Helmut Kovac

Helmut Kovac is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Zoology, University of Graz. His research focuses on thermal biology, energetics, and respiration in insects, particularly honeybees and wasps. He collaborates closely with Anton Stabentheiner to investigate thermal behavior in individuals and colonies, aiming to understand regulatory mechanisms of social thermoregulation. Ecophysiological studies on foraging efficiency involve field measurements of temperature and respiration to model energetic strategies. Additionally, his work explores respiration physiology in insects under temperature changes, assessing survival in warming environments.

• Grants: Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Projects P20802-B16 (foraging energetics) and P25042-B16 (thermal tolerance of insects).

Research emphasizes ecological and behavioral physiology, with contributions to understanding insect adaptation to environmental changes. His work integrates field studies and theoretical models to address thermodynamic challenges in insect energetics.