Madagascar’s Tear Drinking Moths

The unique nature of biotic interactions in Madagascar has long attracted the focus of researchers.

Some moths are attracted to tears of a range of mammals and reptiles. One species of moth in Madagascar, the Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica, sucks the tears from underneath the eyelids of birds while they sleep.

The problem is that in contrast to mammals, birds have an upper and lower lid and a protective layer to protect their eyes.

To get over this, the moth’s mouth parts are shaped like a harpoon, and are used to suck salt-rich liquid from the birds' eyes. Many other species in Africa and Asia use a similar method to suck the blood of mammals, including humans. In the forests of eastern Russia, a species called Calyptra eustrigata has been observed feeding on a man's blood.

Tear-drinking moths seek salt and/or moisture during hot dry weather. The moths may attach to birds to escape predation from frogs in the evenings.