JEN: Insects are ectotherms, meaning that they’re cold-blooded. Unlike humans, they can’t create their own body heat and are reliant on their surroundings to regulate their body temperature.
GLENN: Because of this, insects are much less active when the air temperature is cold. Therefore, you are less likely to see much insect activity during winter or on cool summer mornings.
JEN: However, once the sun is shining and the heat is on, bug activity swings into high gear.
GLENN: But as it goes with most things in life, too much of a good thing is, well …too much. If the surrounding air temperature gets too hot, insects will also become inactive, taking a break in their activity until the temperature becomes more reasonable.
JEN: But before it becomes too hot, many insects employ strategies to try and beat the heat. The most obvious is to simply seek shade. However, for some species of dragonflies, they try something a bit more interesting.
GLENN: It’s called “obelisking”. When temperatures soar a bit too high, many species of dragonflies will point their abdomen directly at the sun so only the tip of their abdomen gets the worst of the direct sunlight. This reduces the surface area of their body that’s directly exposed to the sun.
JEN: It sort of looks like they’re doing a vertical handstand, making their bodies look like a miniature version of the Washington Monument. Some species take this maneuver one step further by pointing their wings forward and down in an effort to shade their abdomen at the same time.
GLENN: As the sun moves across the sky, they will adjust their position accordingly, always keeping their rear end pointed toward the sun.
