Zoology: Blow flies blow from hot to cold
Scientific Reports
April 20, 2018
Blow flies use an unusual method to reduce their body temperature; releasing saliva droplets from their mouths and subsequently re-ingesting them, according to a study in Scientific Reports.
Guilherme Gomes and colleagues found that once a saliva droplet leaves a blow fly’s mouth, it partially evaporates and thus cools down. The re-ingestion of the droplet by the fly then reduces its body temperature. The authors found that blow flies repeated the behaviour more often as the air temperature increased, suggesting that it helps to maintain an optimum body temperature.
However, this behaviour was not observed when the blow flies were very active, which the authors suggest may be because their muscles need to be warm to be able to fly. It was also found to be ineffective in humid environments as the moisture in the air prevented the droplet from evaporating; the more humid the surroundings, the less frequently this behaviour was observed. The authors hypothesize that other insects may regulate their body temperature in similar ways, but note that this would only be effective in small animals, due to the need to produce a large enough saliva droplet relative to their body size.
doi:10.1038/s41598-018-23670-2
Research highlights
-
May 19
Climate change: Tree deaths increasing in AustraliaNature
-
May 18
Evolution: A middle Pleistocene hominin molar from LaosNature Communications
-
May 18
Biotechnology: Contact lens measures pressure and delivers glaucoma drugNature Communications
-
May 17
Geoscience: Biological soil crusts reduce dust blowing in the windNature Geoscience
-
May 13
Space Biology: One small step towards plants on the MoonCommunications Biology
-
May 12
Ageing: Cerebrospinal fluid from young mice improves memory in old miceNature