Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2011 Apr 1;214(Pt 7):1086-91. doi: 10.1242/jeb.050971.
We have examined the effects of temperature on metabolic rate and respiratory pattern in the water strider Aquarius remigis. As temperature was increased from 10 to 30°C, the metabolic rate of the insects increased and the respiratory pattern transitioned from discontinuous, to cyclic, to continuous. The discontinuous gas-exchange cycle (DGC) was observed even in insects standing on water when the respirometry chamber was being perfused with humid (>95% relative humidity) air. Comparisons of insects at 20°C in humid and dry air showed no statistically significant differences in metabolic rate or respiratory pattern (P>0.05). The proportion of time that the spiracles were closed was greater at 10°C than at 20°C (P<0.01), and greater at 20°C than at 30°C (P<0.05). These results are compatible with the hypothesis that the respiratory patterns of insects are determined by the relationship between oxygen supply and oxygen demand. There was no evidence in this insect that humidity had any effect on the respiratory pattern. The results are discussed in the context of the ongoing discussion in the literature of the origin, maintenance and adaptive significance of the DGC in insects.
我们研究了温度对水黾（Aquarius remigis）代谢率和呼吸模式的影响。当温度从 10°C 升高到 30°C 时，昆虫的代谢率增加，呼吸模式从不连续转变为周期性，再转变为连续性。即使在呼吸室用高湿度（>95%相对湿度）空气进行灌注时，昆虫站在水面上也会观察到不连续的气体交换循环（DGC）。在 20°C 下，将处于高湿度和干燥空气中的昆虫进行比较，发现它们的代谢率或呼吸模式没有统计学上的显著差异（P>0.05）。在 10°C 时，气门关闭的时间比例大于 20°C（P<0.01），在 20°C 时大于 30°C（P<0.05）。这些结果与昆虫的呼吸模式由氧气供应和需求之间的关系决定的假设是一致的。在这种昆虫中，没有证据表明湿度对呼吸模式有任何影响。在文献中对昆虫 DGC 的起源、维持和适应意义的持续讨论背景下，对结果进行了讨论。
