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Journal of Experimental Biology 45,285-304 (1966)
Published by Company of Biologists 1966

The Supply of Oxygen to the Active Flight Muscles of some Large Beetles

P. L. MILLER ¹

¹ Department of Zoology, University of Oxford

1. Measurements of the wing-beat frequency, wing-stroke amplitude and stroke plane and of abdominal ventilation have been made during the tethered flight of twenty-six species of beetles belonging to five families, mainly in Uganda.

2. Abdominal ventilation is weak or absent in all species of Cerambycidae, Elateridae and Anthribidae examined in flight. The tracheal system in these families is characterized by the complete absence of air sacs, and in larger species by the presence of four giant trunks running through the metathorax between spiracles 2 and 3 and forming the primary supply to the flight muscles.

3. Abdominal ventilation is strong during the flight of all species over 0.6 g. in weight of the Scarabaeidae and Buprestidae which were examined. Their tracheal systems contain an abundance of air sacs while giant trunks are absent.

4. Measurements of the thoracic volume changes which accompany each wing beat show that the amount of air which can be pumped in this way increases in larger Cerambycidae per second per gram as compared with small species. Large Cerambycidae pump more per gram than Scarabaeidae of comparable size.

5. During the flight of the cerambycid Petrognatha the thoracic pump exchanges 540 µl. air/sec./g. Its action is mainly on the compressible secondary tracheae. In a wind speed of 5 m./sec. 1050µl. air/sec./g. are driven through the four giant trunks, entering through spiracle 2 and leaving from spiracle 3. The trunks are stout-walled and probably unaffected by the thoracic pump.

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