Moth Drinking Tears From Sleeping Bird's Eye Brings Moth Meme to a New Level

IIt was a great month for the love of the moths, with memes about a lamp-obsessed moth, which had a hard time. But there's a new butterfly in town, and it's strange. In an indiscreet video clip released last week by Science Magazine, an erratic butterfly perches on the head of a black-chinned bird and drinks from the eye of the bird. The author of the video, however, explains that this thirsty insect is not just a creep, and that this kind of behavior is much more common than you think.

Leandro João Carneiro de Lima Moraes, biologist at the Brazilian National Institute of Amazonian Research, described this bizarre scene in an article published on September 17 in the journal Ecology. In this article, Moraes explained that he observed this interaction during an investigation that took place about half an hour before midnight on November 4, 2017 in the Brazilian Amazon.

"I found an adult female of the black-chinned bird that was resting on a branch of undergrowth vegetation in flooded primary forest," he wrote. "Approaching, I noticed that this individual has an active erratic butterfly (G. macarea) located above his neck. This butterfly was constantly moving its proboscis towards the ocular area of ​​the birds, sometimes resting inside the eye and presumably feeding on secretions (tears). Less than an hour later, he found another black-chinned bird.

This tearing behavior, called lachryphagia, is very coarse, but it is also a very normal part of moth behavior. In fact, butterflies, butterflies and bees have been frequently observed drinking sweet and sugary liquids from the eyes of peregrine reptiles. The Moraes sighting is one of the rare cases where butterflies have been seen drinking the tears of birds.

"This biotic interaction is well reported between butterflies and mammals, as well as between butterflies and turtles or crocodiles, but very few events involving the interaction between butterflies and lacryphageal birds are known, "wrote Moraes.

But Why do they do it?

For most butterflies, this behavior is meant to supplement their diet with nutrients such as protein and sodium. In rare cases, entomologists have noted that mandatory lachrypages must Tears feeds, but for most of these insects, it's like taking a vitamin supplement. Moraes specifically states that these butterflies are often males.

Research on this behavior has shown that men who drink extra sodium have higher reproductive success. When these males mate, they effectively transmit sodium to their partner in the same package as they transmit their sperm during mating. Scientists have found that this transmission of sodium can slightly increase the viability of eggs, suggesting that mites that drink tears may actually have greater reproductive success than those who do not drink.

And although various species have been observed practicing lachryphagia, not all butterflies and butterflies – which belong to the order Lepidoptera – also benefit from it. Some lepidopterans need more sodium than others, while some can not break down proteins in their gut.

Moraes recognizes that further research will be needed to fully understand this behavior. And just like The attraction of moths for lamps, we have many assumptions and no solid answers – even if this behavior seems much more beneficial for survival than the love of lamps. For now, his observations, the first ever made in Brazil, add to our ever-growing catalog of knowledge about the bizarre habits of these little guys.