behavior

Jessica Walden-Gray

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

7:30 PM

Bats vs. Moths: an evolutionary arms race

MCZ 101, 26 Oxford Street, Harvard University

 

Jessica Walden-Gray

Jessica Walden-Gray, Boston University

Bats and moths have been trapped in an evolutionary arms race for over 50 million years. Bats “see” the sensory world in sound and insects have evolved an array of tools to exploit echolocation to stay one wing beat ahead of bats. Moths have adapted ears and ultrasonic cries to avoid bats and jam bat sonar. Ms. Walden Gray will focus on the adaptations of tiger moths to avoid bat predation and introduce a species of tiger moth that has co-opted its bat ears for sexual communication.

The talk is free and open to the public. The meeting is readily accessible via public transportation. Parking is available in the Oxford Street Garage with advance arrangement, as described here, or (usually but not always) at spaces on nearby streets. Everyone is also welcome to join us for dinner before the talk (beginning at 6:00 PM) at the Cambridge Common restaurant on Massachusetts Avenue.

CEC meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month from October through May. The evening schedule typically includes an informal dinner (6 to 7 PM) followed by our formal meeting (7:30 – 9:00 PM). The latter begins with club business and is followed by a 50 minute entomology related presentation. Membership is open to amateur and professional entomologists.

Thomas Seeley

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010, at 6:00 PM

will speak about his new book

Honeybee Democracy

Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Harvard University – note unusual time and place

A presentation of Harvard Museum of Natural History and CEC

Dr. Seeley with a honeybee colony.

As they face the life-or-death problem of choosing and traveling to a new home every year, honeybees employ a complex decision-making process that includes fact finding, vigorous debate, and consensus building. Thomas Seeley, world-renowned animal behaviorist and Professor of Biology at Cornell, will explore what these incredible insects can teach us about collective wisdom and democracy.

Free and open to the public. If you must drive, parking is available in the Oxford Garage with advance arrangement, as described here, or (usually but not always) at spaces on nearby streets.