A rapidly changing global climate has the potential to disturb ecosystem services, diminish endangered and economically important species, and increase pest outbreaks. Winter temperatures are changing rapidly and have important effects on organismal fitness that are often overlooked. In this talk, we will explore the impacts of changing winter conditions on insects, an economically and ecologically important group that are highly sensitive to temperature changes. We will look at winter through the lens of energetics, and explore the impact of thermal variability and local adaptation on determining the vitality of insect populations.
