Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0010731, Wed, 8 Dec 2004 08:46:34 -0800

Subject
Fw: hawkmoth horn function? TT-25
Date
Body
EDNOTE. FOR ALL OF YOU CLAMOURING TO KNOW WHAT THE FUNCTION OF THE
HAWKMOTH'S L'AIGUILLON ROUGE IS--THE DEFINITIVE EXPERT ANSWER IS.....

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael A. Wells" <mawells@email.arizona.edu>
To: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 4:54 PM
Subject: Re: hawkmoth horn function?


> Hi:
>
> It is unknown. Some have suggested it might be to fool birds into think
> that is the head, but I don't think there is any real evidence. It is not
> strong enough to be used for defense. So, it remains a curious mystery.
>
> M Wells
>
> D. Barton Johnson wrote:
>> /Dear Dr. Wells,/
>> / Could you perhaps tell me what the function of the horn on the Manduca
>> sexta/ /(and other Spinxes might be. Thank you./
>> // /Dr. Don Johnson, UCSB/
>
> --
> Michael A. Wells, Ph.D.
> Regents Professor Emeritus
> Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
> Biological Sciences West Room 516
> University of Arizona
> Tucson, AZ 85721-0088
> Email: mawells@email.arizona.edu
> Research Web Site: http://aedes.biochem.arizona.edu
> The Manduca Project: http://www.manducaproject.com/
> Voice: 520 621-3847
> FAX: 520 621-9288
>
>