{"id":101395,"date":"2020-10-30T19:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T16:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/scary-insects-for-halloween-the-bloodthirsty-calyptra\/"},"modified":"2020-10-30T19:00:01","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T16:00:01","slug":"scary-insects-for-halloween-the-bloodthirsty-calyptra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/scary-insects-for-halloween-the-bloodthirsty-calyptra\/","title":{"rendered":"#Scary insects for Halloween: the bloodthirsty calyptra"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Scary insects for Halloween: the bloodthirsty calyptra<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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\n The Calyptra pseudobicolor B\u00e4nziger is an opportunistic feeder that has fed on the blood of agricultural animals, and even humans. Credit: United States Department of Agriculture
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Sometimes insects show signs of monster behavior.<\/p>\n


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It’s nothing personal to us humans and let me assure you that this behavior has nothing to do with full moons or anything that may live under your bed at night. Sometimes an insect’s monster behavior is nothing more than the result of good old-fashioned circumstances.<\/p>\n

According to scientists in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, the genus Calyptra Ochsenheimer (Calyptra) includes species commonly known as Vampire Moths\u2014named simply for their ability to pierce flesh and feed on mammal blood.<\/p>\n

They can usually be spotted in Southern Europe, Eastern African, and the sub-Himalayan regions of South Asia. There is one species of Calyptra in North America, but it’s not known as a blood-feeder. At first glance you’ll think that the moth doesn’t look very foreboding. Vampire Moths are medium sized with a muted earthy color and a wingspan ranging from 35 to 72 mm in size. The thing is that they have\u00a0 long proboscides that resembles a needle (or a fang), and barbed hooks that are used for piercing through both thick and hard-skinned fruits.\u00a0 Recent research supports previous studies that suggest that blood-feeding moths may engage in this behavior based on the regional availability of mammalian versus vegetative hosts.<\/p>\n

The ancestors of vampire moths fed on hosts like peaches, plums and citrus varieties. Scientists have found that male vampire moths are more likely to suck blood than females. \u00a0Female moths stick to feeding on fruit; the larvae feed on leaves of fruit trees and other plants. The females suck fruit juice and feed on nectar, and the larvae feed on leaves.<\/p>\n

So, what does this mean for us humans who learned at an early age to swat away any insect that may fly a little too close for comfort?<\/p>\n

It means that vampiric behavior is real. Even if the vampire is an insect and considers our blood second best to peaches and oranges. They may indeed bite you and suck your blood, but they are fortunately not known to be vectors for disease.<\/p>\n\n

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Battling harmful insects by understanding their sense of smell\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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\n United States Department of Agriculture
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Citation<\/strong>:
\n Scary insects for Halloween: the bloodthirsty calyptra (2020, October 30)
\n retrieved 30 October 2020
\n from https:\/\/phys.org\/news<\/a>\/2020-10-scary-insects-halloween-bloodthirsty-calyptra.html<\/p>\n

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\n part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n