Posted by Kahis on 15-03-2006 20:50
#26
LordV wrote:
Tyhanks Dima.
Having seen some more flies doing this especially one where the bubble got very viscous and almost looked semi solid, I've reached the conclusion that the thermoregulation hypothesis is wrong. It is much more likely that they are doing the same as bees do and actually concentrating the contents by evaporation.
Brian V.
Hmm. I guess that is possible but it sounds like a terribly inefficient way of evaporating liquids. I'd guess absorbing water and allowing it to evaporate from the tracheal system (the lung equivalent) would be much faster. But perhaps insects have not invented this system yet;)
It's time for yet another hypothesis :) The food is exposed to air leading to modifications in it's chemical composition by oxygenation. This would also radically change the microbial fauna of the liquid as most bacteria of the alimentary canal are anaerobic and will quickly perish when exposed to the terrible poison gas called oxygen:D