Convective heat loss and change in body temperature of grasshopper and locust nymphs: Relative importance of wind speed, insect size and insect orientation

Abstract

1. 1. Grasshopper ( Melanoplus sanguinipes, M. bivittatus) and locust ( Locusta migratoria migratorioides) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) nymphs were oriented at angles to the wind stream at four wind speeds. 2. 2. Rates of temperature and energy change due to convection were measured after compensating for Stefan-Boltzmann radiative energy exchange. 3. 3. The rate constant for Newton's law of cooling, and the convective heat-transfer coefficient were both affected nonlinearly by insect size and wind speed, but were not significantly affected by insect orientation to the wind. 4. 4. Comparison with published information suggests that the relationships observed apply widely within the animal kingdom.