Nature: Are you kidding me?

[urbpan]

I'm no longer a member of wtf_nature  (I found the community attitude to be irritatingly adolescent), but I bet someone there has posted about the Calyptra moth.  Assuming this wikipedia entry is true and not some kind of hallowe'en season hoax, this is a very interesting animal that I can't believe I just learned about.  Lepitopterans are almost unique among orders of insects for not inspiring disgust or anxiety in the general public.  No one much minds if a butterfly lands on them, unlike, say, a flying cockroach.  Moths are mostly beneath the notice of most people, unless their larvae are eating an apple or an expensive wool suit. 

But then there is Calyptra (apparently), a group of moths that mostly pierce fruit with their drinkng-straw mouthparts to draw out nectar and juice.  Except for a few species which have mouthparts strong and sharp enough to pierce the skin of mammals, in order to drink blood.  These vampire moths don't seem to habitually feed on humans (the wikipedia article says "After human skin has been penetrated it tends to turn red and be sore for the following two to three hours. Despite the wound being more severe than that of a mosquito it is thought that there is no health risk and the moths need not be avoided."    Sure they don't!  Why would you want to avoid a blood sucking moth?

Anyway, if this is all true, I don't know why Calyptra moths aren't known by chldren around the world.  Why don't they have their own "vampire moth" show on Animal Planet?



Are you kidding me?  Of course, the reason I'm posting this is that I know several entomologists read my journal, which is just about the best thing in the world.

EDIT: Apparently I needed to look no further than the unread National Geographics on my table to verify the story.

Comments

[ssorca19.livejournal.com]

actually... natgeo website just had an article on them the other day...

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/081027-vampire-moth-evolution-halloween-missions.html?source=rss

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

i saw a whole bunch of these posts, including that very picture. didn't know if it was a hoak for halloween (the timing!) or what. but wow either way.

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[rudbekia.livejournal.com]

I read about that a few days ago in this National Geographic article.

[ebolaroo.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, I always thought those were cool. I found your journal by looking up Franklin Park Zoo, and I found a load of your pictures!
THEY'RE SOOO PRETTY!
I work there so it made me happy to see someone enjoying it through all the seasons.

I LOVE YOUR EMU PICTURES!! Outback is my favorite routine!

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I haven't figured out who you are yet, which is weird because BW isn't that big...

Anyway, there are lots of rules about blogging and posting pictures and stuff, so I try to be very careful. But I'm happy you like my pictures!

[ebolaroo.livejournal.com]

Haha, I feel dumb, I just realized I think that you work there too, I also think I might' have met you once.

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

Nick Baker should do a feature on it!

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

It's not a hoax. Calyptra eustrigata, the "Vampire Moth", has been around for yonks- found in Malaysia and Indonesia. I used to have a preserved one. The new Siberian one is in the same genus. They seem to prefer imbibing the blood of birds. There's a related species known as "Eye Moths" that feed on the tears of large mammals- including people.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bazilisk_/]

Aaw! Why is this so goddamned cool! It totally rubs against the moth's fragile, soft image...what a badass creature...

[deathling.livejournal.com]

Oh I saw those moths in one of those 'butterflies and moths for kids' books. You know, the huge books with large print and lots of colorful pictures and illustrations.