Moths

A modern moth with a proboscis, the organ adapted for sucking up fluids such as nectar. Newly discovered fossil evidence suggests ancestors of such animals exists before flowering plants, raising questions about what ancient butterflies and moths used the

'Butterfly Tongues' Are More Ancient Than Flowers, Fossil Study Finds

8:44pm January 10, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

Scientists have discovered the proboscis butterflies use to suck nectar from flowers existed before flowers did. So: What were ancient butterflies using their long, tongue-like suckers for?

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The destructive diamondback moth has spread across the world and mutated to become immune to each new chemical pesticide designed to slay it.

National

Scientists Try To Fight Crop Damage With An Invasive Moth's Own DNA

10:35am August 28, 2017

by Devin Powell

The diamondback moth attacks cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, costing farmers billions of dollars every year. But will these lab-bred insects inherit the same stigma as genetically modified crops?

Deilephila elpenor, commonly called the elephant hawk-moth, has specialized eyes that don't reflect light. Such moths inspired scientists to invent an anti-glare coating for smart screens.

Moth Eyes Inspire Glare-Resistant Coating For Cellphone Screens

1:05pm June 22, 2017

by Madeline K. Sofia

The scientists who developed the anti-reflective film were inspired by tiny, light-trapping structures on moth eyes that help the insects avoid predators.

Science

The War Between Bats and Moths

7:55pm April 18, 2014

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

SciWorks Radio is a production of 88.5 WFDD and SciWorks, the Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County, located in Winston-Salem.

Today we're talking about an arms race that's been escalating in our skies - for about 65 million years. The war between Bats and moths is driven by natural selection, which is the engine of evolution. This is how it

works: An individual organism is born with a mutation that gives it an advantage for survival. Maybe its better at finding food or avoiding predators, but it lives longer and produces more offspring.

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