Insects with Built in Antifreeze
Many insects have their own built in antifreeze and a special system that stops them freezing up. Maybe we can learn something from them.
Do Insects Use antifreeze?
Have you ever wondered why all those tiny insects out there in the ice and snow survive such low temperatures? In actual fact many of them have their very own antifreeze and internal systems to prevent freezing.
How Do Moths Keep Warm?
In cold weather insects have to stay in the sun to keep themselves warm and many have to spread their wings out to collect heat before they can fly. A moth can raise its temperature by vibrating its wings, or shivering before it takes off. The heat that the moths manage to generate by this action is conserved by hairs or tiny scales that maintain a layer of insulating air around the moth’s body.
Image via Wikipedia
Built In Antifreeze Prevents Insects Freezing.
Those insects living in extremely cold conditions often have the ability to tolerate ice formation in their body fluids. However, most insects that have to survive the winter in cold latitudes, have to have a resistance to freezing. This is usual achieved by the accumulation of a comparatively large amount of glycerol in their bodies. Glycerol acts as an antifreeze but they also go through physical changes that allow the blood to cool down to temperatures below freezing point.
Insects Are The Most Adaptable Of All Creatures.
There are estimated to be more than ten million species of insect in the world and probably many more yet to be discovered. These insects represent as many as ninety percent of the different species on earth.
Insects Can Live In Pools Of Petroleum.
Wherever there is food available, insects have adapted themselves to the environment. They live on land and in freshwater habitats and in such widely different climates as desert and glacial areas, jungles and cold mountain areas. They survive in hot springs, stagnant water and even in pools of crude petroleum where they eat other insects that fall in.
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15 Responses to “Insects with Built in Antifreeze”
On December 30, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Thanks for sharing this wonderful information……
On December 30, 2009 at 5:14 pm
I enjoyed this
On December 30, 2009 at 6:50 pm
That’s really interesting! great article!
On December 30, 2009 at 8:58 pm
A very good article on a subject that interests me, some of the pics gave me the jitters lol,
best regards for 2010,
Aaron
On December 30, 2009 at 10:23 pm
cool article, we were talking about how the orange ladybugs continue to live through the snow and cold temperatures. The article explains a lot. Thanks
On December 30, 2009 at 11:40 pm
That’s really interesting.
Thanks,
Inna
On December 31, 2009 at 7:06 am
A very fascinating article Jan
I agree that we could learn more from this, even if it didn’t save lives from the cold it may make it more bearable for older people whom have to have their heating on for so long.
Well done and thanks for that food for Thought.
Tim
On December 31, 2009 at 10:39 am
great information happy new year
On December 31, 2009 at 1:01 pm
very biological. nice.
On December 31, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Ah the insect world, one that will remain after we are gone. Happy New Year. Friend, fan, smile
On December 31, 2009 at 7:36 pm
A very interesting article, insects are fascinating when you take a close up look at them.
On December 31, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Fascinating information.
On January 1, 2010 at 12:22 am
Don’t you think we all had our own built in antifreeze in the beginning. After all there was no warm houses to keep us warm or clothes to wrap up in. We had to have something to keep from perishing.
On January 1, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Sounds like the insects could get regular jobs down at our local garage – built in anti freeze and petrol resistant – when can you start!
On January 2, 2010 at 4:23 am
wonderful information that initially is quite obscure yet so interesting … you know, stuff you WANNA know about but havent thought to follow through … i enjoyed it immensely >>> Gina
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