Acoustic-ecology
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Scoliopteryx
herald moth
Scoliopteryx is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae, established by Ernst Friedrich Germar in 1810. The genus contains two described species, including Scoliopteryx libatrix (the herald moth), which is notable for its troglophilic behavior and cave-dwelling habits during winter. Species in this genus have been studied for their unique ecological associations, including shared hibernacula with insectivorous bats and susceptibility to entomopathogenic fungi.
Scoliopteryx libatrix
Herald Moth, Herald
Scoliopteryx libatrix, commonly known as the herald moth, is a noctuid moth distributed across the Holarctic region. Adults are notable for their distinctive wing patterning and behavior of overwintering in caves, mines, and similar sheltered structures. The species has been documented as a host for entomopathogenic fungi and shares hibernacula with insectivorous bats. Its acoustic sensitivity to bat echolocation frequencies, combined with an absence of evasive flight responses during hibernation, represents an unusual behavioral adaptation.