Moose cry. And moths get thirsty.
Those two things might not seem related at first blush, but researchers have recorded, for the first time, images of moths drinking a moose’s tears. The intriguing interaction between the nocturnal insects and majestic mammals went down deep in the woods of Vermont, captured by trail cameras set in the state’s Green Mountain National Forest as part of a broader survey of moose across New England.
Researchers in Vermont published the findings and the striking photographs in a recent issue of Ecosphere.
Insects belonging to the order Lepidoptera—which includes moths and butterflies—are no strangers to tear drinking, or “lachryphagy.” Lepidopterans have been observed bellying up to the tear ducts of birds, reptiles, wild mammals, and domestic animals from Asia and Africa to parts of South America.
Outside of the tropics, however, researchers have only documented one example of lachryphagy—a 1972 report described a moth species drinking from a horse’s eye in Arkansas.
Read more: “The Secret Lives of Moths”
Moths and butterflies seem to engage in this behavior to supplement their liquid nectar diets, which they drink from flowers. In tropical areas with hot or dry seasons in Africa and Asia, lepidopterans likely turn to tear drinking to get some protein when supplies of nectar run dry. But in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, the insects likely seek out tears as a source of sodium, a mineral that is rare in most plants.
Thanks to the newly shared images, researchers can add moose to the list of host species for lachryphagy. This sighting is also unique because most lepidopterans have mostly been spotted drinking tears from captive mammals.
This isn’t the only odd snacking habit seen in butterflies and moths. They’re also known to engage in “puddling” behavior, where they lap up sodium and other nutrients from “soil, feces, carrion, and even human perspiration,” the authors wrote.
That makes moose tears seem like a pretty attractive beverage option. 
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Lead image: Pixabay
