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Limits RegistryThe Arctic woolly bear caterpillar (Gynaephora groenlandica) and larvae of the Alaskan beetle Cucujus clavipes puniceus can survive body temperatures dropping to around -60°C to -70°C by producing antifreeze proteins and glycerol-based cryoprotectants that prevent lethal ice crystal formation inside cells — among the most extreme cold tolerances documented in any insect.
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The Arctic woolly bear caterpillar (Gynaephora groenlandica) and larvae of the Alaskan beetle Cucujus clavipes puniceus can survive body temperatures dropping to around -60°C to -70°C by producing antifreeze proteins and glycerol-based cryoprotectants that prevent lethal ice crystal formation inside cells — among the most extreme cold tolerances documented in any insect.
The lowest ambient/body temperature documented under which an insect larva survives via supercooling or cryoprotectant-driven freeze tolerance, as reported in insect physiology literature.
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Limits Registry. LR-MOST-EXTREME-COLD-TOLERANCE-INSECT. Lowest temperature survived by an insect larva without freezing damage. 2026.