diapause
DY-uh-pawz
Definition
A state of suspended development or metabolic dormancy in insects and other invertebrates, usually triggered by environmental conditions to survive unfavorable seasons.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek words 'dia' meaning 'through' and 'pausis' meaning 'a stopping' or 'pause,' formally describing a period of interrupted development.
In the news
The article explains that queen bumblebees enter diapause during winter to conserve energy; the study explores how this specific dormant state might also help them survive flooding.
An accidental laboratory flood revealed that hibernating queen bumblebees can survive completely underwater for seven days — 89.5% lived across the treatments, buying a future colony the time its only founder may need to outlast a flooded burrow and begi
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com