Abstract
Zaprionus indianus, an invasive species of fruit fly originating from Africa, has successfully inhabited eastern North America but is thought to be seasonally limited by cold temperatures. We compared the cold acclimation abilities of Z. indianus to six drosophilid species. Each species’ survival at -5°C was tested following acclimation periods at 10°C, 15°C, and 25°C. We found that Z. indianus had a similar baseline cold tolerance to other cosmopolitan species and acclimated following treatment at 15°C. Overall, cold acclimation in Z. indianus was better than tropical species but weaker than some cosmopolitan species, suggesting cold may restrict Z. indianus populations.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-17-2026
Publisher Statement
microPublication Biology is an open-access journal that publishes research in the life sciences. The journal publishes brief scholarly reports on research findings based on data presented in a single multi-panel figure. Article content includes novel findings, new methods, and reagents. Unlike many other journals, negative results, replications that are successful (including being scooped), and replications that are unsuccessful, are also published. Studies can be observational or interventional/mechanistic. Articles are peer-reviewed for the data supporting the conclusions, scientific rigor, clarity of writing, and vetted for adherence to community standards in nomenclature and data reporting. All articles are findable through general indexers such as PubMed, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar.
Recommended Citation
Hollekim M, Smith L, Erickson P. 2026. Invasive African fig flies (Zaprionus indianus) have reduced cold acclimation ability compared to cosmopolitan drosophilid species. microPublication Biology. 10.17912/micropub.biology.002245.
