Infrared receptors in pyrophilous (“fire loving”) insects as model for new un-cooled infrared sensors

• David Klocke,
• Anke Schmitz,
• Helmut Soltner,
• Herbert Bousack and
• Helmut Schmitz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 186–197, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.22

• membrane compared to water. Keywords: fire detection; forest fire; Golay cell; infrared sensor; pyrophilous insects; Introduction Fire loving (pyrophilous) insects depend on forest fires for their reproduction. Such insects approach ongoing fires and invade the burnt area immediately after a fire. For

• Aradus (Heteroptera, Aradidae) [12]. With respect to morphology and function, the IR receptors of Aradus bugs are very similar to those described for Melanophila beetles. Fire detection is obviously an important requirement for the survival of all of the pyrophilous insect species noted above. However

• wood as larval food [5][13][14][15]. Therefore, it must be postulated that the sensory organs, which are used for fire detection, have been subjected to a strong evolutionary pressure, especially with regard to sensitivity. The individual IR receptors (called sensilla in insects) are situated in two