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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Malagasy birds as hosts for eye-frequenting moths
Biology Letters, Volume 3, No. 2, Year 2007
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Description
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. © 2007 The Royal Society.
Authors & Co-Authors
Hilgartner, Roland
Germany, Gottingen
Deutsches Primatenzentrum
Germany, Ulm
Universität Ulm
Raoilison, Mamisolo
Madagascar, Antananarivo
Université D'antananarivo
Büttiker, Willhelm
Switzerland, Basel
Naturhistorisches Museum Basel
Lees, David C.
United Kingdom, London
The Natural History Museum, London
Krenn, Harald Wolfgang
Austria, Vienna
Universität Wien
Statistics
Citations: 29
Authors: 5
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1098/rsbl.2006.0581
ISSN:
17449561
e-ISSN:
1744957X
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Study Locations
Madagascar