Meeting Abstract

P2-102   -   Comparative analysis of drinking habits in hawk moths Gole, A.R*; Sun, Y; Kornev, K.G; Clemson University; Clemson University; Clemson University akshatg@g.clemson.edu

The hawk moths are amongst the most fascinating lepidopterans. These insects use their proboscis to acquire water-like nectar and highly viscous honey. The length of the proboscis may vary from a few millimeters to several centimeters. The aim of the study is to understand the wettability of the proboscises of different hawk moth species by measuring the contact angle that the water menisci make with the proboscis surface. The contact angle has been recorded on live moths for the dorsal and ventral legular bands and the galeae in 11 nocturnal and diurnal hawk moth species. We found a drastic difference between the wetting properties of butterflies and hawk moths. While butterflies demonstrate a hydrophobic-hydrophilic dichotomy where only morphologically distinct drinking region at the proboscis tip is hydrophilic, hawk moths proboscis remains hydrophilic up to the head. Only a small 5-10% part close to the head remains hydrophobic. During these experiments, the moths do drink water. We classify different modes of drinking and formation of bubble trains. This comparative analysis suggests that hawk moths with proboscises much longer than their body size develop special mechanisms for liquid uptake.