Wings

[Mark Walker]

I would think that the best empirical evidence of purpose in butterfly wings
would be the huge cost associated with metamorphosis.  Surely there must be
a good reason for this developmental miracle.  What the primary purpose is
can only be speculated, but there is good evidence that finding and
attracting mates, dispersing to new plants and locations, solar energy
collecting/warming, and avoiding predation are all at the top of the list.

Mark Walker.


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	jrg13 at psu.edu [SMTP:jrg13 at psu.edu]
> Sent:	Tuesday, September 08, 1998 1:48 PM
> To:	leps-l at lists.yale.edu
> Subject:	Re: P.sennae
> 
> 
> Dave Bouton made the following statement
> 
> wings help in escape and finding mates, their main purpose is to disperse
> the species -- spread it around --colonize greater and greater areas, put
> eggs in
>  new places.
> 
> Perhaps it seems too trivial, but I am not aware of any empirical evidence
> that it dispersal and colonization is the main purpose of butterfly wings
> (or that
> wings have any purpose at all).
> 
>  John Grehan
>