Osmoregulation

Abstract

The water balance in insects depends mostly on whether their mode of life is aquatic or terrestrial, and on the nature of their diet. For herbivorous, sapsuck-ing, and bloodsucking insects the elimination of water is a vital problem, whereas for others there is a constant struggle to find enough water because their small size and intense respiratory metabolism lead to considerable water loss. Insects regulate their water balance by controlling the functioning of the Malpighian tubules and the rectum which act in an opposite way.