Würzburg / Wiesentheid (dpa) - In an oak forest in Lower Franconia, scientists have discovered a moth that is considered extinct in Central Europe.
As a "small sensation in zoology", the University of Würzburg described the discovery of the light whistle-grass tufted owl (Pabulatrix pabulatricula) in a communication. The moth disappeared from the Central European forests 100 to 150 years ago. It is also hardly widespread anywhere else in the world.
The rare find was made by a doctoral student while catching insects in Wiesentheid. "This species is one of the great rarities of the native moth fauna," explained Hermann Hacker from the Ecological Station of the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg (JMU). According to the information, the first surprising find of a specimen was made in July 2019; in the meantime, several specimens of the rare butterfly have been detected in targeted searches in summer 2020.
The light pipegrass-tufted owl lives in light, old oak forests. The name results from the fact that the caterpillars of the moth only eat pipe grass.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200810-99-116051 / 2
