1985/11/01 by A. C. Marsh, A.C. Marsh
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · Neuroscience · #ANT #Air temperature #Atmospheric sciences #Biology #Composite material #Ecology #Environmental science #Foraging #Geography #Geology #Heat exchanger #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Materials science #Meteorology #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research #Physics #Physiological and biochemical adaptations #Range (aeronautics) #Thermal #Thermal inertia #Thermodynamics #Wind speed
paper · doi:10.1086/physzool.58.6.30156067
crossref issued 1985/11/01 · crossref published 1985/11/01 · crossref published-print 1985/11/01 · openalex publication_date 1985/11/01 · crossref created 2016/01/07 · crossref deposited 2018/07/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/02 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
Foragers were active on the insolated surface between sand surface temperatures (Ts) of 27–67 C. At Ts > 51 C foragers periodically paused in relatively cooler thermal refuges, such as by remaining in the shade or by climbing above the desert floor on any available object. The frequency and length of pauses in thermal refuges increased with increasing Ts. Workers, because of their small size (∼4 mg live mass), had low thermal inertia, as evidenced by high cooling rates in a range of air speeds, and were therefore efficient heat exchangers, equilibrating rapidly to ambient temperature. Through measurements of operative environmental temperature (Te) in pertinent positions in the ant's habitat and a knowledge of wind-related cooling rates, it was possible to estimate the body temperature (Tb) Of foraging ants. Foragers experienced periods when Tb would have equaled or exceeded their critical thermal maximum (CTM) of 51.5 C. Laboratory experiments indicated that ants could tolerate temperatures >CTM for short periods and that short but frequent thermal respites facilitated ant survival at temperatures = CTM.