Lachryphagy
Guides
Dryas
Julia heliconians
Dryas is a monotypic genus of brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae) containing the single species Dryas iulia, commonly known as the Julia butterfly or Julia heliconian. Native from Brazil through Central America to the southern United States, this species has been observed as far north as eastern Nebraska during summer months. The genus is notable for its specialized feeding behavior, with adults known to drink tears from reptiles and eye secretions from sleeping birds to obtain salts and amino acids. Over 15 subspecies have been described across its broad Neotropical and Nearctic range.
Hypeninae
Hypenine Snout Moths
Hypeninae is a subfamily of moths within the family Erebidae, first described by Herrich-Schäffer in 1851. Members are commonly known as snout moths due to their elongated labial palps that project forward like a snout. The subfamily was previously classified within Noctuidae but has been reclassified to Erebidae following taxonomic revisions. A notable species, Mecistoptera griseifusa, has been documented feeding exclusively on tears using its proboscis.
Phortica
Phortica is a genus of small flies in the family Drosophilidae, subfamily Steganinae. Several species are medically significant as biological vectors of the zoonotic eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda, which causes ocular infections in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. The genus includes at least five species in Europe and the Middle East, with P. variegata and P. okadai being the best-documented vectors. These flies exhibit unusual zoophilic feeding behaviors, including lachryphagy (tear-feeding) in adult males of some species. The genus has gained increasing attention due to climate-driven range shifts and expanding transmission of thelaziosis.
Phortica variegata
variegated fruit fly
Phortica variegata is a small vinegar fly in the family Drosophilidae, distinguished by its unusual zoophilic behavior. Unlike most drosophilids, adult males feed on the lacrimal secretions (tears) of mammals, including humans, dogs, foxes, and other carnivores. This lachryphagous behavior makes it the primary European vector of Thelazia callipaeda, a zoonotic eyeworm that causes ocular infections in mammals. The species is native to Europe and has been introduced to the United States, where it has demonstrated vector competence for the parasite. Climate change is projected to alter its distribution significantly, with suitable habitats shifting toward Mediterranean coastal regions while declining in central-southern-eastern European transitional areas.