Flight cages

[Hisserdude]

(I dislike being stuck with guest account, it can't edit posts)

Hisserdude, how likely is it that your roaches refuse to fly simply because they are confined in a cage too small, and they have accepted defeat? This is probably not the situation with my Cotinis scarab, because it never gives up when it wants to fly, and it usually stops after being fed fruit.

Honestly, I don't know, I would have to do tests with some groups housed in normal, smaller caging, and other groups in very large cages with lots of air space. At the moment though, I have neither the space or the time to conduct such tests, maybe when I move I'll try it out though, we'll see!

 

[AlexW]

I don't think you would need such complex tests. If this truly is the case, I assume a nonterrified roach with all its needs met would attempt to fly when freeranged for a while.

 

[Hisserdude]

I don't think you would need such complex tests. If this truly is the case, I assume a nonterrified roach with all its needs met would attempt to fly when freeranged for a while.

But my mom is really against the idea of free ranged roaches...

 

[AlexW]

Alright, back to the main topic. I'm getting jealous of that Hormetica apolinari photo thread, it's like a live chat. People get so excited over rare roaches...

Flying insects probably have window problems due to two issues:

• Moths are not the only insects attracted to lights. Even honeybees will fly to them under the right conditions.
  
• They might not realize that transparent or even semi-seethrough objects are walls. I have seen butterflies and Cotinis crash into anti-deer plant netting. In fact, one of my pet Cotinis (that one is now deceased) became so tangled as a wild specimen that I had to rescue it with scissors.
  

Also, I've heard some research about moths evolving to become less light-attracted, since being attracted disrupts their feeding and mating. I would be interested on how such a change works, so we can understand the principles of attraction and insect "cognition" better.

And an anecdote: At my old house, there were Indianmeal moths regularly showing up, and they took little interest in the house lights, flying quite normally. I don't think evolved resistance is the case here. What makes one insect more resistant than another?

I don't think artificially selecting butterflies to not crash into walls is a very effective idea, but if we understand how light-resistant moths can properly navigate we can apply the ideas to flight cages for attractable insects.

 

[AlexW]

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/4/20160111

Here is the ermine moth light-avoidance study. Interestingly, authors suggest that reduced light attraction could have consequences, such as reduced dispersal and flying behavior.

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dEEGtAtR1NcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA305&dq=moths+evolved+light+avoidance&ots=84Taf6e9lL&sig=UNQopisZg5S3vPgvi10rKSK2vbc#v=onepage&q&f=false

Book chapter on moth attraction. Many interesting topics, such as mouse moths being rarely attracted, reducing light pollution by use of non-attractive lights, predator responses, etc.

 

[AlexW]

Of course, being knowledgeable is not a prerequisite, random brainstorming is also welcome

(Whoops, forgot to plan ahead again)

 

[AlexW]

After burrowing through youtube vids, butterfly-related sci-pdfs (to no success), and some Manduca research, it appears that Manduca and some other sphinx moths can somehow manage to fly and hover properly indoors as long as there is enough space, but are still somewhat prone to banging their heads against lights under certain conditions, similarly to how houseflies can fly in houses but also crash and get stuck near windows sometimes.

Survey: Experiences with captive insects that fly voluntarily (not from fear/distress) are appreciated. What was the enclosure size, how was it designed, and did the insect appear to fly in a "normal" manner? @Hisserdude, what does your Gyna flight behavior look like in the cage? Can they maneuver and land on branches without touching the sides, or do they engage in bouts of "flap-enduponwall-flap-enduponwall" like fruitflies and moths?

 

[Hisserdude]

Survey: Experiences with captive insects that fly voluntarily (not from fear/distress) are appreciated. What was the enclosure size, how was it designed, and did the insect appear to fly in a "normal" manner? @Hisserdude, what does your Gyna flight behavior look like in the cage? Can they maneuver and land on branches without touching the sides, or do they engage in bouts of "flap-enduponwall-flap-enduponwall" like fruitflies and moths?

My Gyna enclosures aren't really big or tall, they are gallon container from the Dollar Tree with holes poked in them, and I don't give them any hides besides leaf litter and substrate, since that seems to give them all the hiding places they need. So since the enclosure isn't all that big, and there are only a few inches of airspace above the substrate, as soon as they take flight they hit a wall.