Cryobiology in Nature

Several British insects survive winter using freeze tolerance (controlled freezing of body fluids) or freeze avoidance/near-freezing dormancy (supercooling just below 0°C without freezing).

These strategies are especially common in larvae, eggs, and pupae.

Here are some well-documented UK examples:

1. Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)

One of the best-known freeze-tolerant British insects

Caterpillars and eggs can survive sub-zero temperatures

Produces cryoprotectants (antifreeze-like compounds)

Can survive partial freezing depending on conditions

2. Common Quaker Moth (Orthosia cerasi)

Overwinters as a pupa

Pupae can tolerate cold and partial freezing stress

Uses metabolic suppression to survive winter conditions

3. Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)

Overwinters as an adult butterfly (hibernation state)

Uses deep dormancy (diapause) in cool sheltered sites

Can survive near-freezing temperatures in buildings, sheds, and tree hollows

4. Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)

One of the UK’s longest-living butterflies (up to 10–11 months)

Overwinters as an adult in diapause

Tolerates prolonged near-freezing temperatures in dense vegetation or ivy

5. Green Shield Bug (Palomena prasina)

Overwinters as an adult

Enters deep diapause in leaf litter or bark crevices

Can survive repeated freezing and thawing cycles

6. Ladybirds (e.g., Seven-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata)

Overwinter as adults in aggregations

Enter cold-induced dormancy

Survive low temperatures in sheltered clusters (tree bark, buildings, leaf litter)

7. Alderfly (Sialis lutaria)

Overwinters mainly as larvae in sediment

Larvae tolerate low oxygen and near-freezing water conditions

Development pauses during cold months

8. Caddisflies (various species, Trichoptera)

Many larvae remain active or semi-dormant in winter

Can tolerate near-freezing freshwater environments

Some species continue slow feeding under ice

9. Gall Midges (Cecidomyiidae)

Often overwinter as larvae inside plant galls

Galls provide insulation from extreme cold

Larvae enter metabolic slowdown (diapause)

10. Many Beetles (various species)

Examples include ground beetles (Carabidae) and bark beetles:

Overwinter as larvae, pupae, or adults depending on species

Use antifreeze proteins or supercooling

Common in leaf litter and soil microhabitats

Key Survival Strategies Explained

British insects use two main approaches:

Freeze tolerance

• Body fluids partially freeze in a controlled way

• Ice forms outside cells, not inside them

Example: some moth larvae

Freeze avoidance (supercooling)

• Body fluids remain liquid below 0°C

• Ice formation is chemically prevented

Example: many beetles and ladybirds

Diapause (dormancy)

• Development pauses completely

• Metabolism drops dramatically

Common in butterflies, bugs, and beetles

Differences between dormancy and freeze avoidance/tolerance

Dormancy is when an animal goes into a kind of “low-power mode” to survive tough conditions, like cold winters or lack of food.

Common Types of Dormancy

Hibernation – Long, deep dormancy during winter (e.g. hedgehog)

Aestivation – Dormancy during hot or dry periods (e.g. snail)

Torpor – Short-term dormancy, sometimes just overnight (e.g. bat)

Dormancy doesn’t mean the animal is asleep the whole time either—it’s more like being in a very slowed-down state that helps it survive when life gets difficult.

When water inside cells freezes, it forms ice crystals that can damage or burst cells. Freeze tolerance looks for ways to prevent this, often using special chemicals that act like “antifreeze.”

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