Temperature regulation and water balance of day-active Zophosis congesta beetles in East Africa
| Autor: | Geoffrey M. O. Maloiy, Eivin Røskaft, Karl Erik Zachariassen, John M. Z. Kamau |
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| Rok vydání: | 1986 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Tropical Ecology. 2:139-146 |
| ISSN: | 1469-7831 0266-4674 |
| Popis: | East African tenebrionid beetles of the species Zophosis congesta are active on sun-exposed surfaces in dry habitats during the hottest part of the day, when most other animals have retreated to protected areas. They remain on the surface at ambient temperatures up to 65°C which is 15°C above their highest tolerated body temperature. The beetles appear to regulate their body temperature behaviourally. They frequently rest and cool in the shade, and after each cooling period they remain on the sun-exposed surface until the heat influx from the environment has caused the body temperature to rise close to the lethal level. They have relatively low rates of transpiratory water loss, and appear unable to depress their body temperature by means of evaporative heat loss. The rate of metabolic production of water amounts to only about 20% of the rate of transpiratory water loss. Thus, the beetles depend strongly on water intake from dietary sources. The advantage of this type of activity pattern is probably avoidance of predators. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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