Butterfly proboscis: Perhaps not a ‘straw’ as we thought

A Painted Lady with its proboscis coiling.

“A butterfly's proboscis looks like a straw -- long, slender, and used for sipping -- but it works more like a paper towel, according to Konstantin Kornev of Clemson University. He hopes to borrow the tricks of this piece of insect anatomy to make small probes that can sample the fluid inside of cells.

“At the scales at which a butterfly or moth lives, liquid is so thick that it is able to form fibers. The insects' liquid food -- drops of water, animal tears, and the juice inside decomposed fruit -- spans nearly three orders of magnitude in viscosity. Pumping liquid through its feeding tube would require an enormous amount of pressure.” From Science Daily's Butterfly proboscis to sip cells.
More » 3:23 YouTube video featuring Kostya Kornev

Species pages: [ BAMONA ] [ BugGuide ] [ UK Butterflies ]

[ IMG_8613S7x7Utm :: 250mm ]

[Jesika]

Interesting, Thom, we learn daily don't we? But sponge or straw, it all depends on the 2 halves "zipping" together in the first few minutes after eclosion. I'll dig out a picture of one which sadly failed.
j

[Thom Mitchell]

@jesika2 Right; I knew about the halves zipping together. Look forward to a photo!

[PhotoCrazy]

Wonderful info, pic!!