Give moth a name! until June 1st in the Forest & Bird competition

Community and Forum → Blog → Give moth a name! until June 1st in the Forest & Bird competition

Lev Bely, 29.05.2012 12:52

The New Zealand’s largest independent conservation organisation Forest & Bird calls for help to name a newly discovered moth.

This striped moth was found on the Denniston Plateau in March and still lacks a name. It was discovered during the 3-day Forest & Bird BioBlitz aimed at exploring the West Coast's ecosystem.

Australian company Bathurst Resources started mine development works on the Denniston Plateau last September and Forest & Bird is going to stop it through protesting in the Environment Court.

This moth flying low and fast belongs to Arctesthes genus, has bright orange hind wings and a 24mm wingspan. It needs both binomial and a common name.

Forest & Bird say that the name might not be closely related to wings pattern since butterflies and moths are often named after fictional characters, animals or places. “We‘d like this moth to be launched into the public consciousness with a name that tells its story, or hints at its character or physical beauty.”

Offer your name for the Denniston moth on the Forest & Bird website competition page: http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/campaigns/save-the-denniston-plateauours-not-mine/moth-naming-competition. The last day to apply is June 1st. The winner gets “A Photographic Guide to Insects of New Zealand” by Brian Parkinson with photographs by Don Horne from New Holland Press.

3news.co.nz, http://www.3news.co.nz

Photo 1: the Denniston moth, http://www.3news.co.nz

Photo 2: “A Photographic Guide to Insects of New Zealand”, http://www.forestandbird.org.nz

Forest & Bird on saving the Denniston Plateau's wildlife