Polypedilum vanderplanki

Polypedilum vanderplanki is a chironomid that occurs inter alia in Nigeria.

Cryptobiosis in the larvae

The larvae of Polypedilum vanderplanki are both cold - and drought- resistant of insects. You can survive as dehydrated larvae in liquid helium ( -270 ° C) for up to five minutes with no permanent damage. In addition Polypedilum vanderplanki is the only known way that dry to less than 3 % moisture and can survive. In a natural environment the larvae temperatures of over 70 ° C are exposed. In the laboratory, they survived temperatures of about 100 ° C. for three hours, a temperature of about 200 ° C for five minutes. You can transform a completely dried, inactive state in less than an hour to restore ( in about 44 minutes) to a fully active state.