Are there any places on Earth with no bugs? - Charles Wallace

譯者: Esther Lam 審譯者: 麗玲 辛

A scalding volcano, parched desert, and frigid glacier—

滾燙的火山、乾燥的沙漠 和寒冷的冰川，

all pretty intense,

這些地方氣候都非常極端，

And also all places where certain insects live.

卻是某些昆蟲生活的地方。

So, how do they do it?

牠們如何做到的？

Our first stop is one of the hottest places on Earth: the Sahara Desert.

我們的第一站是地球上 最熱的地方之一：撒哈拉沙漠。

這裡有很多動物只在夜間活動， 但並非所有動物都如此。

Lots of animals here are only active at night— but not all.

Sahara silver ant workers brave the desert’s blazing sun and scorching sands

撒哈拉銀蟻的工蟻不怕 沙漠的炙熱陽光和灼熱的沙地，

with unusually long legs that elevate their bodies above the hot ground

牠們擁有不尋常的長腿， 可以讓身體遠離炎熱的地面，

and allow them to reach superlative speeds.

並且跑出驚人的速度。

They can sprint a meter per second,

牠們可以衝刺每秒一公尺，

each of their feet striking the sand for as little as seven milliseconds at once,

每隻腳僅在沙地上停留七毫秒，

making them the fastest ants on record.

使牠們成為紀錄中速度最快的螞蟻。

But the reason for their silver sheen is also key to keeping cool:

但是牠們銀色光澤的外觀 也是保持涼爽的關鍵：

the ants are covered in densely packed hair.

這些螞蟻全身被密集的毛髮覆蓋。

Instead of having a heat-trapping effect,

這些毛髮並不會導致熱量積聚，

the hair’s triangular structure reflects sunlight and dissipates heat.

其三角形結構會反射陽光， 並散發熱量。

Researchers observed that it helps reflect 10 times more incoming light

研究人員觀察，這種結構能夠 反射多 10 倍的入射光，

and keeps the ants around 10 degrees cooler than if they were hairless.

並使螞蟻的體溫比沒有毛髮時 低約 10 度。

Meanwhile, this longhorn beetle also sports triangular hairs

同樣的，這隻長角甲蟲 也擁有三角形的毛髮，

that give it a metallic shimmer and cool it down—

使其呈現金屬光澤並降低體溫。

helpful since it resides near active Thai and Indonesian volcanoes,

這對於居住在泰國和印尼 活火山附近的它們來說非常有用，

where ground temperatures can reach 70°C.

那裡地表溫度可達 70°C。

Many insects thrive in balmy biomes,

許多昆蟲在溫暖的氣候中繁衍生息，

but cold temperatures, like those looming over this ice-laden landscape,

但像這片冰雪覆蓋地區的低溫，

are a major constraint on insect life.

對昆蟲的生存是個重大挑戰。

And yet, certain insects actually depend on these cool climates year-round.

然而，某些昆蟲常年倚賴 這種寒冷的氣候而生。

One small group, sometimes called ice crawlers,

這個小群體，有時被稱為冰爬蟲，

lives in high-elevation caves and at the edges of glaciers.

生活在高海拔洞穴和冰川邊緣。

They've evolved to thrive in a narrow zone of cool temperatures.

牠們已經進化出適應 這個狹窄的涼爽溫度帶的能力。

Scientists think one way they manage this is their increased capacity to produce

科學家認為，牠們應對的方式之一是

增加某種糖的生成，

a type of sugar that helps stabilize their cell membranes, proteins, and DNA.

幫助穩定細胞膜、蛋白質和 DNA。

But they've lost the ability to deal with temperature extremes.

但牠們失去了應對溫度變化的能力。

For instance, just the heat of your hand could kill them given enough time.

例如，只要時間夠長， 你手掌的熱度就足以殺死牠們。

Now, for a more savory flavor of survival skills,

現在，我們來看看另一種生存技能：

we have the alkali fly.

鹼蠅的本事。

They live around and in California's Mono Lake,

牠們生活在加利福尼亞州的 莫諾湖周圍，甚至湖中。

which is more than twice as salty as the ocean.

那裡的鹽度是海洋的兩倍以上。

As aquatic larvae, they depend on specialized kidney-like organs

水生幼蟲期間， 牠們靠類似腎臟的特殊器官

排出多餘的鹽分。

to excrete excess salt.

And as adults, they must continue to venture underwater regularly

成年後，牠們必須定期冒險潛入水下

to eat and lay eggs.

進食和產卵。

However, at their size, overcoming the water's surface tension

然而，以牠們的體型來說，

要突破水的表面張力、 並保持潛水並不容易。

and staying submerged is a challenge.

They manage to exert forces up to 18 times their weight

牠們設法運用相當於自身體重 18 倍的力量來突破表面張力，

to break the surface tension then use their claws to counteract their buoyancy

然後用爪子抵消在鹽水中停留的浮力，

in the salty water and stay put down below.

因而保持在水面下。

Because their bodies are covered in more hair and hydrophobic wax than other flies,

因為牠們的身體覆蓋著 比其他蒼蠅更多的毛髮和疏水蠟，

they’re surrounded by an air bubble that keeps them dry

所以牠們周圍會有個氣泡層， 可以保持乾燥，

and provides them with up to 15 minutes of oxygen.

並為牠們提供 長達 15 分鐘的氧氣。

When they release their hold,

當牠們鬆開爪子時，

they pop right back up to the surface, perfectly dry.

牠們會迅速浮回水面，完全乾燥。

However, only one insect group is known to actually withstand the ocean’s depths:

然而，我們只知道一類昆蟲 能夠真正承受深海的壓力：

these are parasitic lice,

這就是寄生蝨，

and they live on deep-sea-diving pinnipeds,

牠們寄生在會潛入深海的 鰭足類動物身上，

like seals and walruses.

比如海豹和海象。

Their plunges can take the lice thousands of meters underwater for extended periods.

這些動物深潛時，會將蝨蟲 帶到數千米的水下，並長時間停留。

Most insects use holes on the sides of their abdomens, called spiracles,

大多數昆蟲都使用 腹部側面的孔（稱為通氣孔）

to take in oxygen.

來吸入氧氣。

Interestingly, these lice are equipped with microscopic structures

有趣的是，這些蝨擁有微小的結構，

that allow them to shut their spiracles entirely.

讓牠們能完全關閉氣孔。

Scientists think this may help them keep air inside

科學家認為這可能幫助 牠們維持體內的空氣，

or prevent water from entering,

或防止水進入，

allowing them to survive long periods submerged in high-pressure conditions.

讓牠們在高壓環境中能長時間潛水。

Some lice may also attain oxygen by living on seals whose fur

某些蝨蟲可能會由海豹身上的 濃密毛髮來獲取氧氣，

traps air close to their bodies.

因為海豹的毛髮 會將空氣留在皮膚附近。

Meanwhile, lice on marine mammals with less hair

與此同時，生活在毛髮較少的 海洋哺乳動物身上的蝨

seem to have more scale-like structures on their abdomens,

似乎在腹部有更多的鱗狀結構，

which might help them trap a little layer of air all for themselves.

這可能有助牠們為自己留住一層空氣。

Insects are the world's most numerous and diverse animals.

昆蟲是地球上數量最多、 種類最繁多的動物。

Even in some of the places you might least expect them,

即使在你最意想不到的地方，

there they are,

牠們依然存在，

equipped with extreme survival skills, living life on the edge.

並具備極端的生存技能， 在極限環境中生活。