Which trait is 'antennae are bipectinate or feathery' described for Saturniidae?

Which trait is 'antennae are bipectinate or feathery' described for Saturniidae?

• A. Large (3-15 cm)
• B. Small heads, hairy
• C. Dark eyespots, hair like scales
• D. Antennae are bipectinate or feathery

Answer: (D)

Antennal structure and how moths sense pheromones is what this question is getting at. In Saturniidae, the males typically have very large, bipectinate or feathery antennae. That feathered, comb-like design greatly increases the surface area of the antennae, giving the sensory receptors more space to detect the female’s pheromones from a distance. Because this feature is so characteristic of these big silk moths, it serves as a reliable cue for identifying the family. Other traits listed aren’t as distinctive for Saturniidae. Large size is common in many moth groups, and eye-spot patterns or hair-like scales aren’t unique to Saturniidae in the way feathered antennae are. So the bipectinate or feathery antennae best describe Saturniidae.

Antennal structure and how moths sense pheromones is what this question is getting at. In Saturniidae, the males typically have very large, bipectinate or feathery antennae. That feathered, comb-like design greatly increases the surface area of the antennae, giving the sensory receptors more space to detect the female’s pheromones from a distance. Because this feature is so characteristic of these big silk moths, it serves as a reliable cue for identifying the family.

Other traits listed aren’t as distinctive for Saturniidae. Large size is common in many moth groups, and eye-spot patterns or hair-like scales aren’t unique to Saturniidae in the way feathered antennae are. So the bipectinate or feathery antennae best describe Saturniidae.