Ecophysiological studies on arthropods from Spitsbergen

Abstract

The cold-hardiness, high temperature tolerance and metabolic activity of summer specimens of staphylinid beetles (Atheta graminicola), collembolans (Onichiurus groenlandicw), spiders (Erigone arcrica), and prostigmatid mites (Molgus linoralb) from Spitsbergen were investigated. The animals displayed coldhardiness and haemolymph melting points within the normal ranges for summer insects from temperate regions, but were less tolerant to high temperatures. Haemolymph from spiders and from one species of collembolans (lsoroma sp.) was found to contain thermal hysteresis factors. The beetles. collembolans. and mites were found to have oxygen consumption rates above the values of their relatives in other climatic zones, whereas the spiders had values within the range of temperate arachnoids. The study supports the view that polar arthropods have activation energy values lower than those of temperate animals.