Author Archives: Elena

Year of the Sphingidae – Co-Evolution

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Elena

Co-evolution is a term to describe what happens when two (or more) species influence one another’s evolutionary pathways. Plants and pollinators represent a classic case of co-evolution. One of the most famous examples of co-evolution of all time involves an orchid, a hawkmoth … Continue reading →

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Year of the Sphingidae – Odor Pollution

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Elena

I’ve written before about how light pollution can affect moth behavior and foraging and studies have shown that light pollution can affect the way moths escape from predators such as bats. But did you know that odor pollution can adversely … Continue reading →

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Year of the Sphingidae – Mimicry

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Elena

I mentioned in my last post on diurnal Sphingidae that several species are mimics of hummingbirds and bumblebees. Today I’ll talk a little more about mimicry. In evolutionary biology, mimicry is the imitation of one species by another species that … Continue reading →

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Year of the Sphingidae – Diurnal Moths

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Elena

One common misconception about moths vs. butterflies is that moths are nocturnal (active at night) and butterflies are diurnal (active during the day). While this is true in the vast majority of cases, there are a few diurnal moths, some … Continue reading →

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Year of the Sphingidae – Model Organisms

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Elena

We’ve discussed the role of Sphingidae as pollinators and their importance to science as model for MAVs. Today we’ll learn about a specific hawkmoth called Manduca sexta. Manduca sexta, the tobacco hornworm is one of the most recognizable hawkmoths around. … Continue reading →

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Year of the Sphingidae- MAVs

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Elena

I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts that Sphingidae are well known for their very fast, very agile flight as well as their ability to hover. Those are great for avoiding predators and zipping from flower to flower to get nectar. It’s … Continue reading →

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The Year of the Sphingidae – Pollination

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Elena

Sphingidae (and several other moth taxa) play a critical role in many ecosystems – that of pollinators. Pollination is a mutualism – an ecological relationship where both partners get a benefit. The pollinator gets food in the form of nectar (and … Continue reading →

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The Year of the Hawkmoth

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Elena

As you’re probably aware if you are following NMW news, we’ve designated 2015 as the year of the Hawkmoth, so over the next few weeks we’ll feature some blog posts on them.   There are about 1400 species of Sphingidae, … Continue reading →

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New moth record in Salzburg

Posted on August 24, 2014 by Elena

Michael Kurz of NMW partner NKIS had a new moth record for the Federal Territory of Salzburg during this year’s NMW. The moth, Noctua interjecta caliginosa, was also only the third record for Austria.  Kurz was not planning on doing any mothing … Continue reading →

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NPR’s Protojournalist Blog

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Elena

Hey all, I was featured on NPR’s The Protojournalist blog for my work with Hemaris. Check out the story here.

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