The Madagascan moth Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica drinks the tears of sleeping birds.
The discovery of H. hieroglyphica in 2006 was somewhat surprising.
Though tear-feeding (ophthalmotropic) moths and butterflies are well
known to science, none had been discovered that targeted birds. Instead
they feed on animals that cannot easily remove them (antelope,
crocodiles, deer etc.). These kind of large
animals are absent from Madagascar and other potential food sources -
birds and smaller mammals - can swipe at moths or fly away. As a result
of this, H. hieroglyphica feeds on birds when they won't even know it -
as they sleep.
Birds have two eyelids and close both when they
are sleeping. To get around this problem, H. hieroglyphica has a barbed
proboscis that's reminiscent of a harpoon. This is a stark contrast to
the proboscises of other ophthalmotropic moths and butterflies, which
are soft and straw-like. H. hieroglyphica's proboscis is more similar to
that of Calyptra genus members, which suck blood.
Given that
the bird doesn't appear to be disturbed when H. hieroglyphica is
feeding, it may be that the moth produces an anaesthetic. The team are
curious as to whether it is only the males of the species that drink
tears and what proportion of their diet tears constitute. They also want
to know if any Madagascan tear-drinkers feed on other creatures - if
they live off sleeping birds, do others live off sleeping mammals?
To read the paper detailing H. hieroglyphica: http://bit.ly/YcC8dB
Photo credit: Roland Hilgartner/Mamisolo Raoilison.
http://www.newscientist.com/
The Madagascan moth Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica drinks the tears of sleeping birds.
The discovery of H. hieroglyphica in 2006 was somewhat surprising. Though tear-feeding (ophthalmotropic) moths and butterflies are well known to science, none had been discovered that targeted birds. Instead they feed on animals that cannot easily remove them (antelope, crocodiles, deer etc.). These kind of large
The discovery of H. hieroglyphica in 2006 was somewhat surprising. Though tear-feeding (ophthalmotropic) moths and butterflies are well known to science, none had been discovered that targeted birds. Instead they feed on animals that cannot easily remove them (antelope, crocodiles, deer etc.). These kind of large
animals are absent from Madagascar and other potential food sources -
birds and smaller mammals - can swipe at moths or fly away. As a result
of this, H. hieroglyphica feeds on birds when they won't even know it -
as they sleep.
Birds have two eyelids and close both when they are sleeping. To get around this problem, H. hieroglyphica has a barbed proboscis that's reminiscent of a harpoon. This is a stark contrast to the proboscises of other ophthalmotropic moths and butterflies, which are soft and straw-like. H. hieroglyphica's proboscis is more similar to that of Calyptra genus members, which suck blood.
Given that the bird doesn't appear to be disturbed when H. hieroglyphica is feeding, it may be that the moth produces an anaesthetic. The team are curious as to whether it is only the males of the species that drink tears and what proportion of their diet tears constitute. They also want to know if any Madagascan tear-drinkers feed on other creatures - if they live off sleeping birds, do others live off sleeping mammals?
To read the paper detailing H. hieroglyphica: http://bit.ly/YcC8dB
Photo credit: Roland Hilgartner/Mamisolo Raoilison.
http://www.newscientist.com/
Birds have two eyelids and close both when they are sleeping. To get around this problem, H. hieroglyphica has a barbed proboscis that's reminiscent of a harpoon. This is a stark contrast to the proboscises of other ophthalmotropic moths and butterflies, which are soft and straw-like. H. hieroglyphica's proboscis is more similar to that of Calyptra genus members, which suck blood.
Given that the bird doesn't appear to be disturbed when H. hieroglyphica is feeding, it may be that the moth produces an anaesthetic. The team are curious as to whether it is only the males of the species that drink tears and what proportion of their diet tears constitute. They also want to know if any Madagascan tear-drinkers feed on other creatures - if they live off sleeping birds, do others live off sleeping mammals?
To read the paper detailing H. hieroglyphica: http://bit.ly/YcC8dB
Photo credit: Roland Hilgartner/Mamisolo Raoilison.
http://www.newscientist.com/
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