What winter insects exist? They can be found even in severe frost! (5 photos)

In winter, most of them stick their paws together. Only a few survivors hide away and fall asleep until spring. But even in the cold there are so many goodies on the ground! At least for the bugs. To enjoy them (delicacies, not bugs), all you need is not to freeze.





This is a major problem for insects. The fact is that their blood, hemolymph, can literally freeze at sub-zero temperatures - turn into ice crystals and break all blood vessels to hell. What to do? Convert all internal fluids into anti-freeze! Two groups of insects did this. Their metabolism is optimized for negative conditions, and antifreeze flows in their veins. The first ones are called cryophiles. They live under the snow and can withstand temperatures below −10 degrees Celsius!



But there are also characters more adapted to winter. They are called chionobionts. These beeches feed on mosses, mold and carrion. The most famous of them are glaciers. Small wingless animals crawl through the snow as if on sand and do not experience any visible difficulties. This indifference to cold is the result of 160 million years of evolution. Each cell of the glacier skillfully retains water liquid and carefully saves every bit of energy.





They are accompanied by chionei - wingless mosquitoes with thick, strong legs. From a distance they can be mistaken for spiders. These strange animals are found from Krasnodar to Sakhalin. But only in winter. Their bodies are too adapted to the cold and cannot withstand above-zero temperatures. Even their own predators appeared in the winter kingdom. Rove beetles hunt other daredevils who dare to get out into the cold.



However, there are exceptions. Ants hate the cold, but they do not sleep all winter - the anthill lives on the supplies and warmth of thousands of workers. At the first sign of warming, collectivist insects organize expeditions to the surface to get supplies.



The anthill can safely function even in frosts of -40 degrees!

There may not be so many winter insects, but each of them is an amazing example of how an ordinary insect can deceive its own nature.