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Hawk Moths' High-tech Survival Tool07-25-13 | News

Hawk Moths' High-tech Survival Tool

A recent study has shown that hawk moths might use ultrasound to defend themselves from preying bats.

Hawk moths, who are major pollinators, and prey for bats, possibly use ultrasound to jam their predators' radars.

A new study appearing in the journal, Biology Letters, demonstrates that these moderate to large-sized insects possess the ability to emit sonic pulses, theoretically to disrupt the echolocation capacity of bats on the hunt.

Hawk moths are a family of moths known as Sphingidae. Other names for them are sphinx moths and hornworms. The family comprises about 1,450 species. Some are known to be the only pollinators of certain plants. Orchids frequently have such specific relations with hawk moths because of their ability to reach the nectar at the bottom of their very long corolla tubes.

Reportedly, other insects have been found to produce ultrasound but only one other group of moths has been shown to do so. The discovery of this possible defense mechanism was made by researchers at the University of Florida.