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Depressed Supercooling Point and Increased Glycerol Concentration in Overwintering Adult Tiger Beetles (Cicindelida)
M Burns1, D Herrera2, T Brosius2
1Department of Biology, Augustana College IL, Rock Island, IL; Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA. burnsmp3@miamioh.edu.
Background:
Tiger beetles are a widely distributed group including species that may be exposed to sub-freezing temperature overwinter. Despite being well studied, little is known about tiger beetle cold tolerance.
Objective:
We investigated seasonal changes in cold hardiness of two northerly distributed tiger beetle species (Cicindela repanda and Cicindela limbalis).
Materials And Methods:
We monitored the supercooling point (SCP), glycerol concentration, and hemolymph osmolality of adult tiger beetles during a 3.5-month acclimation to winter.
Results:
SCP decreased during winter acclimation for C. repanda, but not for C. limbalis. Both species modestly increased glycerol concentration, and C. repanda increased hemolymph osmolality by 38%.
Conclusion:
This initial investigation into the cold-hardiness of adult tiger beetles suggests that they are capable of lowering their SCP as winter approaches, which may help them survive sub-freezing winter temperatures. Further assessment of their chill and freeze tolerance and of their overwintering conditions in the field is needed to better understand their winter physiology.
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