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Transitions in insect respiratory patterns are controlled by changes in metabolic rate
1University of California, Irvine, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, United States. hcontrer@uci.edu
Journal of Insect Physiology
|June 16, 2009
Summary
Insect respiration patterns, including discontinuous (DGC), cyclical, and continuous, are not distinct but represent a continuum. This respiratory continuum in insects is driven by metabolic demand and temperature variations.
Area of Science:
- Zoology
- Insect Physiology
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Insects exhibit distinct respiratory patterns: discontinuous (DGC), cyclical, and continuous.
- These patterns are hypothesized to relate to metabolic rate and aerobic demand.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if insects transition between discontinuous, cyclical, and continuous respiration in response to increasing metabolic demand.
- To determine the relationship between temperature, metabolic rate, and respiratory patterns in insects.
Main Methods:
- Utilized flow-through respirometry to measure metabolic rates in Rhodnius prolixus and Gromphadorhina portentosa across varying temperatures.
- Objectively quantified periods of spiracular closure to define respiratory patterns.
- Correlated metabolic rate with the duration of spiracular closure.
Main Results:
- At low temperatures, both species showed long spiracular closure periods, indicative of discontinuous respiration.
- Increased metabolic rates led to decreased spiracular closure and a shift towards cyclical respiration.
- At the highest temperatures, further reductions in spiracular closure resulted in continuous respiration.
Conclusions:
- Insect respiratory patterns (discontinuous, cyclical, continuous) are not discrete but form a physiological continuum.
- Metabolic demand, influenced by temperature, is the primary driver of these respiratory pattern transitions in insects.
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