My, what hairy legs you have!

The warmer nights are bringing a myriad of insects to the outdoor lights, many of them moths. Last week an Emperor Gum Moth (Opodiphthera eucalypti), pictured below, landed on the deck. Moths are hairy but you never really appreciate this until the moth is large and you can get a good look at it.

The hairs are not in fact hair but modified scales similar in composition to the scales that cover the wings of butterflies and moths. These modified scales serve several important functions.

As many moths are night fliers the scales provide the insects with an insulative layer to protect them from the cooler night-time temperature.

The scales also assist in disguising the shape of the moth from predators, and if the moth is attacked, the scales break off easily allowing the moth to escape. Another predator-proof feature is that the ‘fur’ can dampen the return echo-location signal that bats use to track their mothy meal.

Lastly and unexpected moth are very good pollinators of those flowers that are open at night.

With all these benefits of being hairy I might buy myself a toupee.