Tracheal Gases, Respiratory Gas Exchange, Body Temperature and Flight in Some Tropical Cicadas

• DOI: 10.1242/jeb.111.1.131
• Publication Date: 2021-04-25T01:39:14Z
• Authors: George A. Barthol...; M. Christopher Ba...
• Keywords: Flapping; Bird flight; Beat (acoustics)

ABSTRACT Fidicina mannifera Fab. (mass 3 g) can fly at a body temperature of 22 °C, but take-off is usually preceded by an endothermic warm-up that elevates Tth to 28 °C or higher. Warm-up accompanied slow, almost imperceptible, wing movements, gentle abdominal pumping and increase in V·O2 about 16 times the resting level. During wing-flapping fixed flight, increases explosively 70 level, thoracic rises 33 °C. Wing-beat frequency with Tth. Between 25 34 mean wing-beat 37 Hz. F. does not maintain free flapping for more than 100 s. Flight supported aerobically, we infer exhaustion related depletion substrate flight muscles. The volume tracheal system 45 % total volume. At rest, FO2 air sacs remains near 17 FCO2, %. non-flapping warm-up, falls as low 1 FCO2 high 21 Thus, gas exchange may limit rate warm-up. When commences, quickly return levels, presumably result auto ventilation. interspecific regression on mass three species cicadas 23-24°C has slope 0·89 1-g intercept 0·63 ml h−1.