The evolution of flightlessness in Hawaiian moths
- Author:
- Medeiros, Matthew John
- Title:
- The evolution of flightlessness in Hawaiian moths
- Periodical:
- Biology
- Year:
- 2009
- Volume:
- Ph.D.
- Pages:
- 242
- Subject:
- Moths
- Summary:
- The author investigated if caves or alpine areas are correlated with loss of flight by conducting molecular phylogenetic analyses of two Hawaiian moth genera Noctuidae: Schrankia and Xyloryctidae: Thyrocopa. Results indicate that cave Schrankia are not always flightless. However, in Thyrocopa, flightlessness has evolved to jumping ability. One of the new Thyrocopa species is the flightless Mauna Kea taxon, which has lost in less than 0.5 million years the ability to fly.
- Date:
- Spring 2009
- Collection:
- Monographs