Darwin's orchid
When Darwin visited Madagascar during his voyage on the Beagle, he was intrigued by a large waxy white orchid with a nectar spur almost a foot long. How could such a flower be pollinated? He did not have the opportunity to find out by observation, but he guessed--correctly-- by an insect with a foot long proboscis. His theory was ridiculed. Twenty years later, a nocturnal moth was collected that had a wingspread of only 5-1/2 inches but a proboscis a foot lo ng . In honor of the fact that its existence had been predicted, it was named Xantophan morganii praedicta.
Xantophan morganii praedicta
Xantophan morganii praedicta
