Bajgar A., Krejčová, G., Smýkal V. and Doležel D. from Biology Centre present an open access study about immune priming in Pyrrhocoris apterus in response to photoperiod. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2026.104589
We present a new report on photoperiodism linking diapause to immune priming in the linden bug. Exposure to a short photoperiod results in changes in hemocyte composition, upregulation of immune-related gene expression, and increased phenoloxidase activity. Notably, the observed immune priming is female-specific (even though males do overwinter as well). These photoperiod-induced effects, observed under ambient-temperature laboratory conditions, are also evident in field-collected bugs across the seasonal cycle.