Fwd: Blood-sucking moths

[Daniel Janzen]

Ken, there are a number of species of Noctuidae in Africa and the
Neotropics (maybe Malaysia too) that variously suck blood from wounds, and
even make their own wounds by puncturing with the probocis (usually through
the very thin membranes around the eyes of large mammals).  These and/or
similar species of noctuids also feed on ripe fruits in the same manner.

The charaxine that you saw in the film is Nymphalidae (Charaxes or some
similar genus) and charaxines in both the old and new world tropics are
regular feeders on ripe fruit (by puncture) and at wounds in fruits and
tree trunks.  That film is the first case I have seen of one taking blood
from a carcass, but they regularily visit animal feces for the same
purpose, and taking from a carcass is really not that different.  I do not
know of any cases of Nymphalidae doing this to a live animal.

One of those little bird vampires got me twice in our bedroom in the Area
de Conservacion Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica.  Neat animals.

Dan Janzen




>X-Originating-IP: [209.240.198.61]
>X-OriginalArrivalTime: 19 Nov 2002 17:09:02.0129 (UTC)
>                       FILETIME=[5B953A10:01C28FEE]
>Date:         Tue, 19 Nov 2002 17:09:01 +0000
>Reply-To: Ken Kinman <kinman at hotmail.com>
>Sender: Taxacom Discussion List <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
>From: Ken Kinman <kinman at hotmail.com>
>Subject:      Blood-sucking moths
>To: TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
>Status:
>
>Dear All,
>      Does anyone know anything about the discovery of a blood-sucking
>"butterfly" in Europe?   I was recently just half-listening to a show (I
>believe it was on the Discovery Channel) and not sure if I heard correctly.
>I am wondering if it is related to the moth genus Calpe, or an unrelated
>genus of lepidopteran.
>      Also, I would also be interested to know if the blood-sucking moth
>(Calpe eustrigata) of Malaysia is exclusively a blood feeder.  Or are they
>like mosquitoes where blood is only needed by the females for reproduction?
>           -----  Cheers,  Ken
>
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