Insect photoperiodism: Seasonal development on a revolving planet

Abstract

This review starts by comparing photoperiodic diapause with non-photoperiodic quiescence in four representative species, paying particular attention to overwintering in Drosophila melanogaster. In the second part it describes dormancy strategies of insects from the equator to the polar regions, addressing topics such as the role of the circadian system in photoperiodic time measurement, latitudinal clines in diapause-related traits, hourglass-like photoperiodic clocks based on dampening circadian oscillators, and the dormancy strategies of insects close to the equator or at high latitudes where seasonal changes in photoperiod are unreliable or absent.

Keywords

• insects
• photoperiod
• diapause
• quiescence
• time measurement
• latitude
• circadian
• damping oscillators