They’re at the mercy of their environment.

他們受環境的影響

So when the cold winter arrives, how do they keep from freezing?

所以當冬天到來時，他們如何避免結冰呢?

They basically have three choices. They can leave for warmer places, they can wait it out,

一般他們有三種選擇：離開到較溫暖的地區、等待冬天離去

or they can kick the bucket.

或是他們就死掉了

Just like some birds, there are a few insects, like dragonflies or butterflies, that fly south for the winter.

就像某些鳥類，或是少數的昆蟲，像是蜻蜓、蝴蝶，在冬天時飛向南方

The most famous of these has got to be the monarch butterfly.

最有名的例子就是帝王斑蝶

There’s a population that normally lives in the northern U.S. and Canada, but spends

有一個族群通常居住在美國北部以及加拿大，但是

the winter in the balmy mountain forests of Mexico.

牠們一整個冬天會在墨西哥的溫暖山上的樹林中渡過

Of course, many insects have shorter lives than birds.

當然很多昆蟲的壽命比鳥類還短

So, a special migratory generation of the monarchs flies south thousands of miles to Mexico without

所以有個特殊、遷徙性的一代帝王斑蝶往南飛行幾千英里到墨西哥，沒有

reproducing, but it takes four or five generations to make the trip back north.

繁殖，但是帝王斑蝶需要花費四到五個世代才能重返到北方

If an insect can't leave when winter arrives, option number two is to hunker down and wait

如果昆蟲無法在冬天來臨時遷徙到其他地方，第二個選擇是留在這裡等到

for things to warm up again.

氣候再回暖的時候

Insects like ladybugs, emerald ash borers, and mourning cloak butterflies burrow into

有些昆蟲像是瓢蟲、白蠟窄吉丁蟲以及黃緣蛺蝶會鑽到

soil or leaf litter for warmth.

土裡或落葉堆內保持溫暖

There, these adult insects enter a kind of

在這裡，這些成蟲進入一種

hibernation called diapause, thanks to hormones triggered by the shorter days

冬眠狀態，叫做滯育。由於荷爾蒙受到秋天時白天變短以及較冷的溫度刺激

and cooler temperatures of autumn.

而觸發的一種機制

Their metabolic rates drop dramatically, so they don’t need as much food.

牠們的代謝速率會顯著下降，所以他們不需要攝取太多食物

And some species even pump their tissues full of alcohols that act as a natural antifreeze.

而有些種類甚至在組織內產生許多酒精當作天然的抗凍劑

Basically, these chemicals lower the freezing point inside their cells, which prevents damaging

基本上這些在細胞內的化學物質降低細胞內組織液的凝固點，能夠避免會破壞細胞的

ice crystals from forming.

冰晶產生

Now, plenty of insects, like crickets and grasshoppers, just throw in the towel when

然而現今，有大量的昆蟲像是蟋蟀以及蝗蟲，就直接放棄生存

the temperature drops.

當溫度下降的時候

The adults die off after reproducing in the fall, and the next generation spends the winter

成蟲在秋天繁殖過後即死亡，而下一個世代會

as dormant eggs or larvae.

用睡眠狀態的卵或是幼蟲型態度過冬季

These babies are usually pretty well-equipped for survival: Eggs and larvae can enter diapause

這些幼蟲通常有很好的配備去求生存：卵與幼蟲可以向成蟲一樣進入滯育

just like adults can, and some get extra help from their doomed parents.

或是有些昆蟲可以藉由牠們將死的親代得到額外的保護

Praying mantises, for example, envelop their eggs in a foam-like protective protein case.

例如螳螂會將他們的卵包裹在一個泡沫狀、保護的蛋白質包裹內

These days, climate change is messing with the overwintering strategies of some insects.

如今，氣候變遷正在擾亂某些昆蟲的度冬策略

And it’s even letting some less cold-tolerant species venture farther north.

這甚至會導致有些較不耐寒的種類涉足到較遠的北方

Which... usually isn’t so great.

這通常不會是很好的現象

Like, thanks to milder winters, the mountain pine beetle has been expanding its range and

由於較溫暖的冬季，山松甲蟲擴大牠們的範圍

killing vast swaths of trees in western North America.

且殺死在北美洲西部大片廣闊的樹林

So when it gets cold out, do you put on a coat and keep trucking?

所以當天氣愈來愈冷，你會穿上外套並繼續過你的生活嗎?

Curl up under a blanket with hot chocolate until spring?

蜷曲在毯子裡喝一杯熱巧克力直到春天嗎?

Or do you make like a monarch and head for the tropics?

或是你會像帝王斑蝶前往熱帶地區呢?

Whatever your way of dealing, spare a thought for the insects that make it work without

無論你任何的處理方式，替昆蟲著想，牠們無法自行

central heating – just with some clever adaptations.

體內產熱，只能利用一些聰明的適應方式

Thanks to Patreon patron Zach Lerman for asking, and thanks to all of our patrons who keep

感謝觀眾 Zach Lerman 的提問，謝謝所有持續等待

these answers coming.

答案的觀眾

If you'd like to submit questions to be answered,

如果你有想問的問題需要被回答

go to patreon.com/scishow

到 patreon.com/scishow 的網站

And don't forget to go to youtube.com/scishow and subscribe!

並且不要忘記到 youtube.com/scishow 並且訂閱