Body temperatures in Sympecma paedisca (Zygoptera, Lestidae) in the autumn in the Central Ukraine

Abstract

This short communication reports on the warming ability of the damselfly Sympecma paedisca, which is known for its winter hibernation and tolerance to low temperatures. The data were collected using an infrared camera in late September on two sunny days (air temperature 15–17°C) in the vicinity of Kyiv, Central Ukraine. The obtained data show that the thorax was almost always the warmest part of the body (up to 21°C in comparison to 17–18°C of the substrates damselflies were resting on and surrounding living plants). This indicates that the animals, in addition to sun, use their thoracic musculature to warm their bodies up. There was a clear correlation between thorax temperature and the temperature of both the head and abdomen, which means the warmed up thorax can transport part of its heat to other parts of the body by using their circulatory system.

Keywords: hibernation, temperature, body warming, damselfly, dragonfly, Odonata

Issue section: Article