I eat insects such as bees and flies,
But I will not eat the Ornate Bella Moth -
They protect themselves from their own demise.
Both the male and the female Ornate Bella Moth
Obtain pyrrolizidine alkaloids from plants
The male gives the female more of that
When they are involved in romance.
The female passes the chemical
On to her eggs which makes them taste bitter
If I catch an Ornate Bella moth in my web
I set it free and wait for a tastier critter.
Sources: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2366497 (If you can't access this article, just sign up for a free JSTOR account, which lets you read 100 free research articles every month. This is one of my favorite sources.)
Photos and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson
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