the Comet Moth (Argema mitrei)

Arguably Madagascar’s most iconic insect: the Comet Moth (Argema mitrei). Despite its obvious beauty, the long twisted tails of its wings aren’t made for aesthetic purposes – recent studies have shown that they play an important role in defense against their main predator: echolocating bats. When closing in for a kill, the acoustic reflections from the tail confuse the bat so that it misses the inect's body, often ending up with nothing but a bit of broken tail in its mouth and allowing the moth to escape.