Insect flight muscle metabolism

Abstract

The flight of an insect is of a very complicated and extremely energy-demanding nature. Wingbeat frequency may differ between various species but values up to 1000 Hz have been measured. Consequently metabolic activity may be very high during flight and the transition from rest to flight is accompanied by an increase of 50-100-fold in metabolic rate. Small mammals running at maximal speed and flying birds achieve metabolic rates exceeding resting levels by only 7-14-fold. The exaggerated metabolic rate during insect flight is not accompanied by an oxygen debt, which implies -apart from metabolic adaptations- ample availability of oxygen in the organs responsible for flight. Metabolic rate therefore can be estimated, apart from the depletion of fuel depots, by rates of oxygen consumption.