temperature sensitive?

[Joe Kunkel]

Rebecca,
While this is not my area I have heard some talk by muscle people on
this point. Despite being cold blooded, Moths are known to shiver to
warm up their muscles before they fly.  This presumably allows them to
fly in colder temperatures than prevail around them on a chilly night.
The question then is at what temperature are moths not able to shiver to
raise their muscle temperature to flight operating levels? -and- What is
the flight operating temperature of moth muscle?

The following URL might provide leads for your friend:
http://www.biologists.com/JEB/198/10/jeb9618.html
Cheers,
Joe

Rebecca Jolly wrote:
> 
>      Assuming that butterflies need warmth to fly, presumably moths
>      require less warmth (as generally they are night-flying).  Are
>      moths temperature sensitive?  At what temperature do they cease
>      to fly?  What is the minimum temperature?
>      He has just reared some death's-head hawkmoths (Acherontia
>      atropos) and I think this has sparked his interest!

-- 
--------------------------------------------
Joseph G. Kunkel, Professor
Biology Department
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
joe at bio.umass.edu
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/