La Selva -- in the lab

While my artificial fruit field experiments didn't work out, Carlos' and my lab experiments have had lots of success!  We are determining the "Critical Thermal Maxima" (CTmax) for rolled-leaf beetles that are found along the Barva Volcano elevational transect. We will use this information to model extinctions (and co-extinctions) under the predicted regime of global warming. Carlos constructed some beautiful and sophisticated warming devices involving electric kettles, light dimmers, and thermostats. These devices carefully control the rate of temperature increase (~1 degree C per 5 sec) and allow us to see when beetles (in tubes in the water bath) are knocked down by the heat (basically when they have fallen and can't get up!). Don't worry, this doesn't harm the beetles and we let them go after their spa treatments.

 

Our findings so far are very exciting and we are going to try and submit these results to a high-level journal. We are also going to continue these experiments in Las Cruces (along with my artificial fruit -- SNAX -- experiments).