He and his students use bioacoustic, neurophysiological, chemical, behavioral, and phylogenetic methods to approach questions about the evolution of communication in this colorful and fascinating group of moths. Their work is carried out in North Carolina, South Florida, and in the cloud forest s of Ecuador. Here are some examples of the kinds of questions that he is addressing. Email Bill Conner if you would like to be involved.
Arctiid moths deal with echolocating bats in two ways.
First, they hear the echolocation cries of bats and avoid bats with a series of evasive maneuvers including loops, spirals, and power dives. Second, they click back at bats. Some researchers suggest that arctiids are jamming the echolocation system of bats and others suggest that they are advertising their unpalatabilty. Using phylogenetic techniques we hope to determine which hypothesis is correct. Ultrasonic Communication in Tiger Moths.