Dreisig Hans
Zoological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen.
Oecologia. 1975 Jun;18(2):85-99. doi: 10.1007/BF00348090.
The daily onset of activity in fireflies and glowworms is a complicated process involving both a circadian rhythm and a triggering mechanism controlled by ambient illumination. Onset of the luminescent activity has been investigated in the field and under semi-natural and experimental conditions. 1. the onset of flashing or glowing occurs at a critical low illumination during or just after the twilight period. This was determined in the adult glowworm Lampyris noctiluca in Denmark and in the fireflies Photuris congener and Photinus umbratus in Florida. 2. The dispersion of activity onsets differs in the three species which is partly due to differences in duration of the decrease of illumination (duration of twilight). At the long duration of twilight in Denmark, L. noctiluca has a greater dispersion of onsets than has P. congener at the short twilight in Florida, although the period of activity onsets occurs during about the same range of illuminations. 3. The onset of activity occurs at a lower illumination at low than at high temperatures. 4. At a reduction in illumination to different low values an increasing number of animals does not commence activity above about 1 lux. There is no activity if the illumination remains above 10 lux. 5. A period of latency appears in the onset of luminescent activity by a sudden change in illumination from light to dark (dim light). The duration is about 11 min in L. noctiluca, 5 min in three species of Photuris and 3 1/2 min in P. umbratus. The latency is constant at different illuminations below the threshold for overt activity. The process underlying the latency also occurs at illuminations above the threshold, but it is slowed down the higher the illumination. Further, the latency is shorter at a fast decrease of illumination than at a slow. 6. It is suggested that onset of activity in nocturnal insects involves three steps. A circadian rhythm of sensitization brings the animal into a specific state of receptivity. This happens close to the normal time of activity onset. Further, a latency process controlled by illumination occurs before overt activity can take place. This is then released below a certain threshold level of illumination.
萤火虫和萤火虫的日常活动开始是一个复杂的过程，涉及昼夜节律和由环境光照控制的触发机制。已经在野外以及半自然和实验条件下对发光活动的开始进行了研究。1. 闪烁或发光的开始发生在黄昏期间或刚结束时的临界低光照条件下。这是在丹麦的成年萤火虫黄缘萤以及佛罗里达州的萤火虫Photuris congener和Photinus umbratus中确定的。2. 三种物种的活动开始时间分散情况不同，部分原因是光照下降持续时间（黄昏持续时间）的差异。在丹麦黄昏持续时间长时，黄缘萤的开始时间分散程度比佛罗里达州黄昏持续时间短时的Photuris congener更大，尽管活动开始时间发生在大约相同的光照范围内。3. 活动开始在低温时比高温时发生在更低的光照条件下。4. 当光照降低到不同的低值时，越来越多的动物在约1勒克斯以上不会开始活动。如果光照保持在10勒克斯以上，则没有活动。5. 通过光照从亮到暗（暗光）的突然变化，发光活动开始时会出现一段潜伏期。在黄缘萤中持续时间约为11分钟，在三种Photuris物种中为5分钟，在Photinus umbratus中为3.5分钟。在低于明显活动阈值的不同光照条件下，潜伏期是恒定的。潜伏期背后的过程在高于阈值的光照条件下也会发生，但光照越高速度越慢。此外，光照快速下降时的潜伏期比缓慢下降时短。6. 有人提出夜行性昆虫的活动开始涉及三个步骤。昼夜节律的敏化使动物进入特定的接受状态。这发生在接近正常活动开始时间时。此外 在明显活动发生之前会发生由光照控制的潜伏期过程。然后在一定的光照阈值水平以下被释放。
