6: Conclusions and future directions
Sufficiently understanding the performance of insect vectors within the natural environmental mosaics where they occur will require substantially more data on the spatial and temporal complexities in microclimate, behavioral responses to temperature and humidity change, plasticity in thermal tolerance traits, and the eco-physiological mechanisms of vector water balance, coupled with broader understanding of the general relationships between water and temperature described in this paper. We have collated these goals into a general framework incorporating humidity into research questions and temperature-dependent mechanistic models (Fig. 5 & Box 2). We intend for the evidence and theory presented here to be signposts for future research, leading to a collective broadening in our understanding of insect vectors and how their responses to climate variables will affect parasite transmission.