With approach of fall and the subsequent cold weather all live on Earth gets ready for winter. Also the most numerous class of animals in the world – insects is not an exception. For example, some butterflies for the winter get into hollows and under bark of trees, on attics of old houses. But so not all insects winter. Some of them during the winter period in general are in stages of eggs, larvae, dolls or caterpillars, turning into an adult insect only in the spring if to them, of course, has the luck to live up to it.
Instruction
1. Vast majority of insects of a temperate climate worry winter, falling into the certain state called diapauzy. Diapauza reminds a condition of anabiosis at vertebrate warm-blooded and cool animals (bears, hedgehogs, frogs, lizards). During a diapauza at insects the metabolism and other processes of activity slows down. It also helps them to sustain low winter temperatures.
2. It should be noted that unlike anabiosis of warm-blooded animals (hedgehogs, bears, shrews, moles) which can be interrupted by short-term awakening from time to time, "a winter dream" of insects is the deepest and demanding certain conditions for the termination. As a rule, hibernation of insects depends on duration of light day and on existence of a certain temperature condition.
3. The difference of hibernation of insects from hibernation of warm-blooded animals is that at the second it entirely depends on existence of a food supply. It is curious that insects can winter at any stage of the development – from egg to an imago (adult insect). Diapauza at different types of insects occurs differently. For example, butterflies of a traurnitsa avoid freezing, adding to the organism special cooling liquid (in language of motorists – "antifreeze").
4. The butterfly of traurniyets is capable to replace the water which is contained in the organism with natural "antifreeze" which she produces. So-called cryoprotectors which protect from low temperatures all liquids and soft fabrics in its organism are its part. Other insects in general as a diapauza freeze all available liquids in the organisms.
5. But not all insects enduring winter cold weather fall into a condition of a diapauza. Such social insects as wasps, bees, termites, some species of ants do not go to "a winter dream". With approach of autumn cold weather these beings go deep into the nests, a beehive, ant hills. They densely close all entrances to the dwellings leaves and other organic materials. Underground or in the depth of nests they lead semi-active lifestyle.
6. The entomologists investigating behavior of honey bees in the winter note that these creations at decrease in surrounding air temperature to +7os gather in a beehive whole bunch, maintaining in it temperature at the level from +15os to +25os. Entomologists found out that these creations generate heat by means of reduction of wing-shaped muscles on the backs. Those bees that are closer to exits, play a role of a heat-insulation layer, and from time to time are replaced by the relatives: bees who already froze slightly make the way deep into uleya where they are changed by the warmed relatives. It is curious that these bees eat all winter the forage reserved since summer.