Vanessa at night

Chris J. Durden drdn at mail.utexas.edu
Mon Jan 21 15:49:23 EST 2002


One approach would be to examine crop contents of *Cordeles minor*. The 
hard parts of the prey including male genitalia should be present and 
identifiable. I have examined contents of European Swift crops for an 
ornithologist trying to determine if there was a significant difference in 
choice of prey (seined aerial plankton), there was not.
    Needed would be a permit to shoot Nighthawks in town, where most of 
them live.
............Chris Durden

At 08:49 AM 1/21/2002 -0600, you wrote:
>It would be interesting to determine the incidence of butterflies in the
>stomach contents or crops of night flying insect eaters, such as bats,
>flying squirrels and nighthawks.  Of course this wouldn't prove anything
>inconclusively, but if the migratory leps species were found to be
>present in significant numbers, it might indicate that these species do,
>indeed, move at night.
>
>How one were to "sample" the stomach contents is anyone's guess, since
>most butterfly gourmands eschew the wings, preferring the "meatier"
>portions of the butterfly.  I suppose it would have to be a chemical
>analysis indicative of the plant species consumed by the butterflies in
>their larval stage...
>
>I don't know for a fact, but the aforementioned insect eaters generally
>catch their prey "on the wing."  Whether or not they are opportunistic
>enough to eat "roosting" insects would certainly be another wrench in the
>conslusivity of the data collecting.
>
>Another great "research project" for some astute graduate student who
>could probably dream up better parameters to test this hypothesis than
>me!
>
>M.B. Prondzinski
>
>On Mon, 21 Jan 2002 08:19:12 -0500 Anne Kilmer <viceroy at GATE.NET> writes:
> > Paul Cherubini wrote:
> >
> > > Niklas Wahlberg wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >>Yep, on warm starry nights with a full moon. How many moths have
> > you
> > >>identified to species, genus, family, without an artificial light
> > after the
> > >>sun has gone down? How many moths have you seen actually flying
> > without any
> > >>source of artificial light?
> > >>
> > >
> > > I have about 200 butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) in my rural
> > backyard
> > > in northern California. On warm, full moon nights in summer I have
> > no
> > > trouble seeing moths nectaring on these flowers without using a
> > flashlight.
> > > True, I have to catch the moths to ID them.
> > >
> > > Likewise out in the remote Nevada desert, far from human
> > civilization,
> > > I find it easy to see moths nectaring on Rabbitbrush flowers on
> > warm moonlit
> > > nights.  I've never seen any butterflies nectaring or flying at
> > night (away from
> > > artificial light sources) 30 minutes or more after sunset.
> > >
> > > Paul
> > >
> >
> > So you reckon that, wafted by a hurricane, Monarchs, for instance,
> > quit
> > flying when the lights go out? I bet not. Would you? Windsurfing;
> > Wow!
> > They do show up in the British Isles, and have been recorded, often,
> >
> > after hurricanes. (Neil can substantiate this, as can Trevor.)
> >
> > It is not possible to prove a negative.
> > How many people are out looking for butterflies at night, would
> > recognize a Vanessa even in bright light, high up among tree tops,
> > would
> > care, and would think it worthy of mentioning?
> > What are the odds that the few of you would happen to be looking
> > when a
> > Vanessa passed by? ;-)
> >
> > As for nectaring, the butterflies and their flowers have a deal;
> > neither
> > of them works when the sun ain't shining. No sun, no nectar.
> > The folks who want moths offer nectar (and perfume) in the evening,
> > when
> > the moths are out. Amazing, the works of Mother Nature.
> >
> > If a scientist cares to put this into science-speak, by all means go
> > for
> > it.
> >
> > I have watched the workers at Butterfly World shaking the bushes, on
> >
> > cloudy days, to keep the butterflies flying. The butterflies know
> > better.
> > This is common knowledge, for Heaven's sake.
> >
> > Anne Kilmer,
> > Kaos Consulting Services
> > South Florida
> >
> >
> >
> >  ------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >    For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:
> >
> >    http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl
> >
> >
> >
>________________________________________________________________
>GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
>Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
>Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
>http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.
>
>
>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>
>    For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:
>
>    http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl
>



 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl 
 


More information about the Leps-l mailing list