Abstract
Porina moths (WISEANA spp.) in New Zealand (studied for the past 7 years at 9 trapping stations) show flight activity, 15 to 30 hr before the approach of low pressure cold fronts with rain or mist. The mechanism triggering this off, remains obscure. Consequently an hypothesis to explain this has been tested, namely, that variations in the ratios of positive to negative atmospheric small ions, might be the dynamic stimulus in the environment triggering off moth-emergence in spring and early summer. Continuous measurements were made of the small ion concentrations during the passage of weather fronts over Wellington. Simultaneously the daily insect biomass taken from an adjacent light trap was recorded and collated with moth flight records at other New Zealand trapping stations. A possible correlation between flight activity of the moths, and the passage of cold fronts and associated variations in atmospheric small ion ratios has been noticed.
Zusammenfassung
Porinamotten (WISEANA spp.), die in den letzten 7 Jahren an 9 Fangstationen in Neuseeland studiert wurden, zeigen eine Flugaktivität 15–30 Stunden vor Eintreffen einer Kaltfront mit Regen und Nebel. Die Ursachen dafür sind unbekannt. Die Hypothese wurde geprüft, ob Änderungen im Verhältnis der atmosphärischen positiven und negativen Kleinionen den Reiz darstellen. Die kleinen Ionen wurden während des Durchzugs von Wetterfronten über Wellington fortlaufend gemessen. Gleichzeitig wurde die tägliche Insektenmenge in einer Lichtfalle registriert und mit den Mottenflugangaben anderer Fangstationen verglichen. Es wurde eine mögliche Beziehung zwischen der Flugaktivität der Motten und dem Durchzug der Kaltfronten und zugehörigen Schwankungen des atmosphärischen Kleinionen-Verhältnisses festgestellt.
Resume
Les phalènes (espèces WISEANA) étudiées durant les 7 dernières années à 5 stations de piégeage en Nouvelles Zélande montrent une activité de vol marquée 15 à 30 heurs avant l'arrivée d'un front froid accompagné de pluie et de brouillard. Les raison de cette activité ne sont pas encore connues. On a étudié l'hypothèse selon laquelle le stimulus en est donné par une variation de la proportion des petits ions positifs et négatifs de l'atmosphère. On a ainsi mesuré de façon continue les petits ions durant le passage de fronts à Wellington. On a enregistré simultanément le nombre d'insectes pris chaque jour dans un piège lumineux et comparé ces chiffres à ceux provenant d'autres stations. On a alors pu constater une relation possible entre l'activité en vol des phalènes et le passage des fronts froids ainsi que des variations correspondantes du rapport des petits ions de l'atmosphère.
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Paper presented to 10th Conference of Physics in Medicine and Biology, Melbourne, 25 August 1970. Incorporating papers presented to 1st Australian Entomological Society Conference, January 1967; Section D ANZAAS Congress, January 1968, and Entomological Society of New Zealand, May 1969.
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Helson, G.A.H., Penman, J.E.R. Biological transformations associated with weather changes. An hypothesis on the flight activity of WISEANA spp.. Int J Biometeorol 14, 227–246 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01742067
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01742067