Thanks Jon. It at least makes me feel better that someone more knowledgeable than me has been unable to find this term in an academic capacity. it was a term given by a reviewer of our MS. he is an expert in the field of entomological thermal environments, metabolic rate, etc. I on the other hand am not an expert in any field but am trying to publish the work from my PhD. so basically i'm floundering a bit. i'll keep looking and reading. Thanks for your input. ttfn Megan

Thanks for the advice Jon. and your comments on basal metabolism, fuel release, incidental chemical reactions in the metabolic pool have also got me thinking. i'll let you know how i go. ttfn, Megan

hello Megan, have you come across an article titled nest thermoregulation in social insects by julia jones and benjamin oldroyd. it can offer some insight.

This should give some insight into passive metabolism.

Article Nest Thermoregulation in Social Insects

HI Bridget. Thanks for that. Yes, I have read that article and while its terms are similar the context is different. "passive mechanisms" in nest thermoregulation refer to things such as nest site choice to capture environmental heat, nest modifications to reduce heat loss and supplement brood warmth. My question was more to do with the heat produced by the colony's brood and massed workers, without them actually "actively" increasing the heat production by such behaviour as shivering or wing muscle vibration. I think i have managed to sort out the problem and am hoping to resubmit the MS soon. Just waiting on some statistical support...