Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T15:35:37.482Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Freezing Process of Frost-hardy Caterpillars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

E. Asahina
Affiliation:
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
K. Aoki
Affiliation:
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
J. Shinozaki
Affiliation:
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.

Extract

Using mainly the overwintering prepupae of a “ slug caterpiller ”, Cnidocampa flavescens (Walk.), the mechanism for the frost-resistance in insects was investigated.

Though the freezing point of the blood shows the value of about −2°C. the prepupae are very readily supercooled. When cooled below −20°C., however, the insect body suddenly congeals hard. Insects frozen thus, even for a long period of 100 days, usually withstand the solidification of their bodies without any harmful effect upon either the further development or upon the next generation.

Judging from the shape of the freezing curves of the prepupae and the freezing processes of the blood and isolated tissues, it is inferred that the most probable freezing process of the caterpillar is as follows. At first, the blood freezes rapidly, and consequently the grade of supercooling of the tissue cells is very much lessened by the latent heat of fusion of ice. Extra-cellular freezing of the tissue cells then takes place, in which case the properties of the blood as well as some property of the plasmic surface layer of the cells may play an important role in the prevention of the transmission of freezing into the cell. With the advance of the blood freezing, the tissue cells undergo dehydration and contraction; neverthless, they usually withstand such a condition for a long period, provided that the freezing temperature is not too low. Consequently, the so-called anabiotic state of a frozen insect does not necessarily mean the destruction of the cell structure.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1954

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aoki, K., Asahina, E. & Terumoto, I. (1953). The relation between the shape of the freezing curve and the frost-hardiness of red beet.*—Low Temp. Sci., 10, pp. 87100.Google Scholar
Aoki, K. & Shinozaki, J. (1953 a). On the undercooling of the prepupa of slug moth.*—Low Temp. Sci., 10, pp. 127134.Google Scholar
Aoki, K. & Shinozaki, J. (1953 b). Effect of cooling rate on the undercooling points of the prepupa of slug moth.*—Low Temp. Sci., 10, pp. 135143.Google Scholar
Asahina, E. (1948). Freezing process of the “ sap drop type ” of flashing in plant cells, with reference to the plasmolysis resulted from ice formation in the cell.*—Low Temp. Sci., 4, pp. 8596.Google Scholar
Asahina, E. (1950). Microscopical observation of the freezing process in the parenchyma of plants.*—Low Temp. Sci., 8, pp. 229246.Google Scholar
Asahina, E. (1953 a). Freezing process of egg cell of sea urchin.*—Low Temp. Sci., 10, pp. 101113.Google Scholar
Asahina, E. (1953b). Freezing process of blood of a frost hardy caterpillar, Cnidocamap flavescens.*—Low Temp. Sci., 10, pp. 144153.Google Scholar
Asahina, E. & Aoki, K. (1951). Some notes on the freezing process of frost hardy insects.*—Kontyu, 19, pp. 1318.Google Scholar
Bachmetjew [Bakhmet'ev], P. (1901). Experimentelle entomologische Studien vom physikalisch-chemischen Standpunkt aus., 1, 160 pp. Leipzig.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chambers, R. & Hale, H. P. (1932). The formation of ice in protoplasm. Proc. roy. Soc., (B) 110, pp. 336352.Google Scholar
Kozhantshikov, I. W. [Kozhanchikov, I. V.] (1938). Physiological conditions of cold-hardiness in insects.—Bull. ent. Res., 29, pp. 253262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levitt, J. (1941). Frost killing and hardiness of plant. Minneapolis.Google Scholar
Lozina-Lozinskiĭ, L. K. (1937). Cold-hardiness and anabiosis in larvae of Pyrausta nubilalis.—Zool. Zh., 16, pp. 614642. [In Russian with English summary.]Google Scholar
Payne, N. M. (1927). Freezing and survival of insects at low temperatures.—J. Morph., 43, pp. 521546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Payne, N. M. (1928). Cold hardiness in the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman.—Biol. Bull., 55, pp. 163179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salt, R. W. (1936). Studies on the freezing process in insects.—Tech. Bull. Minn. agric. Exp. Sta., no. 116, 41 pp.Google Scholar
Scarth, G. W. (1941). Dehydration injury and resistance.—Plant Physiol., 16, pp. 171179.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Siminovitch, D. & Levitt, J. (1941). The relation between frost resistance and the physical state of protoplasm. II. The protoplasmic surface.—Canad. J. Res., (C) 19, pp. 920.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wigglesworth, V. B. (1950). The principles of insect physiology.—4th edn., 544 pp. London, Methuen.Google Scholar