1978/04/01 by Carol Ann Rolph Kay, Carol A. Rolph Kay, Walter G. Whitford · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · #Acclimatization #Air temperature #Atmospheric sciences #Biology #Critical thermal maximum #Daytime #Diurnal cycle #Diurnal temperature variation #Ecology #Environmental science #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research #Nocturnal #Physics #Plant and animal studies
paper · doi:10.1086/physzool.51.2.30157867
crossref issued 1978/04/01 · crossref published 1978/04/01 · crossref published-print 1978/04/01 · openalex publication_date 1978/04/01 · crossref created 2016/01/07 · crossref deposited 2018/04/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/02 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
Critical thermal maxima (CTMAX) and minima (CTMIN), approximate upper and lower lethal temperatures, and the temperature limits of activity were determined for workers of diurnal and nocturnal species of Myrmecocystus. The CTMIN of diurnal species were between 11.2 and 12.0 C, and that of the nocturnal species was -0.4 C. All species had CTMAX between 43.3 and 48.4 C. Lower lethal temperatures of individuals of all species exposed for 2 h were below -5 C, and upper lethal temperatures were between 40 and 45 C. Diurnal species were active at 13-46 C air temperature (Ta) and 13-60 C soil surface temperature (Ts), and the nocturnal species was active at Ta and Ts of 2-30 C.