Skin-Piercing Vampire Moth Vants Your Blood
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06. 6.07
No thanks to climate change, Finland is attracting species better-acquainted with warmer climes, including a moth that binges on human blood, according to a Finnish nature periodical.
Insect watchers have observed nearly 200 sightings of this creature of the night (Calyptra thalictri) since it was first spotted in the Nordic country in 2000, writes Kauri Mikkola, a researcher at the Finnish Museum of Natural History at the University of Helsinki, in the June issue of Suomen Luonto.
He also notes that the bloodsucker is the first moth species in the world with the proven ability to fill its stomach with human blood; a puncture by a vampire moth can cause your skin to swell, turn reddish, and ache for several hours, as experienced by one hapless researcher.
Still, there's no reason to board up your windows and nail down your doors, says Mikkola. "A human being is a suitable target, having a bare skin. However, one would normally drive the moth away, while in this case a researcher was interested in the behavior of the creature", he says, adding that a puncture by the moth is unlikely to spread disease.
Contrary to the popular belief that the female is the deadlier of the species, only the male moths of this genus suck blood. The unholy terror is otherwise noted for its predilection for fruit, as well as—oddly enough—the tears of large animals such as elk and cows. In fact, the Finnish name for the moth, kyynelyökkönen, is based on "kyynel," the Finnish word for "tear." :: Helsingin Sanomat
Well that's just god damned great.
Fantastic, another damned insect to be afraid of. Thank you very much!
It's not "kynnel" but "kyynel". "Kynnel" does not mean anything in finnish.
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JMC: Thanks! I'll correct it.
oh come on guys, its not like its the only insect out there that feeds on human blood. At least you can see a moth better than a mosquito. and lets not forget about ticks. I live in Arkansas and when the ticks edge hatch its not unusual to look down at your bare legs and see thousands of them stampeding up into your shorts. I'm, not afraid of the big bad moth!
Man i live in louisiana. i know wut Lucynda is talkin bout ticks are my only problem....mosquitos dont bother me..but this moth could pwn the craqp out of a mosquito...send some our way...plus dont forget about vampire bats they drink blood...not human blood..but if you let them they prolly will...but this is a really kool insect...Props to the South..."We are not all HICS"..out
This article is fatally flawed, a diseaster. I am a graduate student at the University of Florida and my dissertation research deals with the systematics, evolution, and behavior in vampire moths.
For the record, the first Calyptra thalictri to feed on blood was discovered by me feeding on me in Siberia last summer. This paper is in press and one of my coauthors provided this website with an image from my publication which is very unprofessional. I suggest doing your homework before publishing such rubbish on your website.
Jennifer M. Zaspel
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JMC: Would you be so kind as to elaborate why it is "rubbish"? That would be more helpful than being derogatory. Thanks.
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Jennifer's later reply through e-mail:
Hello,
Well not having read the full article (but I am in the process of obtaining a reprint) it is hard to pinpoint exactly what they are saying; however, it seems as though Kauri Mikkola has records indicating an increase in the numbers C. thalictri in Finland due to warmer temperatures. This in itself is fine, BUT does he actually have a record of a C. thalictri feeding on human or mammalian blood in Finland? The image on your site is one that I took in Russia last summer (it is of Vladimir Kononenko's thumb)! The FIRST C. thalictri moth to feed on human blood was actually on me and I have images; although a bit beside the point, Dr. Kononeko owes me an explanation of why this was not discussed.
More importantly, just because the C. thalictri were feeding on us in Russia last summer doesn't mean they will do so in Finland.
Those feeding trials in Russia were experimental and no evidence suggest that these moths will actually feed under natural circumstances. Please tell me if they have record of this species feeding on blood in Finland, if not then it is just a disaster-flawed logic.
I am happy to give you more information if you would like it.
Cheers,
Jennifer