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Discontinuous ventilation and energetics of locomotion in the desert‐dwelling female mutillid wasp, Dasymutilla gloriosa
Author(s) -
DUNCAN FRANCES D.,
LIGHTON JOHN R. B.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.1997.tb01174.x
Subject(s) - biology , deserts and xeric shrublands , hymenoptera , desert (philosophy) , energetics , ventilation (architecture) , ecology , zoology , habitat , philosophy , epistemology , mechanical engineering , engineering
. Data on the discontinuous ventilation cycle and cost of pedestrian locomotion in female Dasymutilla gloriosa (Sauss.), a desert‐dwelling mutillid, are described and compared with equivalent data from other Hymenoptera. The discontinuous ventilation cycle was intermediate between that found in xeric and mesic hymenopterans, with the open phase being about 20% of the cycle. No noticeable flutter phase was observed. Thus D. gloriosa does not attempt to reduce respiratory water loss to the same extent as found in other desert dwelling Hymenoptera. The minimum cost of transport was significantly higher than that obtained for several ant species, indicating that ants are probably more efficient runners than any other Hymenoptera.