A pair of clearwing moths have been found in a home in Port Talbot, south Wales, after travelling from a tropical jungle in Guyana, South America. The species has been named Carmenta brachyclados and despite being a non-UK species, the moths were not known to science before they were found. Daisy Cadet and her mother Ashleigh found the pair on their windowsill in winter. After checking inside Cadet’s mother’s camera bag, two delicate cocoon remains were found. Experts believe that the cocoon specimens indicate that the tropical larvae survived in the boot bag and grew into moths during the harsh winter, due to warmer temperatures and higher humidity than outside.
The significant discovery was made because a follower on the social media platform Instagram recognised the species was not found in the UK. This led to the image being shared and eventually reaching the Natural History Museum’s moth experts, Mark Sterling and David Lees. Clearwing moths are notoriously difficult to rear from larvae or pupae which usually dry out or go mouldy within a few days of collection. The likelihood of two clearwing moths from the tropical jungles of South America emerging in south Wales, over three months after they arrived, during winter and being preserved in good condition is considered remarkable.
As the species was previously unknown to scientists, the finding raises the question of how many other species the world are currently unknown to science. Cadet hopes to highlight the issue of climate change and the damage it is causing to the planet. Concerned that many species will be lost, she argued that awareness is no longer enough and there needs to be meaningful action to protect what is left.
Given how the discovery was made by accident, it highlights the importance of social networks for both scientific and other types of discovery, and how wider networks can tap in to expertise and information. The example also emphasises the advantages of having citizen scientists available, and how often they can make significant scientific contributions
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