Cropland Microclimate and Leaf-nesting Behavior Shape the Growth of Caterpillar under Future Warming.

This article focuses on how microclimate variations within crop fields and leaf-nesting behavior influence the body temperature and growth performance of two major Lepidoptera pests—*Ostrinia furnacalis* (Asian corn borer) and *Cnaphalocrocis medinalis* (rice leafroller)—in tropical and subtropical agricultural systems. Using microclimate models and physical caterpillar models, the study found that microclimate temperatures within maize and rice fields differ significantly from nearby weather station data, and that leaf-nesting behavior reduces caterpillar operative temperatures by up to 1.89°C. Under climate warming scenarios (+2°C and +4°C), leaf-nesting caterpillars exhibited slower growth rates compared to non-leaf-nesting individuals, highlighting the importance of incorporating fine-scale microclimate data and insect behavior in predicting pest responses to climate change. These findings suggest that microhabitat modifications can substantially affect insect physiological performance and have implications for biodiversity conservation and pest management in agricultural ecosystems.