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URPC Proceedings
The Effects of Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrum Coloration on Predation
Risk of Lepidopteran Larvae
Phoebe C. Hallowell
Earlham College Biology Department
pchallo07@earlham.edu
Lepidopteran larvae are known to use cryptic and protective colorations as adaptations
to avoid detection by predators. There has been a lot of research on the role of coloration
within visual spectrum; however some predators, such as birds as well as many insects, can
see ultraviolet (UV) coloration and this may be a factor when predators are foraging. In this
study I tested whether or not predators of Lepidoptera larvae use UV signals in detecting
and selecting their prey. I hypothesized that predators use both visible and UV coloration
cues when foraging. I predicted that caterpillars with UV markings would incur in more
predator damage than plain caterpillars and caterpillars that are of the opposite color of the
substrate (e.g. green caterpillar in brown substrate) will have more damage than those of
the same color. To test this hypothesis, I conducted a field experiment with 4 different clay
caterpillar type options (Brown No UV, Brown UV, Green No UV, and Green UV) on either
a green or brown substrate in a rainforest edge in south eastern Peru.. After 48 hours, they
were collected and I determined if the caterpillars were untouched, mildly damaged by a
predator (i.e.,a few insect markings) or severely damaged by a predator (e.g. bill or teeth
marks or having been completely removed from the immediate area). My results suggest
that predators use cues from both the visual and ultraviolet spectra in locating and selecting
their prey. I found that caterpillars with UV colorations and caterpillars with visible spectrum
coloration opposite to that of the substrate had higher predation rates. Thus, visual
and ultraviolet coloration play an important role in the survival of Lepidopteran larvae.
Identification of Basaltic Clasts in Lunar Meteorites: In Search of South
Pole-Aitken Basin Material
Katie Marshall, Cari Corrigan †
Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
kjmarsh07@earlham.edu
The South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), located on the far side of the Moon in the Southern
Hemisphere, is the largest (250 km), deepest (8-12 km), and oldest ( 4Ga) basin on the
Moon. Due to its great depth, the SPA Basin may expose the lower crust and even the
mantle of the Moon. In order to find SPA Basin material, lunar meteorite thin sections in the
Smithsonian Institutions Antarctic Meteorite Collection were analyzed for basaltic clasts.
These clasts were located by the component minerals plagioclase feldspar, olivine, and
pyroxene, using an optical microscope, an electron scanning microscope, and a microprobe.
In six of the lunar meteorite thin sections a total of seventeen basaltic clasts were located.
These clasts will undergo future tests, including Ar-Ar age dating and analysis for rare
earth elements, to determine if they are South Pole-Aitken Basin material.
URPC-12