Premium
Wind as a factor influencing flower‐visiting by Hadena bicruris (Noctuidae) and Deilephila elpenor (Sphingidae)
Author(s) -
BRANTJES N. B. M.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1981.tb00626.x
Subject(s) - noctuidae , biology , wind speed , sphingidae , zoology , horticulture , lepidoptera genitalia , botany , manduca sexta , meteorology , physics , larva
. 1. In a low‐speed wind tunnel, male as well as female moths of Hadena bicruris responded to floral odours with positive anemotaxis. Hitherto, such orientation has only been demonstrated for male moths in response to pheromones. 2. H.bicruris had a maximum flight speed of 4.5–5.4ms ‐1 and stopped its flower visiting at a wind speed of 2.5–2.8 m s ‐1 . 3. Deilephila elpenor had a similar maximum flight speed (4.5— 5.1 ms ‐1 ), but it continued visiting flowers up to wind speeds of 3.0–5.0 ms ‐1 . 4. Apart from mechanical resistance during flight and flower visits, wind might have adverse effects on the energy budget and on evaporative water loss.