From the BBC’s classic Life in the Undergrowth:
For more on bee thermodynamics, I heartily recommend Bernd Heinrich’s Bumblebee Economics.
Sunday Night Movie: A Queen Bumble Bee
Alex Wild on insects, science, and photography
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A personal blog by Illinois-based biologist and photographer Alex Wild.
Myrmecos- derived from the ancient greek word for "ant"- hosts Alex's musings about these and other little creatures that share our planet.
Questions? Email alwild [at] myrmecos.net; or follow @Myrmecos on Twitter.
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Bits and Pieces
Few things are more beautiful in the spring than the sight of a hovering Bombus queen searching for prime real estate. Mama bumbles rock!
I really have wondered about heat retention in insects, and whether or not warm-blooded mammals and birds were the only living things that produce their own heat. It seems the living world has other tricks up its sleeves for heat generation.
Bernd Heinrich to the rescue! He has two books about it, “The Hot-Blooded Insects: Strategies and Mechanisms of Thermoregulation”, a 600 page technical (but easily readable) book, and The “Thermal Warriors: Strategies of Insect Survival”, a streamlined version for general readers. They’re both presumably out of print, but I see them at used book stores from time to time, and interlibrary loan will certainly find copies.
Thank you for linking this film. Absolutely wonderful.