Neuere Ergebnisse �ber den sozialen W�rmehaushalt der einheimischen Hautfl�gler

Steiner, A.

doi:10.1007/bf01493498

Cited by 16 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Demuth (1914), andZander (1917) have studied the temperature of bee clusters. Numerous observations have been made on mound ants, the most comprehensive of which are probably those of Andrews (1927) on Formica exsectoides, and the reviews of Steiner (1930) and Himmer (1932). Andrews concluded that, because the temperature of an unoccupied mound was higher than the temperature of the soil, "the temperature is due to the sun's rays and not appreciably to the heat given off by the ants nor to any fermentation of the relatively small amount of vegetable matter contained in the mounds."…”

Section: Introduction 465mentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature Studies of The Habitat of Eutermes Exitiosus With Special Reference to The Temperatures Within The Mound

Holdaway¹,

Gay²

1948

Aust. Jnl. Of Bio. Sci.

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SummaryA study was made to determine whether or not Eutermes exitiosttS maintains within its mound a constant temperature at which it would be desirable to maintain artificial laboratory colonies of this termite.It was found that the temperature of the mound is not constant. The temperature of a given portion of the mound varies with the time of day, and varies from day to day with changes in environmental temperature.The temperature of the nursery exhibits less variation than other portions of the mound, but it is continuously higher than the temperature of the air or the soil, or of that portion of the mound which receives the greatest amount of heat from the sun. The temperature of the nursery follows a seasonal trend which roughly parallels the seasonal change in air temperature.Although the temperature of a mound is not constant, and although it is related to the surrounding air temperature, it is affected by the presence of living termites in the mound, the temperature of an occupied mound averaging from 14.5 0 to 1B.6°F. higher than it would if it were unoccupied. The temperature of an occupied mound is apparently maintained above that of an unoccupied mound by the metabolism of the termites. The number of individuals present in the mound in the summer is less than the number present in the winter. By virtue of the higher temperature of the mound in the summer, and the resultant higher metabolism of the termites, the smaller number of individuals present in the mound is capable of maintaining the mound temperature as much above that of an unoccupied mound as is the larger number present in the winter.The presence of alates in the mound results in the temperature being from 10 0 to 13°F. higher than that in mounds of comparable shape and size in which there are no alates.Termites, probably as a result of movement into the mound from galleries away from the mound, are capable of buffering the effect of sudden falls in air temperature.The prac.tical applications of tlle observations on mound temperature are as follows:(a) By recording mound temperature, it is possible to distinguish populous from non-populous mounds. This ensures that when a mound is selected to provide termites for laboratory colonies, the maximum number of termites procurable from a mound at that particular time of the year will be secured ... Publication of this manuscript has been unavoidably delayed by several factors, the more important of which have been the departure of the senior author for Honolulu and the intervention of the war. t Division of Economic Entomology, C.S.I.R. ( b) By recording the temperatures of mounds chosen for field studies on the resistance of timbers and timber treatments, one can be sure of using only vital colonies, and can also keep a check on the vitality of the respective colonies throughout the period of the test. (c) By recording the temperature of mounds used for insecticidal studies, it is possible to compare the effects of various toxic materials on termite colonies which are known to be normally hea...

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