Strange Observation

[Mvalenz]

I have had a couple of my female budwings out loose in my living room for quite some time now. One more than the other. The oldest and mother of the two has been on a computer speaker covered with a sock so she can grip better (her feet are getting old). The other is on an Asiatic Lilly on my table as a center piece. I had my windows open and it started to pour. I mean like the great flood and it was loud. I noticed my youngest had crawled under a leaf of the plant so her whole body was covered. She hasn't moved much before. The older one was moving around a lot maybe looking for cover. She doesn't move at all unless it's dinner time. I was wondering if the youngest under the leaf did that instinctively and the older was trying to do the same. If you think about it them getting hit by a falling rain drop must be like the equivalent of us getting hit by at least a tennis ball in the eye.

Just wondering

 

[jrh3]

i agree it could be instinct or they felt the vibration of rain or thunder.

 

[Sticky]

Aren't they amazing? Yes, I think that reaction was instinct.

That also says something about thier hearing too. Can they hear infrasound? That is very low sound that many animals. We cant but whales, elephants etc can.

 

[hibiscusmile]

haha, not Saturday night, no time for bath!

 

[Krissim Klaw]

It was pouring and thundering up a storm yesterday for me too but my crew hardly seemed to notice since they are inside. Maybe I'll pop a window open next time to see how they react.

I did find an adorable millipede thought that crawled under my porch overhang to get out of the storm. =p

 

[Coneja]

That's a very cool observation. It does make you wonder how they sense that, if it was a reaction to the rain. I was thinking humidity but then why didn't they react just before the downpour? Huh...

I did find an adorable millipede thought that crawled under my porch overhang to get out of the storm. =p

Only on this forum... :lol:

 

[sally]

Question... can they "feel " the barometric pressure change with their antennae? Also can they "smell" the rain with their antennae? I will have to look this up

 

[dgerndt]

Very cool! It hasn't rained for a little while here, but now I'm curious. I'll have to try this experiment next time it rains.

 

[ladygigi]

Question... can they "feel " the barometric pressure change with their antennae? Also can they "smell" the rain with their antennae? I will have to look this up

That's an interesting approach. If they can 'feel' a wasp and bat etc. that is flying behind them (which is a known fact), then why not be able to 'feel' a change in barometric pressure??? Good thinking. :smarty: WTG girl!

 

[Crazy4mantis]

That's an interesting approach. If they can 'feel' a wasp and bat etc. that is flying behind them (which is a known fact), then why not be able to 'feel' a change in barometric pressure??? Good thinking. :smarty: WTG girl!

actually they detect the bat's echolocation.

 

[ladygigi]

That's an interesting approach. If they can 'feel' a wasp and bat etc. that is flying behind them (which is a known fact), then why not be able to 'feel' a change in barometric pressure??? Good thinking. :smarty: WTG girl!

actually they detect the bat's echolocation.

What about the fact that they can also detect a wasp (a known enemy) flying behind them? What are they detecting there? It was my understanding that it was the wasps' wing flutter that they detect.