Meeting 1172 Minutes
Minutes from the 1172nd Meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club
President Shayla Salzman called the 1172nd meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club to order at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, February 9th in the Harvard University Herbarium seminar room. Approximately 27 members and guests were in attendance.
New business: Two new members were confirmed for membership, Soheil Zendeh and Rosemary Mosco.
The CEC group photo show at Habitat in Belmont is on view until March 31st.
Scott Smyers reported on last summer’s field trips and is planning more for this year.
Nate Edelman announced a Bioblitz to be held May 20 in Connecticut
Jayne Yack, Professor of Biology at Carleton University in Ottawa presented a wonderful talk, Sonic the Caterpillar and other insects unheard of.
Professor Yack is studying acoustic signaling in larval insects, especially caterpillars. Sounds generated by adult insects such as crickets and cicadas are well known, but Prof. Yack has found that larval insects are probably more “acoustic” than adults. They generate and detect an extraordinary diversity of acoustic (sound and vibration) signals, many beyond human sensory capabilities. She began her talk with sound and video of caterpillars made possible by specialized instrumentation, including a laser Doppler vibrometer. She described a variety of acoustic communications: “anal scraping”, clicking mandibles and whistling spiracles employed as a territorial defense, or a defense against predators. A chemical defense sometimes follows.
Experiments revealed that silk and hawk moth caterpillars employ these defenses, hooktip moth caterpillars engage in vibratory ‘rap battles’, and monarch butterfly caterpillars can ‘hear’.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm for discussion and refreshments.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrea Golden, CEC Secretary
