Thermoregulation in mixed-species colonies of honeybees (Apis cerana and Apis mellifera)

Apis cerana and Apis mellifera normally display different strategies in cooling hive temperature, raising the question whether they would coordinate their efforts in to achieve stable thermoregulation in mixed colonies. The results show that the normal temperatures in the brood area in mixed colonies are more similar to those of pure A. cerana colonies than pure A. mellifera colonies. Under heat stress, A. cerana workers are more sensitive, and initiate fanning earlier than A. mellifera workers. In mixed colonies, the former become the main force for thermoregulation. When worker bees of both species were fanning together at the entrance, their own species-specific postures were adopted, but due to a significantly smaller number of A. mellifera workers engaged in fanning, the cooling efficiency of mixed colonies were closest to that of pure A. cerana colonies.     

A novel approach to measuring heat flux in swimming animals

We present a design for long-term or removable attachment of heat flux sensors (HFSs) to stationary or swimming animals in water that enables collection of heat flux data on both captive and free-ranging pinnipeds. HFSs were modified to allow for independent, continuous, and long-term or removable attachment to study animals. The design was tested for effects of HFSs and the attachment mechanism on resultant heat flux. Effects were insulative and consistent across water temperatures and flow speeds, resulting in a correction factor of 3.42. This correction factor was applied to all measurements of heat flux from animal experiments to account for the thermal resistance of HFSs and insulative effects of the attachment mechanism. Heat flux and skin temperature data were collected from two captive Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) as they swam in a large habitat tank over time periods ranging from approximately 4 to 9 min. Of the 72 HFSs deployed using the attachment mechanism, data were successfully retrieved from 70. The HFS attachment mechanism was also used on two wild free-ranging Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) off Ross Island, Antarctica, for up to 7 days. Heat flux data were retrieved from all eight sensors deployed. These results, along with those from Steller sea lions, suggest that HFSs can be deployed with success on captive and wild animals using the designed attachment mechanism.     

Characteristics of the febrile response in Pekin ducks

We measured body temperature in Pekin ducks for 22 h after intravenous injection of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram negative bacteria at doses of 0, 1, 10, and 100 μg · kg body mass⁻¹. The ducks developed monophasic fevers showing increases in peak temperature reached and duration of fever with increases in dose of LPS. Body temperatures of unrestrained telemetered ducks without access to food and water were similar to those of saline-injected controls in the fever experiments, but were lower in the morning than when the same birds had access to food and water. This nocturnal hypothermia may have resulted from energy restriction imposed by lack of food and water. The dose of LPS required to elicit a fever of over 18 h duration (100 μg · kg⁻¹) will elicit a biphasic fever of 5 h duration in rats. Pekin ducks did not exhibit biphasic fever even at the highest LPS dose administered, indicating that while fever is superficially similar in the two homeothermic classes, there may be differences in details of the mechanism. The similarities of the dose/response characteristics to that of mammals lends support to the theory that fever in vertebrates has a common phyletic origin. Accepted: 5 January 1998     

Seasonal shifts in the thermoregulatory behaviour of australian blacksnakes, Pseudechis porphyriacus (serpentes: elapidae)

1. 1.Activity patterns, movements and thermoregulation of 27 adult blacksnakes containing miniature temperature-sensitive radiotransmitters were monitored in spring and summer in a montane area of eastern Australia.

2. 2.Within each season, mean selected body temperatures were similar in the two sexes, regardless of reproductive status.

3. 3.In spring, male temperatures tended to be more variable than those of females, because the long-range movements of males precluded precise thermoregulation.

4. 4.Although ambient (air) temperatures were higher in summer than in spring, the reverse was true of body temperatures: both male and female snakes were approx. 5°C cooler in summer than in spring.

5. 5.Snakes were less active in summer than in spring, and were cooler in summer even when they were active.

6. 6.We attribute the decreased activity levels in summer to drought, which apparently depressed availability of prey (frogs), and hence foraging by the snakes. Under such circumstances, the metabolic costs of maintaining high body temperatures may exceed the likely benefits of unproductive foraging.

Hormones and hibernation: possible links between hormone systems,winter energy balance and white-nose syndrome in bats

This article is part of a Special Issue “Energy Balance”.     

Thermoregulation of water foraging honeybees—Balancing of endothermic activity with radiative heat gain and functional requirements

Foraging honeybees are subjected to considerable variations of microclimatic conditions challenging their thermoregulatory ability. Solar heat is a gain in the cold but may be a burden in the heat. We investigated the balancing of endothermic activity with radiative heat gain and physiological functions of water foraging Apis mellifera carnica honeybees in the whole range of ambient temperatures (T_a) and solar radiation they are likely to be exposed in their natural environment in Middle Europe.The mean thorax temperature (T_th) during foraging stays was regulated at a constantly high level (37.0-38.5 °C) in a broad range of T_a (3-30 °C). At warmer conditions (T_a = 30-39 °C) T_th increased to a maximal level of 45.3 °C. The endothermic temperature excess (difference of T_body − T_a of living and dead bees) was used to assess the endogenously generated temperature elevation as a correlate of energy turnover. Up to a T_a of ∼30 °C bees used solar heat gain for a double purpose: to reduce energetic expenditure and to increase T_th by about 1-3 °C to improve force production of flight muscles. At higher T_a they exhibited cooling efforts to get rid of excess heat. A high T_th also allowed regulation of the head temperature high enough to guarantee proper function of the bees’ suction pump even at low T_a. This shortened the foraging stays and this way reduced energetic costs. With decreasing T_a bees also reduced arrival body weight and crop loading to do both minimize costs and optimize flight performance.     

Serotonin-Synthesizing Neurons in the Rostral Medullary Raphé/Parapyramidal Region Transneuronally Labelled After Injection of Pseudorabies Virus into the Rat Tail

Serotonin-synthesizing raphé/parapyramidal neurons (5-HT neurons) may function as sympathetic premotor neurons regulating sympathetic outflow to the cutaneous vascular bed. In the present study a genetically engineered pseudorabies virus (PRV) expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) was injected into the rat tail. After survival for 3–4 days the medulla oblongata was examined using double-label immunohistochemistry, with an antibody against GFP for the virus and an antibody against phenylalanine hydroxylase 8 (PH8) for 5-HT synthesis. Sections were examined using light microscopy, and conventional and confocal fluorescence microscopy. There were two subpopulations of PRV+ve neurons in the raphé/parapyramidal region: a more dorsally and laterally located subgroup of medium-sized and large neurons, mainly non-serotonergic, and a more ventrally located subgroup of small mainly serotonin-synthesizing neurons, including those just dorsal to the pyramids, those in raphé pallidus, and those in close relationship to the ventral surface in the parapyramidal-subependymal zone.Special issue dedicated to Miklós Palkovits.