stability are key determinants of overwintering survival in E. amygdali, providing valuable insights for predicting population dynamics and improving integrated pest management strategies under changing climatic conditions.
Ahmadi, K. , Nikooei, S. and Asadi, M. (2026). Effects of climate change on overwintering survival of Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) larvae. Journal of Advances in Plant Protection, 3(1), 9-18. doi: 10.22103/japp.2026.27087.1044
MLA
Ahmadi, K. , , Nikooei, S. , and Asadi, M. . "Effects of climate change on overwintering survival of Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) larvae", Journal of Advances in Plant Protection, 3, 1, 2026, 9-18. doi: 10.22103/japp.2026.27087.1044
HARVARD
Ahmadi, K., Nikooei, S., Asadi, M. (2026). 'Effects of climate change on overwintering survival of Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) larvae', Journal of Advances in Plant Protection, 3(1), pp. 9-18. doi: 10.22103/japp.2026.27087.1044
CHICAGO
K. Ahmadi , S. Nikooei and M. Asadi, "Effects of climate change on overwintering survival of Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) larvae," Journal of Advances in Plant Protection, 3 1 (2026): 9-18, doi: 10.22103/japp.2026.27087.1044
VANCOUVER
Ahmadi, K., Nikooei, S., Asadi, M. Effects of climate change on overwintering survival of Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) larvae. Journal of Advances in Plant Protection, 2026; 3(1): 9-18. doi: 10.22103/japp.2026.27087.1044
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