Do Insects Use antifreeze?

    Have you ever wondered why all those tiny insects out there in the ice and snow survive such low temperatures? In actual fact many of them have their very own antifreeze and internal systems to prevent freezing.

    How Do Moths Keep Warm?

    In cold weather insects have to stay in the sun to keep themselves warm and many have to spread their wings out to collect heat before they can fly. A moth can raise its temperature by vibrating its wings, or shivering before it takes off. The heat that the moths manage to generate by this action is conserved by hairs or tiny scales that maintain a layer of insulating air around the moth's body.

    Built In Antifreeze Prevents Insects Freezing.

    Those insects living in extremely cold conditions often have the ability to tolerate ice formation in their body fluids. However, most insects that have to survive the winter in cold latitudes, have to have a resistance to freezing. This is usual achieved by the accumulation of a comparatively large amount of glycerol in their bodies. Glycerol acts as an antifreeze but they also go through physical changes that allow the blood to cool down to temperatures below freezing point.

    Insects Are The Most Adaptable Of All Creatures.

    There are estimated to be more than ten million species of insect in the world and probably many more yet to be discovered. These insects represent as many as ninety percent of the different species on earth.

    Insects Can Live In Pools Of Petroleum.

    Wherever there is food available, insects have adapted themselves to the environment. They live on land and in freshwater habitats and in such widely different climates as desert and glacial areas, jungles and cold mountain areas. They survive in hot springs, stagnant water and even in pools of crude petroleum where they eat other insects that fall in.

    昆蟲用冷凍劑嗎？

    你是否曾經(jīng)感到驚訝，為什么那些冰天雪地里的小昆蟲在那么低的氣溫下還能幸存下來？事實(shí)上，許多昆蟲都有與生俱來的防凍劑和內(nèi)部系統(tǒng)以免受凍。

    飛蛾怎樣保溫？

    在寒冷的天氣，昆蟲們不得不呆在太陽下以保持自身的體溫，許多昆蟲還不得不在它們能飛起來之前展開翅膀以收集熱量。飛蛾可以在起飛前通過振動(dòng)翅膀或者顫抖來升高體溫。飛蛾設(shè)法通過這一活動(dòng)產(chǎn)生的熱量由體毛或者細(xì)微的鱗屑保存下來，這些可以讓飛蛾在周身保持一層隔熱的空氣。

    內(nèi)置防凍劑可預(yù)防昆蟲挨凍

    那些生活在極其寒冷環(huán)境下的昆蟲通常都具有忍受其體液凍結(jié)成冰的能力。不管怎樣，大多數(shù)昆蟲必須得在寒冷的緯度地區(qū)活過冬季，必須得具備抗凍性。這一能力通常經(jīng)由其體內(nèi)大量的丙三醇累積而獲得。丙三醇充當(dāng)了防凍劑的角色，不過，它們也會(huì)經(jīng)歷物理變化，留出時(shí)間給血液以冷卻到冰點(diǎn)以下的溫度。

    昆蟲是適應(yīng)性最強(qiáng)的生物

    據(jù)估算，世界上昆蟲有一千多萬個(gè)物種，或許，還有更多的昆蟲物種有待發(fā)現(xiàn)。這些昆蟲代表著地球上90%之多的不同物種。

    昆蟲能在油藏中生存

    只要是在有可食用食物的地方，昆蟲都能讓它們自己適應(yīng)環(huán)境。它們生活在陸地上，淡水環(huán)境和諸如沙漠、冰川地帶、熱帶叢林以及寒冷的山區(qū)等截然不同的氣候中。還能在炎熱的斯普林斯，污水甚至石油原油油藏中幸存，在那它們以掉落下去的其他昆蟲為食。