Metabolomics reveals thermal adaptation of the parasitoid wasp Chouioia cunea via resource conservation and thermoprotection.

BACKGROUND

Temperature fluctuations threaten the efficacy of parasitoid wasps used in biological control. Understanding the metabolic basis of thermal adaptation can guide optimized rearing and field release strategies. This study integrated behavioral ecology with untargeted metabolomics (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)) to investigate how Chouioia cunea, a pupal parasitoid of the fall webworm Hyphantria cunea, copes with temperature stress.

RESULTS

Behavioral assays revealed a distinct thermal preference for 21.3-24.2 °C. Low temperature (18 °C) prolonged development (42.6 days) but increased offspring per host (49 000 wasps), whereas high temperature (29 °C) accelerated development (13.7 days) at the cost of reduced adult longevity. Metabolomic profiling showed directionally specific reprogramming: cold induced depletion of amino acids and membrane lipids; heat triggered accumulation of thermoprotectants (trehalose, mannitol, dulcitol) and specific amino acids (arginine, threonine). Pathway enrichment identified the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway as a core conserved response under both stresses.

CONCLUSION

Chouioia cunea employs distinct metabolic strategies: resource conservation under cold and thermoprotection under heat. These strategies underpin the temperature-dependent life-history trade-offs observed in this study. From a pest management perspective, maintaining rearing temperatures within 23-25 °C balances colony productivity and wasp quality; prolonged exposure above 28 °C should be avoided; and low-temperature rearing can be used strategically for colony expansion. The identified stress-responsive metabolites may serve as early quality markers for mass-reared colonies. These findings advance our understanding of metabolic plasticity in beneficial insects and support climate-smart biological control. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.