Abstract
Like other ectotherms, the roundworm
Caenorhabditis elegans
and the fruit fly
Drosophila melanogaster
rely on behavioral strategies to stabilize their body temperature. Both animals use specialized sensory neurons to detect small changes in temperature, and the activity of these thermosensors governs the neural circuits that control migration and accumulation at preferred temperatures. Despite these similarities, the underlying molecular, neuronal, and computational mechanisms responsible for thermotaxis are distinct in these organisms. Here, we discuss the role of thermosensation in the development and survival of
C. elegans
and
Drosophila
, and review the behavioral strategies, neuronal circuits, and molecular networks responsible for thermotaxis behavior.