SENSES INVOLVED IN VISITING OF FLOWERS BY CUCULLIA-UMBRATICA (NOCTUIDAE, LEPIDOPTERA)

Flowers of Melandrium album are frequently pollinated by C. umbratica L. This heavy moth always lands on the flowers. The process of insertion of the proboscis and the drinking thereafter is described. Senses for perception of the relative humidity of the air are located on the antennae. The moth is able to locate flowers by smell only, but visual orientation seems to be more predominant. Legs and antennae possess contact chemoreceptors, sensitive to sucrose and to chemicals present on the surface of M. album flowers. The moth responds after contact of the legs with petal lobes of M. album by extension of the proboscis. Inserting behavior follows only after contact of the probosicis tip with the ligula. The moth appears to be a specialized flower visitor.