Moth species found in Wales travelled 4,500 miles from South American jungle

Last edited Wed Oct 2, 2024, 12:14 PM - Edit history (1)

Nilima Marshall
3 hours ago



The new species of clearwing moth from Guyana discovered in Wales


A species of moth has been discovered inside a home in Wales, thousands of miles from its native habitat.

It is believed two clearwing moths accidentally hitched a ride when they were still larvae inside a photographer’s boot bag, travelling 4,500 miles from a tropical jungle in Guyana before ending up in Port Talbot.

The creatures were spotted three months later on a windowsill on a cold February afternoon by 22-year-old ecologist Daisy Cadet and her mother Ashleigh, a professional photographer, in what scientists have described as an “improbable event” that “defies rational explanation”.

Ms Cadet, said: “It (the moth) wasn’t flying around at all – probably because the house was too cold at the time, and the other one next to it had already died.

More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/moth-wales-discovery-new-speces-b2622520.html