Regulation of haemolymph sodium and potassium during dehydration in the cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus

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Abstract
Male crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) when dehydrated for 3 days lost 51% of their body water, and 65% of their haemolymph volume. Haemolymph osmolality rose from 391 to 572mOs/kg; [Na+] from 149 to 289 HIM; and [K+] from 13.0 to 26.3 mM. During dehydration 385 μig Na (expressed as NaCl) and 41 μug K (expressed as KCI) were removed from the haemolymph. Rehydration of the dehydrated insects failed to restore the Na+ and K+ concentrations to near their original levels. Approximately 62% of the missing Na+ was excreted, whilst five times the amount of K+ removed from the haemolymph was excreted. It is presumed that the excess represents K+ removed from intracellular fluid.