Abstract
Abstract. In the insect rapid cold‐hardening response, survival at subzero temperatures is greatly improved by a brief pre‐exposure at a milder temperature. It is predicted that insects with minimal cold tolerance capabilities living in variable environments should use rapid cold‐hardening to survive sudden cold snaps. This is tested in Afrinus sp., a beetle that lives in an exposed habitat on rock outcrops in the Karoo Desert, South Africa, where microclimate temperatures drop infrequently to below freezing. Afrinus sp. shows a significant rapid cold‐hardening response: survival of a 2‐h exposure to −6.5 °C is much improved after pre‐exposure to −2 °C, to 0 °C with a 2‐h return to the rearing temperature, and to 40 °C, but not after pre‐exposure to 0 °C. Little is known about the mechanism of the rapid cold‐hardening response, although the data suggest that rapid cold‐hardening may be mediated via several different mechanisms.
Published Version
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