Insects and Humans Share More in Common Than You Might Think, Particularly in Regards to Resting Patterns
In the fascinating world of insects, sleep is a subject that has long intrigued scientists. Contrary to popular belief, bugs, including fruit flies, paper wasps, cockroaches, praying mantises, honeybees, and even butterflies, do indeed sleep.
A study conducted by Barrett Klein, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, shed light on the sleep habits of honeybees. Using a device called the insominator, Klein disturbed the sleep of bees tagged with steel, while those tagged with copper managed to get a good night's rest. This research revealed that sleep deprivation in honeybees negatively impacts their ability to communicate effectively about food sources and potential nest sites, leading to less detailed waggle dances that might be less helpful.
Butterflies, on the other hand, rest in the late afternoon and can be found in various hiding places such as leaves, bark, or even beer cans. However, it's unclear if they sleep in the same way that mammals do. Katy Prudic, a biologist at Oregon State University, notes that butterflies rest, but the question of whether they sleep remains a mystery.
Professor Orsola Rosa-Salva, the researcher studying the sleep life of butterflies, explains that butterflies rest in the evening and can't move when it goes below a certain temperature, a state that looks like sleep but is a different type of dormancy called a torpor. Inadequate rest in butterflies can lead to poor foraging and females laying eggs on wrong plants for their caterpillar offspring.
Experiments in fruit flies show that they experience sleep rebound, meaning a deprived fruit fly will subsequently need more sleep. This is similar to the sleep patterns observed in mammals. Fruit fly sleep is also influenced by sleep-inducing chemicals and caffeine, much like human sleep.
Signs of true bug sleep include not moving, drooping in the direction of gravity, and more relaxed muscles. Another indicator is an increased arousal threshold, or how long it takes to jar the bug to alertness.
If you're curious about the secrets of sleep, there's a website quiz available to test your knowledge. For more in-depth information about the insominator, you can read more about it in the website magazine.
Every Saturday, the Weird Animal Question of the Week answers questions about the animal world. If you have a question about the sleep habits of insects or any other animal, be sure to check it out!
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