News in Brief Ecosystems

Fooled you! Whirling tails of luna moths deflect bat attacks

Predators often strike at trailing streamers instead of biting the body

Luna moths

BITE THE TAILS  Skinny tails trailing from the hind wings of luna moths, shown here in captivity, can trick attacking bats into unwise target choices.

Dexter Hinckley/Flickr (CC By-NC 2.0)

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

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Those pretty green tails fluttering and whirling at the end of a luna moth’s hind wings turn out to be pretty good defensive weapons in an acoustic war with predatory bats.