title: Thermoregulation in endothermic dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): effect of body size and ecophysiological constraints in flight.
abstract: We explore the physiological constraints of body temperature as related to body mass and ambient temperature during flight in endothermic dung beetles showing a mass-related breakpoint where species show strong vs. weak endothermy. We found two different strategies in the dung beetles prior to flight; larger beetles (>1.9 g) elevate and maintain their body temperature (T(b)) at levels well above ambient temperature (T(a)) whereas smaller beetles' (<1.9 g) T(b) tends to conform with T(a). Physiological constraints analysis revealed a constant maximum tolerated temperature (in flight) of 42 degrees C and a minimum temperature for flight of around 25 degrees C. These, with body mass, may play a role in thermal niche partitioning and geographical distribution patterns.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biodiversidad CIBIO, Universidad de Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain. jr.verdu@ua.es
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Verdú
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arellano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Numa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D005426:Flight, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D022722:Thermogenesis / Q000502:physiology