Adaptations

    An example of micro-scaled adaptation or rapid adaptation in recent years is the Soapberry bugs or butt bugs in Florida. The Soapberry bugs around 50 years ago had long beak projections that would have to unroll themselves due to their length and then insert into the seed pod of the native plant they fed on. This beak releases digestive juices that make consumption possible.

    Around that 50 year-ago mark, a new plant that was closely related to the native plant fed on by Soapberry bugs was introduced to Florida. This new plant had a much smaller seed pod and became very prevalent very quickly. The rapid adaptation observed was the shrinking of the length of the Soapberry bugs beak. As a long beak was no longer required to reach the seeds in the seed pod, the Soapberry bugs began to be observed with shorter beaks. 

    Another rapid adaptation that was observed was the lack of ability to fly. Many of the Soapberry bugs used to be able to fly but now the ability to fly from tree to tree in search of food is no longer needed because of the introduced plant's prevalence, many Soapberry bugs are now found to be flightless.

Above is a Soapberry bug feeding.

Above is a similar diagram to the one Dr. Wiggins drew in lecture 2 of 3 Adaptations and Natural Selection.