Data from: Moth tails divert bat attack: evolution of acoustic deflection

Adaptations to divert the attacks of visually guided predators have
evolved repeatedly in animals. Using high-speed infrared videography, we
show that luna moths (Actias luna) generate an acoustic diversion with
spinning hindwing tails to deflect echolocating bat attacks away from
their body and toward these nonessential appendages. We pit luna moths
against big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and demonstrate a survival
advantage of ∼47% for moths with tails versus those that had their tails
removed. The benefit of hindwing tails is equivalent to the advantage
conferred to moths by bat-detecting ears. Moth tails lured bat attacks to
these wing regions during 55% of interactions between bats and intact luna
moths. We analyzed flight kinematics of moths with and without hindwing
tails and suggest that tails have a minimal role in flight performance.
Using a robust phylogeny, we find that long spatulate tails have
independently evolved four times in saturniid moths, further supporting
the selective advantage of this anti-bat strategy. Diversionary tactics
are perhaps more common than appreciated in predator–prey interactions.
Our finding suggests that focusing on the sensory ecologies of key
predators will reveal such countermeasures in prey.