The midge Belgica antarctica is the only native insect in the world that can freeze itself to death in the cold.
Climate change could cause this set of survival skills to be detrimental to its very existence.
Experiments conducted by a team of researchers from the US, UK, and South Africa show that warmer winters in the frozen south affect the insect's movement and energy stores.
The largest animal in the land to never set a toe in the ocean is the itty bitty arthropod. It spends most of its life cycle in one of four states and is surrounded by moist beds of moss and algae.
These refuges are so small that they can't keep up with the cold in the winter. To hold out against the cold, the midge came up with a plan to survive.
The midge is a guard against the trauma caused by ice crystals. Individuals stand a good chance of making it through the summer even if they lose a lot of water.
It depends on a number of factors, including the humidity and whether or not it soaks it up directly from liquid water. Changes in the environment could affect survival rates.
Microclimates like the ones occupied by the midge tend to be between -5 and 0 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere above is protected by layers of snow and ice, which can cause temperatures to plunge.
With temperatures rising as much as half a degree per decade on the peninsula, those relatively protected conditions could be changed. The higher the temperature, the more precipitation, meaning more snow, and the less chance of winter freezing.
In order to see what effect this would have on B. antarctica, the researchers collected midges from the surrounding area.
The specimen were sent back to the US where they lived for six months in a lab that was warm but cold. Moss and algae were tested.
The survivors were examined for signs of movement, tissue damage, and energy stores after they were re-warmed.
The difference in temperature had a big impact on the recovery of the midge. Around 50% of the insects made it through. It was warm by a few degrees. Fat andProtein stores were retained under cold conditions more than in warm ones.
The researchers note in their report that the results correspond with the levels of activity in the brain.
As adult B. antarctica lack functional mouthparts, energy store depletion during late instars would likely have irreversible consequences on the energy available for reproduction.
If temperatures continue to rise, it's not clear what impact this would have on the future. Depending on the stresses posed by climate change, it could be a small annoyance or a big blow.
The silver lining is that warmer winters could allow the midge to collect larger stores in the summer.
The impact of a warming environment can be counterbalanced by a behavioral check.
With record heatwaves smashing the poles, the only insect to call it home could become another victim of climate change.
The research was published in a journal.
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