One of the ways that this cell alerts the moth that a bat is close is based on the kind of sonar the bat uses. This sonar gunfire appears to activate a special part of the moth's flight circuitry, which instructs the moth to begin a series of wild, looping aerial maneuvers designed to out-fly the heavier and less agile bat. If these aerial acrobatics fling the moth outside of the bat's narrow echolocation beam, the bat seems to give up its pursuit to search for less troublesome prey. If, however, the bat locks onto the echoes off its intended prey, real problems begin for the moth since the bat's greater speed works in the bat's favor. The final tactic for the moth is to fold its wings and dive toward the ground.
Some moths have more elaborate defenses.
Certain tiger moths have one last salvo they can launch at the bat. At the last possible moment of the bat's final attack phase, when it is very close and flying at its highest speed, the tiger moth blasts back streams of high-pitched clicks. We will never know exactly what goes on in the mind of the bat during these critical last few milliseconds in pursuit of a meal. More often than not, the harried tiger moth flies away, alive, to resume its search for mates or places to lay its eggs. The evasive flight of the moth, as effective as it is, may not be the last word in this aerial warfare.