Are Mummy Characteristics Reliable Indicators of Diapause and Cold Tolerance in the Parasitoid Wasp Aphidius Rhopalosiphi (braconidae, Aphidiinae) ?

Many insect species have evolved different overwintering survival strategies such as cold tolerance and/or diapause. This study investigated the relationship between Aphidius rhopalosiphi mummy colour and cold tolerance and diapause. Mummy colour was insufficient to discriminate diapausing from non-diapausing individuals. This phenotypic character seems to reflect environmental conditions rather than direct developmental time and cocoon thickness (identification criteria of diapause). There is, however, a relationship between cold tolerance and mummy colour. Dark mummies exhibited significantly higher water content, survival at low temperature and lower supercooling point values than pale mummies. Mummy colour in Aphidius rhopalosiphi seems to be a phenotypic indicator of the cold tolerance.