Diversity in gas exchange and muscular activity patterns in insects studied by a respirometer-actograph

Different events in insect gas exchange and muscular activity are described by a new system of automatic respirometers, a differential electrolytic mi crorespirometer-actograph. This is very sensitive to volumetric changes cau sed by insect respiration and/or body movements. In this system, oxygen gen eration and its regulation are combined in the same current circuit. Accord ing to this principle, the oxygen consumed by the insect is continuously re placed by equal amounts of electrolytically produced oxygen. This simple la boratory-made apparatus records simultaneously metabolic rate, the cyclicit y of external gas exchange, rhythms of muscular ventilating and the pattern of other body movements, including abdominal pulsations not observable wit h the naked eye. The respirometer-actograph described here is applicable al so to the recording of the respiration of other terrestrial arthropods or o ther living organisms or tissues.