I know that moths often play dead. This morning my trap contained just 4 moths. All of them Hebrew Characters. All of them quite happily lay on their backs and rattled around my collection pots making me think that I had killed them. When I released them they just fell down onto the leaves either the right way up or upside down but eventually came back from the dead. Has anybody spotted whether this response is seen in some species more than in others?
I think this is a natural defence of many of the Noctuids maybe because they are unable to fly off without warming up first. Falling to the floor may give a better chance of survival against some of their predators.
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