Insects at Low Temperature - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0412028018 ISBN 13: 9780412028014

Publisher: Chapman and Hall, 1991

Synopsis

The study of insects at low temperature is a comparatively new field. Only recently has insect cryobiology begun to mature, as research moves from a descriptive approach to a search for underlying mechanisms at diverse levels of organization ranging from the gene and cell to ecological and evolutionary relationships. Knowledge of insect responses to low temperature is crucial for understanding the biology of insects living in seasonally varying habitats as well as in polar regions. It is not possible to precisely define low temperature. In the tropics exposure to 10-15 C may induce chill coma or death, whereas some insects in temperate and polar regions remain active and indeed even able to fly at O C or below. In contrast, for persons interested in cryopreservation, low temperature may mean storage in liquid nitrogen at - 196 C. In the last decade, interest in adaptations of invertebrates to low temperature has risen steadily. In part, this book had its origins in a symposium on this subject that was held at the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Louisville, Kentucky, USA in December, 1988. However, the emergence and growth of this area has also been strongly influenced by an informal group of investigators who met in a series of symposia held in Oslo, Norway in 1982, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in 1985 and in Cambridge, England in 1988. Another is scheduled for Binghamton, New York, USA (1990).

About this title

Synopsis

"Insects at Low Temperature" provides a comprehensive overview of the subject, covering both theoretical and applied aspects and containing a balance of physiological and ecological information. Ranging in level from the basic to the advanced, the book explains the general principles of insect cold tolerance, emphasizing water relations, cryoprotectants and antifreeze proteins, and the impact of cold on development and survival. It also contains chapters on cold shock and heat shock, the effects of cold on morphogenesis, the relationship between cold-hardiness and diapause, and thermoperiodism. A feature of the book is its discussion of practical applications, including the effects of low temperatures on silkworm eggs, the over-wintering of honey bees, and the implications of cold-hardiness for pest management. One of the most important topics discussed is the cryopreservation of "drosphila " embryos, which could provide a way to avoid the expensive and labour-intensive method of rearing insects to preserve genetic lines.

Edition details

• Publisher: Chapman and Hall
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0412028018
• ISBN 13: 9780412028014
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 514
• Editor: Lee Richard, Denlinger David L.