Postharvest quarantine treatments using high temperatures have been develop
ed for various commodities. There are a wide range of insect pests that are
the target of these treatments. In order to make heat treatments effective
against these pests, the effects of high temperatures on insect physiology
must be understood. Insects, being poikilothermic, are particularly sensit
ive to heat. Nearly every system studied in insects has demonstrated sensit
ivity to heat. Studies on the effects of heat in insect metabolism demonstr
ate some adaptability to thermally challenging environments. Respiration, a
s to be expected, is also effected by heat, and as the body temperature of
the insect increases, there are concomitant increases in both metabolism an
d respiration up to a critical thermal limit. The effects of heat on the ne
rvous and endocrine systems is another area where elevated temperatures wre
ck havoc. Changes in behavior and development have been documented as resul
ting from heat treatments. Among the most studied responses of insects to h
eat is the elicitation of heat shock proteins. The impact of these proteins
on thermotolerance are still being investigated. Models of thermal damage
leading to the death of the insect are discussed as well as current studies
in describing the events of thermal death. Published by Elsevier Science B
.V.