TEMPERATURE REGULATION IN THE NOCTURNAL MELOLONTHINE SPARRMANNIA-FLAVA

1. Sparrmannia flava Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) regulated thorac ic temperature (Th) during flight at 38.6-degrees-C over an ambient te mperature (T(a)) range of 11-degrees-C. 2. T(th) and wing loading (19. 99 N m-2) were within the range predicted by body mass (0.80 g) based on previous studies of scaling in beetles, although conductance (0.008 7 W-degrees-C-1) was considerably lower and wingstroke frequency (87 H z) higher than that previously recorded in beetles of similar mass. 3. The slope of the regression of abdominal temperature (T(ab)) on T(a), at T(a)s > 20-degrees-C, was > 1, and physiological heat transfer was demonstrated experimentally, suggesting that low conductance necessit ates active heat transfer at high T(a)s. 4. Sparrmannia flava's early- morning, anti-predator strategy involves adaptations which make it an exception to previous generalizations concerning the thermal biology o f beetles.