Temperature Responses of the Desert Cicada, Diceroprocta apache (Homoptera, Cicadidae)

TLDR: In temperate climates the thermal load upon the insect usually permits sufficient warming for full activity, and only at midday are insects forced into shade, but the desert cicada, Diceroprocta apache, faces a different situation.

Abstract: Many insects exhibit an array of behavioral responses directed toward reaching and maintaining a body temperature above air temperature. These usually depend upon locating positions directly exposed to the sun and adopting postures to maximize incident radiation. If the body warms too much, the insect moves to the shade. In temperate climates the thermal load upon the insect usually permits sufficient warming for full activity, and only at midday are insects forced into shade (Heath 1967). On the warmest days shade temperatures approach the level of shade-seeking in the insect. Under these conditions activity is restricted to shaded locations. The desert cicada, Diceroprocta apache, faces a different situation. Midday temperatures in the shade may approach the lethal level, and, except in early morning, elevated body tem-