Hind Wings Help Butterflies Make Swift Turns To Evade Predators, Study Finds
New tires allow race cars to take tight turns at high speeds. Hind wings give moths and butterflies similar advantages: They are not necessary for basic flight but help these creatures take tight turns to evade predators.
“To escape a predator, you don’t have to be fast, you just have to be more erratic,” said Tom Eisner, a world authority on animal behavior, ecology and evolution and the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Chemical Ecology at Cornell. Eisner is co-author of a study on butterfly wings recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (105: 43).
The study proposes that in the course of evolution, the ability of butterflies to evade predators became linked with bright coloring, as an added protection. In evolutionary terms, gaudy colors are usually a sign to such predators as birds that a prey species has a protective quality, such as a bad taste or great agility, and that chasing them isn’t worth the energy. Anyone who has tried to net a colorful butterfly knows they are hard to catch, but this is the first study to show that a butterfly’s hind wings are responsible for making them evasive.
Eisner and the paper’s lead author, Benjamin Jantzen, (M.S. physics ‘02), a doctoral student in philosophy of science at Carnegie Mellon University, clipped off the hind wings of butterflies and then filmed their flight using two cameras to get three-dimensional views of their flight trajectories; then they analyzed and plotted on a computer the insects’ flight velocity, acceleration, how fast they changed direction, the curvature of their path and more.
They found that clipping the back wings did not affect basic flight, but “we were able to show that removing the hind wings cut their turning acceleration in half,” said Jantzen. The butterfly’s hind wings scoop air and provide extra force to quickly turn when chased.
Eisner added that some butterflies have other qualities that are linked with their bright coloring as a sign for predators not to eat them. Monarchs also taste bad, for example. Other studies have shown that distasteful butterflies are slower and easier to catch. Butterfly wings are also scaly, slipping easily from a bird’s bill, and if the butterfly is caught it’s found to be “mostly wrapper and very little candy,” said Eisner.
“The wings are also colorful advertising for the whole group,” said Jantzen. “The colors say, we are butterflies, don’t bother to chase us, because you won’t catch us.”
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Its hard to catch colorful butterflies and this was the first study to show that the butterflies hind wings make them quicker. Their hind wings provide extra force to turn quickly when they are being chased. Removing the hind wings cuts there turning acceleration in half. Butterflies that are slow and easy to catch are the ones that taste bad. The butterflies with bright colors on their wings also have an advantage.
August 23, 2009 Hind wings help butterflies make swift turns to evade preditors, study finds
1. The hind wings on a butterfly or moth help it avoid preditors.
2. Butterflies use their color to blend in with its surroundings so preditors can’t see them.
3. Benjamin Jantzen cut off the back wings of a butterfly and recorded it. He found that the butterfly needs its hind wings to turn quicker.
4. People belive that the bright colors mean to not try and catch them because you won’t.
5. A butterfly’s wings are scaly so they can slip from a bird’s beak real easily.
Butterflies have bright colors to evade predators.
Back wings make them evasive.
Back wings don’t effect flight but does effect turning.
Distasteful butterflies are slower.
Butterfly wings are scaly.
~Butterflies hind wings help then turn more quickly
~They have bright colors to evade predators
~Distasteful butterflies are slower and easier to catch
~It is hard to catch brightly colored butterflies
~Butterfly wings are scaly which slip easily from a bird’s grip
1. Buter flys have bright colors to invade there predators.
2. Butterflies hind wings help then turn more quickly.
3. Butterflys wings are scaly so theycan slip from a birds grip.
4. It is hard to catch brightly colored butterflys because they are quicker.
5. Dis tasteful butterflys are slower and easier to catch.
Studies show that if butterflies don’t have their back wings, it is harder for them to turn. If they have just their front wings they can fly fine, but not if they’re in an emergency. Butterflies that have bright colors are more attractive to predators but they are too fast. Monarch butterflies don’t taste that good to predators, so they are slow. The main point is that the butterfly’s back wings really help the butterfly to move faster and turn more quickly.
1. Hind Wings Help Butterflies Make Swift Turns To Evade Predators.
2. They have bright colors to evade predators
3. It is harder to catch brightly colored butterflies, then it is regular ones.
4. Butterflies wings are very scaly with makes them slipery
5. Butterflies back wings make them evasive.
You know how new tires allow race cars to take tight turns. Well hind wings on butterflies basically do the same things. The hind wings are not necessarily for basic flight but for quick escapes from predators. Colors also help protect them from predators too. It shows that there fast and they aren’t worth chasing. Scientists clipped the back wings to see if it would effect there flight. It didn’t effect there basic flight but removing the hind wings did cut their turning acceleration in half.
Article Summary:
1. Hind wings give moths and butterflies advantages.
2. Tom Eisner said,“To escape a predator, you don’t have to be fast, you just have to be more erratic.”
3. Tom Eisner is a world authority on animal behavior.
4. Eisner found that clipping the back wings did not affect basic flight of a butterfly.
5. The papers lead author, Benjamin Jantzen (butterfly wings was the Article/Paper, Tom Eisner was the coauthor of that Article/Paper) said that “The wings are also colorful advertising for the whole group.”
Article Summary:
1. Hind wings give moths and butterflies advantages.
2. Tom Eisner said,“To escape a predator, you don’t have to be fast, you just have to be more erratic.”
3. Tom Eisner is a world authority on animal behavior.
4. Eisner found that clipping the back wings did not affect basic flight of a butterfly.
5. The papers lead author, Benjamin Jantzen (butterfly wings was the name Article/Paper, Tom Eisner was the coauthor of that Article/Paper) said that “The wings are also colorful advertising for the whole group.”
Article Summary:
1. Hind wings give moths and butterflies advantages.
2. Tom Eisner said,“To escape a predator, you don’t have to be fast, you just have to be more erratic.”
3. Tom Eisner is a world authority on animal behavior.
4. Eisner found that clipping the back wings did not affect basic flight of a butterfly.
5. The papers lead author, Benjamin Jantzen (butterfly wings was the name of the Article/Paper, Tom Eisner was the coauthor of that Article/Paper) said that “The wings are also colorful advertising for the whole group.”
Some butterflies don’t have back wings, and studies show that since some butterflies do not, they are not able to turn as well as other butterflies. These wings, called hind wings, are not nessecary for basic flight, but, as in the first sentence, shows that hind wings help butterflies fly. Alos, these hind wings are very helpful in time of emergency. Studies also show that the butterflies with bright, colorful wings are very fast due to their hind wings, and the dull-colored ones are very slow and easy to catch due to removal of their hind wings. This goes to show that hind wings help a butterfly fly faster, just like special tires help race cars race better.
Article summary
1. New tires on a race car helps them go faster.
2. Hind wings give moths and butterflies similar advantages.
3. The hind wings on a butterfly or moth help it avoid predators.
4. Butterfly wings are scaly which slip easily from a bird’s grip
5. It is harder to catch brightly colored butterflies, then it is regular ones.
New tires on a race car help them make tight turns.
Moths and butterflies hinh wings gives them similar advantages.
Butterflies evade predators.
Butterflies bright coloring is another protection.
Clipping the back wings didnt effect basic flight.
1)The hind wings on a butterfly or moth help it avoid predators.
2)Butterfly wings are scaly which slip easily from a bird’s grip
3)Moths and butterflies hinh wings gives them similar advantages. 4)They found that clipping the back wings did not affect basic flight
5)The butterfly’s hind wings scoop air and provide extra force to quickly turn when chased.
1)The hind wings on a butterfly or moth help it avoid predators.
2)Butterfly wings are scaly which slip easily from a bird’s grip
3)Moths and butterflies hinh wings gives them similar advantages. 4)They found that clipping the back wings did not affect basic flight
5)The butterfly’s hind wings scoop air and provide extra force to quickly turn when chased.
Butterflies have bright colors to evade predators
They found that clipping the back wings did not affect basic flight
A butterfly’s wings are scaly so they can slip from a bird’s beak real easily.
It is harder to catch brightly colored butterflies, then it is regular ones.
om Eisner is a world authority on animal behavior.
1. New tires on a race car helps them go faster.
2. Hind wings give moths and butterflies similar advantages.
3. The hind wings on a butterfly or moth help it avoid predators.
4. Butterfly wings are scaly which slip easily from a bird’s grip
5. It is harder to catch brightly colored butterflies, then it is regular ones.
1.Hind wings help butterflies and moths evade predators.
2.In today’s world colors on the animals show that they are poisonous or are fast as you should not try to eat them.
3.Clipping the hind wings does not mess with their basic flying ability.
4.But it does cut their turning and acceleration ability in half.
5.The hind wings provides extra force when they are being chased.
1.Hind wings help butterflies and moths evade predators.
2.In today’s world colors on the animals show that they are poisonous or are fast as you should not try to eat them.
3.Clipping the hind wings does not mess with their basic flying ability.
4.But it does cut their turning and acceleration ability in half.
5.The hind wings provides extra force when they are being chased.
6.To escape you do not have to be fast.
1.Hind wings help butterflies and moths evade predators.
2.In today’s world colors on the animals show that they are poisonous or are fast as you should not try to eat them.
3.Clipping the hind wings does not mess with their basic flying ability.
4.But it does cut their turning and acceleration ability in half.
5.The hind wings provides extra force when they are being chased.
6.You do not have to be fast to escape a predator.
1.) The hind wings on a butterfly or moth help it avoid predators
2.) Butterfly wings are scaly which slip easily from a bird’s grip
3.) Distasteful butterflies are slower
4.) It is harder to catch brightly colored butterflies, then it is regular ones
5.) People belive that the bright colors mean to not try and catch them because you won’t