The ecology of Sminthurus viridis (Collembola) II. Diapause in the aestivating egg

Abstract

The existence of an aestivating diapause in the egg batches of S. viridis is established. The production of diapause eggs is influenced in females by the increasing maturity of food plants in the spring. Morphogenesis is resumed in diapause eggs following physical removal of the soil covering in the laboratory or exposure to summer field conditions for a period of 2-3 months. The mechanisms of the egg diapause in S. viridis are studied experimentally, and their adaptive significance for the species is discussed.