Supercooling of the Saguaro Species 'Drosophila Nigrospiracula' in the Sonoran Desert
Lowe CH, Heed WB, Halpern EA. 1967. Supercooling of the Saguaro Species 'Drosophila Nigrospiracula' in the Sonoran Desert. Ecology. 48(6)
Winter-active February adults (vicinty Tuscon, Arizona) were observed to be supercooled during freezing nights in their desert habitat, with 24-hr minimum extremes reaching -5.1oC, and to become active (flying) a few minutes after the warming following sunrise. The LD50 for experimental supercooling of the opoulation sampled was -7.73oC, the LD100 between -9o and -10oC, and the LDo between -5o and -6oC. The ability to survive winter nocturnal temperature extremes in the supercooled state makes it possible for the species to be surface active and breeding throughout the winter over the geographical distribution of its primary host plant, the saguaro (Cereus giganteus), in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Lowe, Charles; Heed, William; Halpern, E.
- Units
- ORPI
- Keywords
- fruitflies