Behavior Modification
In addition to physiological adaptations that increase desiccation resistance, behavioral responses of insects to arid environments significantly decrease dehydration potential. Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, for example, will actively move to areas with higher atmospheric water content when placed in dry environments. Also, the dung beetle buries food in underground chambers, thereby ensuring water and energy sources during periodically dry conditions. Feeding location may also be altered to ensure body hydration. Some caterpillars preferentially feed on the underside of leaves, where microclimate has higher relative humidity. In a highly time-consuming activity such as feeding, these insects significantly reduce their chances of desiccation.
Read more about this topic: Desiccation Tolerance
Famous quotes containing the word behavior:
“Growing up human is uniquely a matter of social relations rather than biology. What we learn from connections within the family takes the place of instincts that program the behavior of animals; which raises the question, how good are these connections?”
—Elizabeth Janeway (b. 1913)