Abstract
Abstract Caterpillars of the eastern North American moth Pyrrharctia isabella (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) overwinter under plant debris where they are exposed to subfreezing temperatures. We measured supercooling points (scps), susceptibility to ice formation in body fluids at temperatures above the SCP following contact with external ice (inoculative freezing), freeze tolerance, cryoprotectant accumulation and metabolism of P. isabella caterpillars. They were collected between September 1996 and January 1997 and tested either immediately after collection (field acclimatization) or following 5 C acclimation in the laboratory. Hibernaculum temperatures were previously recorded between late November 1995 and late March 1996. In a dry laboratory environment, caterpillars had scps ranging between −5 to −10 C throughout the study. Moreover, caterpillars survived prolonged (7 days) supercooling at −5 C for 7 days and determinations of their scps, which caused brief internal freezing. We induced inoculative freezin...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
