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Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions
Published on: March 9, 2021
Locusts use dynamic thermoregulatory behaviour to optimize nutritional outcomes
Nicole Coggan1, Fiona J Clissold, Stephen J Simpson
1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|February 4, 2011
Summary
Locusts adjust their body temperature to optimize nutrient intake and use efficiency. This thermoregulatory behavior helps them cope with changing nutritional environments and nutrient restrictions, impacting growth and assimilation.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Animal Behavior
- Physiology
Background:
- Nutritional processes in ectotherms have varying thermal optima.
- Ectotherms may use behavioral thermoregulation to optimize performance in changing nutritional conditions.
- Small terrestrial animals with low thermal inertia benefit from precise temperature selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between nutritional state and thermoregulatory behavior in ectotherms.
- To determine how nutrient restrictions influence temperature selection in locusts.
- To understand how locusts optimize nutrient use efficiency through behavioral thermoregulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the locust (Locusta migratoria) as a model organism.
- Implementing a thermal gradient to observe temperature selection.
- Manipulating nutrient availability (chronic restriction and short-term feeding cessation).
Main Results:
- Locusts subjected to chronic nutrient restriction selected lower temperatures, enhancing nutrient use efficiency at the expense of growth.
- In short-term food deprivation, locusts immediately selected cooler temperatures for maximal assimilation efficiency.
- Demonstrated a direct behavioral response of thermoregulation to nutritional status.
Conclusions:
- Locusts actively adjust thermoregulatory behavior in response to nutrient availability.
- Behavioral thermoregulation is a key strategy for ectotherms to manage nutritional challenges and mitigate life-history consequences.
- Fine-scale movement and temperature selection allow locusts to optimize nutrient assimilation and use.
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