Moth tails divert bat attack: Evolution of acoustic deflection

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 112; no. 9; pp. 2812 - 2816
• Main Authors: Barber, Jesse R., Leavell, Brian C., Keener, Adam L., Breinholt, Jesse W., Chadwell, Brad A., McClure, Christopher J. W., Hill, Geena M., Kawahara, Akito Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 03.03.2015; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Acoustics; Actias luna; Adaptation; Animal Structures - anatomy & histology; Animal Structures - physiology; Animals; Bats; Biological Evolution; Biological Sciences; Chiroptera; Eptesicus fuscus; Evolution; Food Chain; Kinematics; Moths - physiology; Predation; antipredator defense; bat–moth interactions; Saturniidae; Lepidoptera

Significance Bats and moths have been engaged in acoustic warfare for more than 60 million y. Yet almost half of moth species lack bat-detecting ears and still face intense bat predation. We hypothesized that the long tails of one group of seemingly defenseless moths, saturniids, are an anti-bat str...