Fruit-piercing
Guides
Calpinae
Fruit-piercing Moths, Vampire Moths
Calpinae is a subfamily of nocturnal moths in the family Erebidae, distinguished by a highly modified proboscis adapted for piercing. Most species feed on fruit juices by piercing fruit skins, while males of several Calyptra species can pierce mammalian skin to feed on blood. The subfamily was historically classified within Noctuidae but was reclassified to Erebidae based on phylogenetic studies. It contains three monophyletic tribes: Calpini, Ophiderini, and Phyllodini. Some species reach wingspans exceeding 5 cm.
Calpini
fruit-piercing moths, vampire moths
Calpini is a tribe of fruit-piercing moths in the family Erebidae, formerly placed in Noctuidae. Adults possess a pointed, barbed proboscis adapted for piercing fruit skin to feed on juice. The genus Calyptra within this tribe includes species known as vampire moths, which can pierce mammal skin to drink blood. This blood-feeding behavior is facultative and restricted to males; females feed exclusively on fruit juice and nectar.
Calyptra
Vampire Moths, Fruit-piercing Moths
Calyptra is a genus of moths comprising approximately 18 species, commonly known as vampire moths or fruit-piercing moths. Both sexes possess a modified proboscis with heavily sclerotized, barbed hooks that enables piercing of fruit skins to feed on juices. Males of at least 10 species have been documented piercing mammalian skin to feed on blood, a facultative behavior not observed in females. The genus occurs primarily in the Old World, with one species (C. canadensis) in North America. The blood-feeding behavior is hypothesized to have evolved from ancestral fruit-piercing, with males possibly obtaining salts or carbohydrates to transfer to females during mating.
Eudocima
Fruit-piercing Moths
Eudocima is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae, established by Gustaf Johan Billberg in 1820. The genus contains numerous tropical species and is notable for the fruit-piercing behavior of its adults, which use their specialized mouthparts to puncture fruit and feed on juices. This feeding habit has made several species significant agricultural pests. The genus has undergone taxonomic revisions, with species historically placed in various other genera.