Special Mixture Waterproofs Cocoon

Biological Strategy

Puss moth

AskNature Team

Image: Konrad Lackerbeck / Wikimedia Commons /

Protect From Loss of Liquids

Water is essential to life. Liquids, mostly water, make up 70 to 90% of all living systems, and the loss of even a small percentage can mean the difference between life and death. Living systems must maintain a proper liquid balance, which is especially difficult in dry conditions. To do so, they must control the movement of liquids across their boundaries. Living systems do this using structures or waterproof materials to prevent or slow liquid movement. For example, when humans receive a cut, they must limit blood loss. Scattered throughout the bloodstream are lens-shaped structures that serve to plug the wound.

Search this Function

Insects

Class Insecta (“an insect”): Flies, ants, beetles, cockroaches, fleas, dragonflies

Insects are the most abundant arthropods—they make up 90% of the animals in the phylum. They’re found everywhere on earth except the deep ocean, and scientists estimate there are millions of insects not yet described. Most live on land, but many live in freshwater or saltwater marshes for part of their life cycles. Insects have three distinct body sections: a head, which has specialized mouthparts, a thorax, which has jointed legs, and an abdomen. They have well-developed nervous and sensory systems, and are the only invertebrate that can fly, thanks to their lightweight exoskeletons and small size.

Search this Living System

The cocoon of pussmoths is waterproof because it's made from a mixture of wood litter, spinneret thread, and formic acid.

Image: Halvard : from Norway. Permission ( / Wikimedia Commons /

''Cerura vinula'' (Notodontidae, Lepidoptera)

Image: Lilly M / Wikimedia Commons /

Cerura vinula, Wid?ogonka siwica, Puss Moth

Image: Kieren on behalf of http://www.amentsoc.org / Wikimedia Commons /

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Image: Konrad Lackerbeck / Wikimedia Commons /

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

“The puss caterpillar scrapes hoary wood around the cocoon to camouflage it, and it does not make the mistake of digging pale wood from deeper layers. The wood litter is mixed with the spinneret thread which is hardened by a formic acid solution from a neck . The whole is entirely water-proof.” (Pallasmaa 1995:95)

Last Updated September 14, 2016

References

Book

Animal Architecture

22/04/2014 | Ingo Arndt

embedly preview

AskNature