Winged creature — with ‘remarkable’ camouflage — discovered as new species in Liberia
In a forest of Western Africa, a well-camouflaged creature glided through the air. The winged animal circled some trees before landing on a stump to lay its eggs. Nearby, scientists watched the animal’s every move and, when they captured it, discovered a new species.
Researchers ventured into a mountainous nature reserve in Liberia on an expedition in 2022, according to a Dec. 30 study published in the journal Integrative Systematics.
During the trip, researchers noticed an insect flying through a forest clearing, the study said. From afar, the insect looked like a wasp but, when it landed and researchers looked closer, it turned out to be a new species of moth: Cicinnoscelis grandiosus, or the grand clearwing moth.
Grand clearwing moths can reach about 2.5 inches wide and about 2 inches long, the study said. They have “extraordinary long, partially tufted” legs, “rust-red” heads and “opaque” black wings.
Photos show a grand clearwing moth. Its body has a bright burnt orange coloring, and its prominent antennae branch out like the horns of a Longhorn cow.
Grand clearwing moths have “remarkable” camouflage, the study said. Their coloring “strongly resembles” a wasp species “which is widespread in tropical Africa.”
Clearwing moths “imitate stinging (wasps) in an amazing way and are often barely recognizable as” moths, the study’s lead co-author Daniel Bartsch told McClatchy News via email. These moths are “difficult to spot, extremely shy and therefore difficult to catch. The discovery of a species as spectacular as Cicinnoscelis grandiosus in the field is therefore an absolute highlight.”
Researchers said they named the new species after the Latin word for “great” or “grand.”
Two female grand clearwing moths were found laying eggs on tree stumps, the study said. A third specimen was found in an existing museum collection, the study said.
So far, grand clearwing moths have only been found in two places: the Nimba Nature Reserve in Liberia and an unspecified spot in neighboring Sierra Leone, the study said.
Liberia is along the western coast of Africa. The country borders the Atlantic Ocean, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, also known as Ivory Coast.
The new species was identified by its coloring and body shape, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 10% genetic divergence from other clearwing moths.
The research team included Daniel Bartsch, Szabolcs Sáfián and Dominic Wanke.
This story was originally published January 18, 2024 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Winged creature — with ‘remarkable’ camouflage — discovered as new species in Liberia."
