Sunday, September 26, 2010

Take my tears and that's not nearly all

10 cases of lachryphagous moths settling at human eyes were witnessed. The behaviour of 3 Chaeopsetis ludovicae (Thyatiridae), one Rhagastis olivacea (Sphingidae) and one Togarishachia albistriga (Notodontidae) attacking the author is detailed. C. ludovicae was particularly obnoxious due to clawing of the eyelid's conjunctiva. R. olivacea drank lachrymation while hovering, the tip of the 4-cm long proboscis causing little discomfort.
I am amazed that moths that live on human tears feature in so little emo poetry and so few Cure lyrics. Perhaps it is something to do with the difficulty of finding a rhyme for "Notodontidae".

There are also reports of bees feeding on tears but that is not nearly so poetic.

Disappointingly, Dr Bänziger does not describe which human secretions feed the larval stage of the moth.

UPDATE: Bonus photograph of hot moth-on-eyeball action.

If mikey in comments wants photographs of toe-sucking wombats, he'll have to provide his own.

10 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

A Slake Moth about to snack on its mesmerised food.

About time we put some para-dichlorobenzene (1,4-dichlorobenzene) and/or naphthalene cakes in the closet.
~

Substance McGravitas said...

There have been no cases of moths drinking human tears thus far for the Thyatiridae and Sphingidae, although such have been suspected.

Suspicion is what ruins a society.

mikey said...

I'm not absolutely certain of my Latin pronunciation, but wouldn't Notodontidae rhyme with "won't cry"? 'Cause if so, you got all kinds of low-hanging emo poetry there for the tear-stained jotting...

Smut Clyde said...

My case. This is central to it.

Unknown said...

No to don't I die.

Many, many poet Moths, including Maori for whom the Puriri moth, Aenetus virescens, is a portent of Death, for I have seen...

All poetry exists in arbitrary caps and weirdly placed comas, with moths ever present.

hyrse, hire out yo ass.

Smut Clyde said...

There is nothing weirdly placed about my comas, sir. They may not have been particularly convenient for the cleaners or the bar-staff, but I assure you that the locations made perfect sense to me.

Smut Clyde said...

There have been no cases of moths drinking human tears thus far for the Thyatiridae and Sphingidae, although such have been suspected.

The bodies are invariably in such a mutilated state that a single cause of death cannot be proven with any certainty.

Unknown said...

Poets /shrugs/

hypticol, aged hipster on cough syrup.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

I must confess that I have been drinking sweet, sweet wingnut tears since ought-eight.

mikey said...

Look, I'm completely ok with the moths drinking my tears. I've got plenty, and like the man says, you hardly notice the whole proboscis dealio anyway.

I've really had it with the wombat who keeps waking me up sucking my toes, though. I mean, it's a turn on, and it's a fucking WOMBAT. That's sick on about seven different levels...