374
E. B. EDNEY
Among tenebrionids in the Namib Desert, beetles that are active in full
sunlight have higher lethal temperatures and lower water loss rates than
those that come out by night.
The evolutionary history of different groups of arthropods restricts the
range of possible adaptations of each group to desert conditions and hence
partly determines their mode of life. Adaptations shown by a particular
species are related to each other as well as to the habitat. The question
is raised as to whether the acquisition of adaptations to deserts implies
loss of adaptation to mesic environments, and if so, why.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I owe a special debt to the late Dr. C. Koch, who until his death in 1970
was Director of the Namib Desert Research Station. His work and very wide
knowledge of the desert, particularly of the tenebrionid fauna, has been an inspiration
to many, including myself.
I am grateful to Dr. W. C. Sloan, Dr. W. J. Hamilton, Erik Holm, Dr. Evert
Schlinger, Dr. R. D. Farley and Dr. Paul Rauch for permission to refer to unpublished
data, and to the authors and publishers of certain figures and material used in
this chapter for permission to do so. AI Bennet, David Gibo, Stuart Haynes, Joan
McFarlane, and others have collaborated with me in much of the work on Arenivaga.
Some of the work referred to above was supported by grants to the author
from the National Science Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation. These
are gratefully acknowledged.
REFERENCES
Abushama, F. T. (1968). Rhythmic activity of the grasshopper Poecilocerus hieroglyphicus (Acrididae: Pyrgomorphinae). Entomol. Exp. Appl. 11, 341-347.
Abushama, F. T. (1970). Loss of water from the grasshopper Poecilocerus hieroglyphicus (Klug.) compared with the tree locust Anacridium
melanorhodon
melanorhodon (Walker). Z. angew. Entomol. 66, 160-166.
Adams, P. A., and Heath, J. E. (1964a). Temperature regulation in the sphinx
moth, Celerio Uneata. Nature {London) 201, 20-22.
Adams, P. A., and Heath, J. E. (1964b). An evaporative cooling mechanism in
Pholus achemon (Sphingidae). /. Res. Lepidoptera 3, 69-72.
Ahearn, G. A. (1969). Components of transpiratory water loss in desert tenebrionid
beetles. Amer. Zool. 9, 219.
Ahearn, G. A. (1970a). Changes in hemolymph properties accompanying heat
death in the desert tenebrionid beetle Centrioptera muricata. Comp.
Biochem.
Physiol. 33, 845-857.
Ahearn, G. A. (1970b). The control of water loss in desert tenebrionid beetles.
J. Exp. Biol. 53, 573-595.
Ahearn, G. A. (1970c). Water balance in the whipscorpion, Mastigoproctus
giganteus
(Lucas) (Arachnida, Uropygi). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 35, 339-353.
Ahearn, G. A., and Hadley, N. F. (1969). The effects of temperature and humidity
on water loss in two desert tenebrionid beetles, Eleodes armata and Cryptoglossa
verrucosa. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 30, 739-749.
E. B. EDNEY
Among tenebrionids in the Namib Desert, beetles that are active in full
sunlight have higher lethal temperatures and lower water loss rates than
those that come out by night.
The evolutionary history of different groups of arthropods restricts the
range of possible adaptations of each group to desert conditions and hence
partly determines their mode of life. Adaptations shown by a particular
species are related to each other as well as to the habitat. The question
is raised as to whether the acquisition of adaptations to deserts implies
loss of adaptation to mesic environments, and if so, why.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I owe a special debt to the late Dr. C. Koch, who until his death in 1970
was Director of the Namib Desert Research Station. His work and very wide
knowledge of the desert, particularly of the tenebrionid fauna, has been an inspiration
to many, including myself.
I am grateful to Dr. W. C. Sloan, Dr. W. J. Hamilton, Erik Holm, Dr. Evert
Schlinger, Dr. R. D. Farley and Dr. Paul Rauch for permission to refer to unpublished
data, and to the authors and publishers of certain figures and material used in
this chapter for permission to do so. AI Bennet, David Gibo, Stuart Haynes, Joan
McFarlane, and others have collaborated with me in much of the work on Arenivaga.
Some of the work referred to above was supported by grants to the author
from the National Science Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation. These
are gratefully acknowledged.
REFERENCES
Abushama, F. T. (1968). Rhythmic activity of the grasshopper Poecilocerus hieroglyphicus (Acrididae: Pyrgomorphinae). Entomol. Exp. Appl. 11, 341-347.
Abushama, F. T. (1970). Loss of water from the grasshopper Poecilocerus hieroglyphicus (Klug.) compared with the tree locust Anacridium
melanorhodon
melanorhodon (Walker). Z. angew. Entomol. 66, 160-166.
Adams, P. A., and Heath, J. E. (1964a). Temperature regulation in the sphinx
moth, Celerio Uneata. Nature {London) 201, 20-22.
Adams, P. A., and Heath, J. E. (1964b). An evaporative cooling mechanism in
Pholus achemon (Sphingidae). /. Res. Lepidoptera 3, 69-72.
Ahearn, G. A. (1969). Components of transpiratory water loss in desert tenebrionid
beetles. Amer. Zool. 9, 219.
Ahearn, G. A. (1970a). Changes in hemolymph properties accompanying heat
death in the desert tenebrionid beetle Centrioptera muricata. Comp.
Biochem.
Physiol. 33, 845-857.
Ahearn, G. A. (1970b). The control of water loss in desert tenebrionid beetles.
J. Exp. Biol. 53, 573-595.
Ahearn, G. A. (1970c). Water balance in the whipscorpion, Mastigoproctus
giganteus
(Lucas) (Arachnida, Uropygi). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 35, 339-353.
Ahearn, G. A., and Hadley, N. F. (1969). The effects of temperature and humidity
on water loss in two desert tenebrionid beetles, Eleodes armata and Cryptoglossa
verrucosa. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 30, 739-749.