Electric Butterflies
A new study has revealed that the electrostatic field generated by butterflies and moths in flight enables them to attract pollen grains from flowers across air gaps several centimeters wide.
Researchers from the University of Bristol found that the static electricity carried by butterflies and moths varies among species, influenced by their ecology, including the type of flowers they visit, whether they are diurnal or nocturnal, and their habitat. The findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, suggest that this electric field enhances their efficiency and effectiveness as pollinators.
While it was known that animals like bees and hummingbirds use static electricity to collect pollen, it was unclear if this applied to butterflies and moths. “We set out to test this idea,” says lead author Dr. Sam England from Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences, “to see if butterflies and moths also accumulate charge, and if so, whether this charge is enough to attract pollen from flowers onto their bodies.”
The study examined 269 butterflies and moths across 11 species from five continents, each in different ecological niches. This allowed the researchers to compare the static charge and determine if ecological variables influenced it.
Dr. England explains, “We’ve discovered that butterflies and moths accumulate so much static electricity when flying, that pollen is literally pulled through the air towards them as they approach a flower,”” This means they don’t need to touch flowers to pollinate them, which makes them highly efficient pollinators.