[NatureNS] Morning Cloak butterfly

References: <4506C1BA.16155.250285@jtimpa.ns.sympatico.ca> <4507F5D4.2020506@chebucto.ns.ca>
From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 09:41:13 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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Hi Jean & Eleanor,

Jean Timpa wrote:
> 	
> As the day begins to cool off again, it will find another protected  
> place, perhaps even the same one, and go back to dormancy until  
> real spring comes. They must have a marvelous anti freeze system.

They do indeed. During winter diapause (i.e. hibernation),  
butterflies (in fact all hibernating insects) do a number of things:

1) The blood thickens as a result of the secretion of significant  
quantities of glycerol, and since the blood circulates freely in the  
body cavity of an insect (i.e. there are no blood vessels) this  
results in all the body tissues being bathed with an "anti- 
freeze" (in some insects sorbitol or an alcohol is secreted rather  
than glycerol);

2) The water content in the body decreases (dropping, for instance,  
from 80% in Limenitis species to 55%);

3) What free water remains is converted to a colloidal (gelatin-like)  
form.

All these changes ensure that the butterflies can survive the winter  
without freezing damage to their tissues. How some insects can  
quickly  "defrost" during mild conditions in the winter and then  
rapidly re-enter diapause mode when it gets cold seems extraordinary  
to me.

Cheers,

Chris

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. 
_.
Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada  B3H 3A6
(902) 424-6435   Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. 
_.


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<HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Jean &amp; =
Eleanor,<DIV><BR><DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Jean Timpa wrote:</DIV> =
<BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; =
min-height: 14.0px"><SPAN class=3D"Apple-tab-span" =
style=3D"white-space:pre">	</SPAN><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></P><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">As the day =
begins to cool off again, it will find another protected place, perhaps =
even the same one, and go back to dormancy until real spring comes. They =
must have a marvelous anti freeze =
system.=A0</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>They do indeed. During =
winter diapause (i.e. hibernation), butterflies (in fact all hibernating =
insects) do a number of things:</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>1) The blood thickens as a =
result of the secretion of significant quantities of glycerol, and since =
the blood=A0circulates freely in the body cavity of an insect (i.e. =
there are no blood vessels) this results in all the body tissues being =
bathed with an "anti-freeze" (in some insects sorbitol or an alcohol is =
secreted rather than glycerol);</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span">2) The water content in the body decreases =
(dropping, for instance, from 80% in <I>Limenitis</I> species to =
55%);</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>3)=
 What free water remains is converted to a colloidal (gelatin-like) =
form.</DIV><DIV><BR class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>All =
these changes ensure that the butterflies can survive the winter without =
freezing damage to their tissues. How some insects can quickly=A0 =
"defrost" during mild conditions in the winter and then=A0rapidly=A0re-ent=
er diapause mode when it gets cold seems extraordinary to =
me.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Cheers,</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Chris</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px =
0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._=
._._._.</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT =
face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">Christopher Majka =
- Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History</FONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Times">1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>B3H 3A6</FONT></P> <P =
style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Times">(902) 424-6435 <SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>Email &lt;<A =
href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</A>&gt;</F=
ONT></P> <P style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face=3D"Times"=
 size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Times">_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._=
._._._.</FONT></P>  </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>=

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