2. Solar collector insect

Insects are poikilothermic organisms: lacking an internal, stabilized heat source like mammals and birds, they must capture part of their energy from the sun, the rest being supplied by muscular activity. The thermal constraints to which insects are subjected are problematic. Once described as a "cold-blooded" animal, this is not the case: the internal temperature of a butterfly in flight is between 36 and 40°C at the thorax, vital limits surprisingly close to those of mammals. The lower limit, decisive for the kinetics of metabolic activity, is not the most worrying. Insects that are too cold will not be able to fly away, but they may enter a kind of wintering period and resume their activity at a later date. The upper limit, on the other hand, is problematic, as the insect can die of hyperthermia. Avoiding overheating is therefore vital. We'll take a quick look at the balance sheet of...