Abstract
The freezing tolerant antarctic midge Belgica antarctica Jacobs accumulates a three component cryoprotectant system during the period of seasonal transition (February-March). Separate populations produce qualitatively identical cryoprotectants (erythritol, glucose and trehalose), but with quantitative variations that may yield a doubling in levels of one or more individual cryoprotectants. These quantitative variations occur under identical thermal and photic conditions. The protective potential of cryoprotectants when represented as a combined indicator of concentration (hydroxyl equivalents) is essentially equal among populations as hardening is maximized. Supercooling points elevate from austral summer lows of -10.2 to winter highs of -5.0TC. The accumulation of cryoprotectants occurs concomitantly with the gradual decrease in microhabitat temperatures (0.20 to 0.25TC d1). It is suggested that enhanced hardening is not alone triggered by temperature, but may be associated with other environmental stressors or development programming.
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