Image:
The now-named Carmenta brachyclados moth was previously unknown to science. Pic: PA
Image:
The researchers believe the larvae hitched a ride inside this plant fragment, possibly a seed pod, from South America. Pic: PA
The woody fragment is suspected to be a seed pod, which protects the larvae from being eaten or damaged during the long journey.
And they were probably able to survive the cold Welsh winter thanks to the humidity and warmer temperature inside the bag.
Mark Sterling, a scientific associate at the Natural History Museum, said: “Clearwing moths are notoriously difficult to find, even by professional entomologists.
“They are even more difficult to rear from larvae or pupae, which usually dry out or go mouldy within a few days of collection.”
2:20
Climate to be central in foreign policy
The chances of two clearwing moths from tropical jungles of South America “successfully emerging in South Wales, over three months after they arrived, in cold Welsh winter, and being preserved in good condition, is extraordinary”, he said.
“The improbability of this event defies rational explanation.
“However, whilst in Guyana, Ashleigh was told that if she left an offering of tobacco to the jungle spirits she would be shown something beautiful from the jungle, so that is what she did.
“We conclude in the paper that it must have been very good tobacco.”
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Tap here
Ms Cadet said while she felt “incredibly lucky” to have played a role in discovering a new moth species, she also experienced “a lot of sadness and worry” about how many others are being lost to climate change.
She said: “Awareness is no longer enough, and we need urgent, meaningful action to protect what remains.”
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66fd3e2d8e844e3ab22a92892db75f8d&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.sky.com%2Fstory%2Fmoth-species-found-in-wales-had-travelled-from-south-american-jungle-13226390&c=3085560244892212574&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-10-02 00:28:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
