ABSTRACT
A major part of any animal's behavior is orientation. This includes both postural adjustments toward environmental space and movements made in relation to biologically important factors. This chapter explores Tribolium beetles' kinetic responses to temperature, using a water bath apparatus which maintains a temperature differential of 20°C or more across a divider of 2 mm with no gradient. It discusses frequency of turning and speed of locomotion under different temperature conditions, observes boundary reactions, and determines whether thermokinetic responses in Tribolium cause aggregations in a favorable habitat. In kinesis, theoretically the simplest locomotory response an animal could make to a stimulus, there is no directionality to the response; however, the speed of an animal's movement and/or the frequency of turning depend on the intensity of stimulation. Thermokinesis is kinetic response to differences in temperature. Given a chance, most animals will show an active preference for a certain temperature range.
