Insect Adaptations to Changing Environments - Temperature and Humidity
2009
Singh, Tribhuwan, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Research Extension Centre, Rampur Road, Himachal Pradesh, India | Bhat, Madan Mohan, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Research Extension Centre, Rampur Road, Himachal Pradesh, India | Khan, Mohammad Ashraf, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Research Extension Centre, Rampur Road, Himachal Pradesh, India
The most important factors in environment that influence the physiology of insects are temperature and humidity. Insects display a remarkable range of adaptations to changing environments and maintain their internal temperature (thermoregulation) and water content within tolerable limits, despite wide fluctuations in their surroundings. Adaptation is a complex and dynamic state that widely differs in species. Surviving under changing environment in insects depends on dispersal, habitat selection, habitat modification, relationship with ice and water, resistance to cold, diapause and developmental rate, sensitivity to environmental signals and syntheses of variety of cryoprotectant molecules. The mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori) is very delicate and sensitive to environmental fluctuations and unable to survive naturally because of their domestication since ancient times. Thus, the adaptability to environmental conditions in the silkworm is quite different from those of wild insects. Temperature, humidity, air circulation, gases and photoperiod etc. shows a significant interaction in their effect on the physiology of silkworm depending upon the combination of factors and developmental stage affecting growth, development, productivity and quality of silk. An attempt has been made in this article to briefly discuss adaptation in insects with special emphasis on the role of environmental factors and their fluctuations and its significance in the physiology of mulberry silkworm, B. mori.
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