TEMPERATURE CHARACTERISTICS FOR DURATION OF AN INSTAR IN CLADOCERANS

Abstract

1. The temperature characteristics for the rate of development during a well defined instar were determined for three species of Cladocera, and found to be of the same general magnitudes as those obtained for rates of development and of O2 consumption in other arthropods. 2. Critical temperatures were found to occur at points most frequently critical in quite diverse vital phenomena as determined by abrupt changes in the relationship between rate and temperature. 3. A suggestion is made that, since the values of µ and the positions of critical temperatures obtained for the different species are not the same, some relation may exist between the occurrence of these forms in nature and their relative rates of development as controlled by temperatures.