2007/01/04 by Roland Hilgartner, Mamisolo Raoilison, Willhelm Büttiker +2 · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
paper · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0581
openalex publication_date 2007/01/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/08
While tear-feeding in moths on mammals is widespread, there have been no reports of this behaviour in Madagascar and none on birds. We report that a moth, Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica belonging to the Calpini, a generally fruit-feeding or blood-feeding lineage of noctuids, attacks sleeping birds in Madagascar. This moth is able to intrude its sharply tipped proboscis into a closed bird's eye. The proboscis is characterized by a specific armoury of hooks, barbs and spines similar to that in piercing calpines but dissimilar to that in other tear-feeding moths. This is the first report of exploitation of tears by Lepidoptera from the closed eyes of sleeping birds.