Vampire moth
The vampire moth is a brown moth that usually drinks fruit juice. But the males have a sharp hooked tongue that can poke through skin and drink a little blood, even from people. That is how it got its spooky name.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
How big is Vampire moth compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
Only the males drink blood. The females never do.
Some males can keep drinking blood for up to 20 minutes.
Scientists think the males need the salt in blood and pass it to the females to help their babies grow.
It is spreading north. It reached Finland in 2000 and Sweden in 2008.
It flies from May to September, depending on where it lives.
Most asked questions about Vampire moth
?Do vampire moths really drink blood?
Yes, males can, even from people, but they mostly drink fruit juice.
?Is the vampire moth dangerous?
No. It can poke the skin, but it is not thought to be a threat to people.
?How big is a vampire moth?
Its wings are about 4 to 4,5 centimetres across.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Calyptra thalictri
- Named by
- Borkhausen, 1790
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Erebidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Erebidae
- Lives on
- Asia, Europe
Where the facts come from
- Calyptra thalictri (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Dumi. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@bugwiki.app and we will fix it.
Atlas moth
Luna moth
Hummingbird hawk-moth
Domestic silk moth
Isabella tiger moth
Polyphemus moth
Four-toothed mason wasp
Candy-stripe spider
Egyptian grasshopper
American bumblebee
Labyrinth spider
American lady