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How Hawkmoths Turned Their Genitals Into Bat-Busting Weapons
Researchers found hawkmoths independently evolved three genital sound-making mechanisms that can disrupt bat sonar, with some lineages repeating the defense seven times.
Summary by Science News
5 Articles
5 Articles
Some species of lily moths have evolved the ability to produce ultrasound with their genitals to defend themselves from bats. This adaptation has independently emerged seven times over 30 million years.
·Zagreb, Croatia
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Some evolutionary innovations are so useful that they appear independently and repeatedly in nature.
When a bat approaches, some butterflies respond with their genitals. By grating the specialized scales of their sexual organs against the structures of their abdomen, butterflies trigger bursts of ultrasound that can blur the sonar that a hungry bat uses to lock on its prey. But this acoustic counterattack is not an evolution [...]
Coverage Details
Total News Sources5
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 33%
C 67%
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