By Birds do it. Bees do it. Even butterflies and moths do it.
As lepidopterans flutter their wings, friction with the air causes them to accumulate static electricity — enough to potentially pull pollen from nearby flowers, new research suggests.
Ecologists Sam England and Daniel Robert measured the electrostatic charges of 269 butterflies and moths representing 11 species. The amount of charge varied across species, probably due in part to differences in body surface area. But computer simulations showed that the average charge of a butterfly, roughly 50 picocoulombs, is strong enough to move 100 pollen grains at least six millimeters, the scientists report July 24 in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Given that flowers also have their own electric pull, this suggests that lepidopterans may be able to pollinate flowers without having to land on the blooms.
