Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.08.04.236844v1?rss=1 Authors: Lima, C. S., Helene, A. F., Camacho, A. Abstract: We report how leaf-cutting ants integrate thermoregulatory behavior and thermal tolerance, in response to a series of organismal traits and environmental factors (body size, start temperature, heating rates, hydration level, and environmental humidity). For that, we developed a device to make sequential and accurate measurements of both, the voluntary thermal maximum and the critical thermal maximum of individual ants. We discovered particularly interesting relationships between body size and these traits: while we refute previously proposed relationships between the critical thermal maximum and body size in ants, we also found that medium sized individuals, belonging to the explorers cast in leaf cutting ants, dare to reach closer to their critical thermal maximum, compared to either smaller and larger siblings. Further, our results suggest that previous studies using different heating systems may have importantly overestimated the critical thermal maximum of ants and other arthropods. By providing previously unseen relationships between behavioral and thermal tolerance, and the suite of factors we studied, we hope our work will help understanding how animals integrate behavior and thermal tolerance, in response to rises in temperature. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info