Flower Basking by Arctic Insects
Abstract
DURING observations on insect-flower relationships at Lake Hazen, Ellesmere Island (81° 49' N, 71° 20' W) we were struck by the fact that both males and females of the mosquitoes Aëdes nigripes Zett. and Aëdes impiger (Walker) spent up to 13 min at a time in the flowers of several plants, but especially Dryas integrifolia M. Vahl, although we know from other work that they could feed to repletion on nectar in 2-3 min. Noting, too, the almost paraboloid shape of these and some other flowers that face the Sun throughout the 24 h, we postulated that this habit had a thermal significance1.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- April 1965
- DOI:
- 10.1038/206215b0
- Bibcode:
- 1965Natur.206R.215H