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Thermal investigations on social insects

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The Nature of Biological Systems as Revealed by Thermal Methods

Part of the book series: Hot Topics in Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry ((HTTC,volume 5))

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Abstract

Social insects (honey- and bumblebees, wasps, hornets, ants and termites) are interesting in many aspects, among them the energetic advantages of social life and conquering of unfavourable territories. Own investigations and data from literature deal with the energy metabolism of these insects (except termites because of experimental difficulties), with locomotor activities, energy balances of foraging, energy saving by insulation of wasp nests com pared with the afford to construct the wooden envelope, bee cluster strategy for surviving at low temperatures, and rearing of brood.

The energy and heat flow data were obtained by in direct and isoperibol direct calorimetry, bomb calorimetry, experiments with a customer constructed carousel flight calorimeter, thermometry, and false colour thermography.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Biology/Zoology, Free University of Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, D-14195, Berlin, Germany

    E. Schmolz

  2. Institute for Biology, Free University of Berlin, Ehrenbergstraße 26-28, D-14195, Berlin, Germany

    I. Lamprecht

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  1. E. Schmolz
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  1. Biophysical Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Hungary

    Dénes Lörinczy

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Schmolz, E., Lamprecht, I. (2004). Thermal investigations on social insects. In: Lörinczy, D. (eds) The Nature of Biological Systems as Revealed by Thermal Methods. Hot Topics in Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2219-0_10

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