Hawkmoths evolved acoustic genital defenses against bats multiple times

Hawkmoths have evolved three distinct physical methods to produce ultrasonic sounds using their genitalia to defend against hunting bats, Science News reported. When predatory bats approach, the insects rub specialized scales on their sex organs against abdominal structures. This action generates bursts of ultrasound that interfere with the sonar signals bats rely on to target prey. [1]

According to Science News, this defensive acoustic mechanism is not an isolated evolutionary event. Continuous predatory pressure from bats has driven different hawkmoth lineages to independently reinvent this sound producing strategy up to seven times throughout their evolutionary history. [1]

The study revealed that separate evolutionary lines of hawkmoths arrived at different physical and anatomical solutions to address the same threat. Science News reported these findings on November 4 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. [1]