Exoskeleton may influence the internal body temperatures of Neotropical dung beetles (Col. Scarabaeinae)

نویسندگان

  • Valentina Amore
  • Malva I.M. Hernández
  • Luis M. Carrascal
  • Jorge M. Lobo
چکیده

The insect exoskeleton is a multifunctional coat with a continuum of mechanical and structural properties constituting the barrier between electromagnetic waves and the internal body parts. This paper examines the ability of beetle exoskeleton to regulate internal body temperature considering its thermal permeability or isolation to simulated solar irradiance and infrared radiation. Seven Neotropical species of dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeinae) differing in colour, surface sculptures, size, sexual dimorphism, period of activity, guild category and altitudinal distribution were studied. Specimens were repeatedly subjected to heating trials under simulated solar irradiance and infrared radiation using a halogen neodymium bulb light with a balanced daylight spectrum and a ceramic infrared heat emitter. The volume of exoskeleton and its weight per volume unit were significantly more important for the heating rate at the beginning of the heating process than for the asymptotic maximum temperature reached at the end of the trials: larger beetles with relatively thicker exoskeletons heated more slowly. The source of radiation greatly influences the asymptotic temperature reached, but has a negligible effect in determining the rate of heat gain by beetles: they reached higher temperatures under artificial sunlight than under infrared radiation. Interspecific differences were negligible in the heating rate but had a large magnitude effect on the asymptotic temperature, only detectable under simulated sun irradiance. The fact that sun irradiance is differentially absorbed dorsally and transformed into heat among species opens the possibility that differences in dorsal exoskeleton would facilitate the heat gain under restrictive environmental temperatures below the preferred ones. The findings provided by this study support the important role played by the exoskeleton in the heating process of beetles, a cuticle able to act passively in the thermal control of body temperature without implying energetic costs and metabolic changes.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

First come, first serve: "sit and wait" behavior in dung beetles at the source of primate dung.

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) compete intensively for dung resources, and most species forage in the understory. Here, we describe the unique behavior of one dung beetle species, Canthon aff. quadriguttatus (Olivier), associated with two species of monkeys from Peru. We observed this beetle species on the genital and anal regions of the brown titi monkey, Callicebus brun...

متن کامل

Absence of endothermy in flightless dung beetles from southern Africa

Endothermy in insects is normally associated with flight but has been observed during strictly terrestrial activity in beetles (Bartholomew & Casey 1977a, b). A study by Bartholomew & Heinrich (1978) in Kenya showed that dung beetles are conspicuously endothermic during flight, ball making and ball rolling, and sometimes while walking. Endothermy during terrestrial activity is probably advantag...

متن کامل

First record of the genus and species Spatulaphorus copridis (Acari: Pygmephoridae) associated with earth-boring dung beetles (Col.: Geotrupidae) from Iran

طی مطالعاتی که در تابستان 1388 روی کنه‌های هترواستیگما از راسته‌ی پیش‌استیگمایان مرتبط با سخت‌بالپوشان در جنگل‌های استان گلستان انجام گرفت، گونه‌ی Spatulaphorus copridis Khaustov, 2007 در ارتباط با سوسک‌های پهن‌خوار Geotrupes spp.(Col.: Geotrupidae) جمع‌آوری گردید. جنس و گونه‌ی این کنه برای اولین‌ بار از ایران گزارش می‌شود.

متن کامل

Beetle Exoskeleton May Facilitate Body Heat Acting Differentially across the Electromagnetic Spectrum.

Exoskeletons of beetles and their associated morphological characteristics can serve many different functions, including thermoregulation. We study the thermal role of the exoskeleton in 13 Geotrupidae dung beetle species using heating experiments under controlled conditions. The main purpose was to measure the influence of heating sources (solar radiance vs. infrared), animal position (dorsal ...

متن کامل

Elevational Distribution and Conservation Biogeography of Phanaeine Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) in Bolivia

Insect macroecology and conservation biogeography studies are disproportionately scarce, especially in the Neotropics. Dung beetles are an ideal focal taxon for biodiversity research and conservation. Using distribution and body size data on the ecologically important Phanaeini, the best-known Neotropical dung beetle tribe, we determined elevational patterns of species richness, endemism, body ...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:

دوره 5  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2017