Survival Superstars

Looking at this beetle

Upis beetle  Source: asknature.org

you probably wouldn't think there is anything too remarkable about it.  Or this one?

Red flat bark beetle  Source: bugguide.net

I have to admit the second one is a gorgeous color.  But the most amazing thing about both of these beetles is that they live in Alaska and are able to withstand temperatures of MINUS 100 degrees Fahrenheit and survive!  And what's even more interesting is that they use two different methods to do it.

In fact the red flat bark beetle can withstand a temperature of MINUS 238 degrees F (lab tested, not actual earth temperature!) and not freeze.  Around August they begin to produce antifreeze proteins that attach to areas of the body where ice could form.  Later they produce glycerol which lowers the temperature at which they could freeze.  And finally they start to lose water in their bodies.  So basically a natural process starts that replaces the water in their bodies with antifreeze just like you winterize your car.

The Upis beetle's strategy is to tolerate freezing rather than avoid it, but has a complex sugar antifreeze that reduces the temperature at which ice forms to about 19 degrees.  It is also capable of forcing the water outside of its cells so that when it does freeze there is no damage to the cell membrane.  When it thaws out, it's just fine.

Other insects and some fish also are capable of producing antifreeze so that they can survive temperatures colder than freezing.   But the Upis beetle and the red flat bark beetle are the real superstars of surviving frigid temperatures.