Feeding rate in adult Manduca sexta is unaffected by proboscis submersion depth

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 19; no. 5; p. e0302536
• Main Authors: Pierce, Tomas F., Hedrick, Tyson L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 29.05.2024; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animal Structures - anatomy & histology; Animal Structures - physiology; Animals; Biology and Life Sciences; Butterflies & moths; Cameras; Computer and Information Sciences; Drinking behavior; Engineering and Technology; Feeding; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Feeding rates; Fluid dynamics; Humidity; Localization; Machine learning; Manduca - physiology; Manduca sexta; Nectar; Neural networks; Plant Nectar; Proboscis; Software; Submergence

Adult moths from framily Spingidae (i.e. hawkmoths or sphinx moths) commonly feed on flower nectar through an extended proboscis, often several centimeters in length and longer than the body of the moth. Feeding on a viscous liquid (nectar) through a long and narrow tube is a challenging fluid dynam...