Coelho Joseph R, Holliday Charles W, Hastings Jon M, Phillips Christy M
Institute for Franciscan Environmental Studies, Biology Program, Quincy University, Quincy, IL 62301, USA.
Department of Biology, Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042, USA.
J Therm Biol. 2016 Apr;57:101-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.03.001. Epub 2016 Mar 14.
A comprehensive investigation of the Pacific cicada killer, Sphecius convallis Patton, was undertaken to examine the behavioral and physiological mechanisms by which they are able to complete their life cycle in the thermal extremes of the Upper Sonoran Desert. S. convallis were endothermic, exhibiting elevated and relatively constant thorax temperatures during many activities. Males basked in trees at dawn to warm up, then used a variety of behaviors and perching strategies to maintain thorax temperature during territorial behavior. The thorax temperature of females was highest during provisioning and orientation flights, somewhat lower while investigating burrows, and lowest while digging burrows. The optimal thorax temperature for flight was about 40°C, which was approximated most closely by males resting in the shade during the afternoon. In mating clusters, the mated male was the hottest, the female was coolest and the other males were intermediate. Wasps lost about 5% of body mass during heating treatments, and may use evaporative water loss for cooling. Pacific cicada killers use a complex suite of behavioral and physiological adaptations to regulate body temperature during their nesting season.
对太平洋蝉杀手黄蜂（Sphecius convallis Patton）进行了全面调查，以研究它们在上索诺兰沙漠极端温度条件下完成生命周期所采用的行为和生理机制。太平洋蝉杀手黄蜂是吸热动物，在许多活动中表现出较高且相对恒定的胸部温度。雄性在黎明时在树上晒太阳取暖，然后在领地行为期间采用各种行为和栖息策略来维持胸部温度。雌性在觅食和定向飞行时胸部温度最高，在探查洞穴时略低，在挖掘洞穴时最低。飞行的最佳胸部温度约为40°C，下午在阴凉处休息的雄性最接近这个温度。在交配群中，已交配的雄性温度最高，雌性温度最低，其他雄性温度居中。黄蜂在加热处理过程中体重损失约5%，可能利用蒸发失水来降温。太平洋蝉杀手黄蜂在筑巢季节使用一系列复杂的行为和生理适应机制来调节体温。
