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
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“Temperament is the natural, inborn style of behavior of each individual. It’s the how of behavior, not the why.... The question is not, “Why does he behave a certain way if he doesn’t get a cookie?” but rather, “When he doesn’t get a cookie, how does he express his displeasure...?” The environment—and your behavior as a parent—can influence temperament and interplay with it, but it is not the cause of temperamental characteristics.”
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