Melese laodamia is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was described by Herbert Druce in 1884.[1][2] It is found in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad.[1]
| Melese laodamia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Subfamily: | Arctiinae |
| Genus: | Melese |
| Species: | M. laodamia
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melese laodamia (H. Druce, 1884)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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This moth was used in the insignia of the RAF 360 Squadron, whose task was to develop equipment and tactics to jam enemy radars during the Cold War period. The inspiration was the observation that Melese laodamia produces ultrasound when handled. The ultrasound was thought to jam the sonar of insectivorous bats.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c Savela, Markku (January 2, 2017). "Melese laodamia (Druce, 1884)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
- ^ Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Melese laodamia". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ Blest, A. D.; T. S. Collett & J. D. Pye (1963). "The generation of ultrasonic signals by a New World arctiid moth". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences. 158: 196–207. doi:10.1098/rspb.1963.0042.