Effect of temperature acclimatization on cuticular transpiration of Armadillo offcinalis (Isopoda, Oniscidea)

The transpiration rates of eight sub-adult male Armadillo officinalis Dumeril (Isopoda, Oniscidea) acclimatized for 48 hours at temperatures 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 33, 36oC, and for 12 hours at 40oC, showed a gradual increase from 10 to 20oC and a decrease at 25oC, followed by an increase from 30 to 36oC. A steep increase in transpiration rate was observed at 40oC. Significantly different transpiration rates were observed in A. officinalis acclimatized to different temperatures (F = 8.54; p 0.05). However, the differences in transpiration rates of these pillbugs within a particular acclimatized temperature were insignificant (F=1.95; p 0.05). A strong relationship ( w2= 0.53) existed between transpiration rates and temperature acclimatizations. The differences in transpiration rates were not significant in A. officinalis acclimatized at 10, 15, 20, and 25oC, and also at 20, 25, 30, 33 and 36oC