Reduced salinities compromise the thermal tolerance of hypersaline specialist diving beetles

Inland saline waters are globally threatened habitats that harbour unique assemblages of specialist invertebrates. In many Mediterranean regions, irrigation associated with intensive agriculture is lowering the salinity of these habitats, resulting in the loss of their specialist biota, although the mechanisms by which reductions in salinity lead to species loss are poorly understood. In the present study, the effects of reduced salinity on the temperature tolerance and thermal acclimatory abilities of two related species of hypersaline water beetles, Nebrioporus baeticus (Schaum) and Nebrioporus ceresyi (Aubé), are explored. Both upper (UTL) and lower thermal limits (LTL) are assessed, and both salinity and temperature are found to influence the thermal biology of Nebrioporus. Mean UTLs are greater in individuals of both species acclimated at high salinities, with salinity appearing to be more important than acclimation temperature in determining UTL. In both taxa, the lowest mean LTLs are recorded in individuals acclimated at the highest salinities and lowest temperatures; temperature-dependent acclimation is only reported after exposure to relatively high salinities. The data show that salinity influences the thermal tolerance and acclimatory ability of these hypersaline beetles, and that lowered salinity compromises the ability of adult Nebrioporus to cope with both heat and cold. Such an effect may partly explain why specialist species are lost from hypersaline habitats subject to salinity reductions, and suggests that ongoing reduction in salinity may compromise the ability of such specialist taxa to cope with rapid climate change.