The NICE Lab is proud to report that our study “Surviving in the mountains: temperature and elevation have contrasting physiological effects and no effect on morphology of the hoverfly Eristalis tenax in the Himalayas” has been published in the Journal of Comparative Physiology B. Through some of the first high altitude physiology experiments in the world, we show how abiotic factors have contrasting impacts of physiology of Eristalis tenax, a common generalist hoverfly pollinator. We show that these flies are less sensitive to odor cues at higher elevations, while their heart rate is significantly impacted by higher temperatures. We also demonstrate highly conserved internal structures of E. tenax along a 1000-metre elevational gradient through the first micro-CT scans.
Our results suggest that as insects shift their ranges to higher elevations with lower temperatures, heart rates and metabolisms might be maintained, but insects might be less efficient at detecting olfactory cues that they use to find food, potentially leading to increased foraging times and reduced efficiency. At the same time, insects at lower altitudes will experience higher heart rates as temperatures rise, which could impact their survival. Finally, our results provide necessary baseline data about the current physiological status of insects in the tropical Himalayan mountains. These data help us understand the survival of insects in mountains, and also help to predict impacts of climate change on future populations.
Congratulations to all co-authors (Gauri Gharpure, Jagath V, Sakshi Priya, Sunil Prabhakar, Geetha G Thimmegowda, Shannon Olsson). We are grateful to support from NCF, the people of Sikkim and Spiti, and all agencies who granted us permits: Forest Departments of Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh, Lachen Dzumsa, Sikkim Police, ITBP, Home Department and Indian Army.
Cite this article
Gharpure, G., Vedamurthy, J., Priya, S. et al. Surviving in the mountains: temperature and elevation have contrasting physiological effects and no effect on morphology of the hoverfly Eristalis tenax in the Himalayas. J Comp Physiol B (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-025-01642-z
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