The Relationship of Oxygen Consumption to Age and Weight During the Post-Embryonic Growth of Locusta Migratoria L

Abstract

The weight and oxygen consumption of individual locusts, six from each instar, have been measured at 12-hourly intervals throughout each stadium. An analysis of short duration changes shows that fluctuations in live weight are unavoidable in the growing animal, and that they are accompanied by fluctuations in oxygen consumption. In time the latter lag behind the former. As the fluctuations of these two variables are out of phase, there is a considerable range of oxygen consumption which must be regarded as normal for any given weight. Calculations are made to find the limits of these fluctuations compatible with normal growth. The changes that occur during a stadium can be represented by a straight trend line for both weight and oxygen consumption. Exceptions occur in the case of weight of the adult where two straight lines are necessary, one for the growing phase and one for the steady phase of this instar. In certain cases in the fifth instar two straight lines are necessary to express the trend in oxygen consumption which may show an abrupt change in the middle of the stadium. A high degree of correlation is found between the trend lines for weight and oxygen consumption in the early instars. A low degree is found in latter instars where the weight increases and the oxygen consumption remains nearly constant. A curve representing the changes of weight and oxygen consumption that occur during the growth of the locust has been constructed.