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Arguably Madagascar’s most iconic insect: the Comet Moth (Argema mittrei). Despite its obvious beauty, the long twisted tails of its wings aren’t made for aesthetic purposes – recent studies have shown that they play an important role in defense against their main predator: echolocating bats. When closing in for a kill, the acoustic reflections from the tail confuse the bat so that it misses the moth’s body, often ending up with nothing but a bit of broken tail in its mouth. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.

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© Chien C. Lee
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Insects, Madagascar
Arguably Madagascar’s most iconic insect: the Comet Moth (Argema mittrei). Despite its obvious beauty, the long twisted tails of its wings aren’t made for aesthetic purposes – recent studies have shown that they play an important role in defense against their main predator: echolocating bats. When closing in for a kill, the acoustic reflections from the tail confuse the bat so that it misses the moth’s body, often ending up with nothing but a bit of broken tail in its mouth. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.