Malagasy birds as hosts for eye-frequenting moths.
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.
Hilgartner
Roland
R
Department of Behavioural Ecology & Sociobiology, German Primate Center (DPZ), Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Raoilison
Mamisolo
M
Büttiker
Willhelm
W
Lees
David C
DC
Krenn
Harald W
HW
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology*; D005123:Eye / Q000469:parasitology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008270:Madagascar; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000662:veterinary; D009036:Moths / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism