Regulatory Role of Trehalose Metabolism in Cold Stress of Harmonia axyridis Laboratory and Overwinter Populations

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide that plays key role in the response to cold and other environmental stressors insects. Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) an important natural predator of insect pests has become cosmopolitan invasive species, causing negative ecological impacts worldwide. In this study, relative survival ability, trehalose glycogen contents, activity metabolism-related gene-expression profiles over storage period were compared overwintering population indoor laboratory (experimental) population. Yellow adults dominant The rate during was higher than experimental after fifth day. contents overwinter those storage. initially increased then decreased population, but consistently Nevertheless, levels relatively with expression TPS TRE trehalase activity. More importantly, experiment showed yellow have better ability regulate metabolism under black adults. A strong resilience against stress long-term could contribute understanding invasiveness H. axyridris.