Electrostatic pollination by butterflies and moths

Abstract

Overview

Animals, most notably insects, generally seem to accumulate electrostatic charge in nature. These electrostatic charges will exert forces on other charges in these animals' environments and therefore have the potential to attract or repel other objects, for example, pollen from flowers.

Findings

• Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) accumulate electrostatic charge while in flight.
• Finite element analysis demonstrates that, when within millimetres of a flower, the electrostatic charge of a lepidopteran generates an electric field exceeding 5 kV m^-1.
• This magnitude of electric field is sufficient to cause contactless pollen transfer from flowers across air gaps onto the body of a butterfly or moth.
• There are phylogenetic variations in the magnitude and polarity of net charge between different species and families of Lepidoptera.
• These variations correlate with morphological, biogeographical, and ecological differences between different clades.

Conclusion

Correlations with biogeographical and ecological differences may reflect evolutionary adaptations toward maximizing or minimizing charge accumulation. These findings suggest electrostatic charging could be a trait upon which evolution acts, influencing pollination, predation, and parasitism in Lepidoptera.