‘Creamy’-colored creature with fringed wings found in Andes Mountains. See new species
In 2022, researchers collected caterpillars off a plant in the arid highlands of the Andes Mountains of Chile, then patiently waited to see what they became.
Two months later, adult moths, mostly “creamy white” with “fringe” on their wings, emerged from their cocoons, according to a study published Nov. 26 in the peer-reviewed Biodiversity Data Journal.
While their wing patterns closely resembled that of Plutella xylostella, or the Diamondback moth, these adults, collected as larvae from the Copaquilla Ravine, had distinct genitalia, revealing them to be a new species, according to the study.
The new moth species was named Plutella copaquillaensis, or the Copaquilla moth, according to the study.
Photos from the study show Copaquilla moths with pale yellow heads, “creamy” white upper bodies, and yellow and brown wings with a scallop pattern and “brownish-grey” fringe.
They feed on the Neuontobotrys lanata plant, a member of the Brassicaceae, or mustard, family, which are native to Peru and northern and central Chile, according to researchers.
The Copaquilla Ravine is located in the Andes Mountains in northern Chile with an elevation of about 10,000 feet.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 7:16 AM with the headline "‘Creamy’-colored creature with fringed wings found in Andes Mountains. See new species."
