Haiming Cai

Prof. Haiming Cai


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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19 August 2026 in Frontiers in Insect Science
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ZXZhimin Xu
Zhimin Xu
XZXu Zhang
Xu Zhang
ZLZhibin Lin
Zhibin Lin
HLHuiquan Lin
Huiquan Lin
YLYongwen Lin
Yongwen Lin
HCHaiming Cai
Haiming Cai
Introduction: House dust mites (HDMs) are major indoor allergens worldwide, with Dermatophagoides farinae being one of the most prevalent species. Temperature is a key driver of mite development, but the thermal biology of HDMs remains poorly characterized. Despite the medical importance of house dust mites, comprehensive thermal performance data across ecologically relevant temperature ranges remain limited, particularly for upper thermal thresholds that will become increasingly relevant under climate warming. Methods: We evaluated the development, survival, and fecundity of D. farinae under five constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C) at 75 ± 5% relative humidity using the age-stage, two-sex life table framework. Results: Developmental duration decreased significantly from 15 to 30°C but increased at 35°C due to thermal inhibition. The shortest pre-adult development time was 19.14 days at 30°C, while the longest was 68.98 days at 15°C. Egg-to-adult survival was highest at 25°C (88.6%) and lowest at 35°C (35.7%). The net reproductive rate (R 0 ) peaked at 25°C (33.96 offspring per female), whereas the intrinsic rate of increase (r m ) was highest at 30°C (0.0598 day −1 ), reflecting the differential contributions of fecundity versus developmental speed to population performance. D. farinae exhibits optimal development at 25–30°C, with severe thermal stress above 35°C. Discussion: These baseline thermal performance data provide essential parameters for population models aimed at assessing climate change impacts. Our results suggest that climate warming may initially increase HDM populations in temperate regions but could restrict their distribution in areas where thermal thresholds are exceeded. These findings provide baseline data for assessing allergen exposure risks under future climate scenarios.