Heat retention by webs of the fall webworm Hyphantria cunea (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae):: infrared warming and forced convective coooling

1. Webs of the fall webworm (Lepidoptera: Hyphantria cunea Drury) were studied to determine how web temperatures respond to infrared radiation and wind. Webs were individually mounted under an infrared light source at the end of a wind tunnel. 2. During infrared heating, the front (outward-facing) surface and central interior of the web were more effective at trapping and holding heat than the back (inner) surface. 3. Thermal heterogeneity inside webs represents options to larvae, allowing the possibility of behavioral thermoregulation. 4. During windy conditions, webs slowed air movements enough to allow the web interior to retain some captured heat. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.