In the middle of the 20th century, researchers studying insects along the southern coast of India collected a never-before-seen species of moth.
The year was 1951, and after describing the animal in a scientific paper, it was relegated to a museum collection.
For decades, those were the only specimens of the species, named Lymantria kanara, researchers said in a study published March 26 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa.
“Prior to this study, all published research on this taxon was based on catalogues or the type specimens housed in museums with scanty descriptions,” researchers said.
Then, in February 2024, researchers revisited the Kerala region of India and set up a light trap, according to the study.
By hanging a sheet and focusing a light on the fabric at night, the researchers attracted nocturnal insects and took a closer look.
There on their sheet was a male Lymantria kanara — the first scientifically collected in 73 years.
“This study represents the only record of the species apart from the holotype (primary specimen)” collected in 1951, according to the study.
Researchers recounted the species’ original description, noting its wingspan of about 1.4 inches across, its “small” head and “smooth” eyes.
The moth has antennae with “long and thick” comb-like hairs that make them appear fluffy, according to the study.
Their body is “covered with pale pinkish hairs,” and their legs are “densely covered with light brown hairs,” researchers said.
The male moth’s genitalia had never been described, researchers said, so they noted its “small and stout structure,” as well as minute hairs found on one side.
“Lymantria kanara can be easily distinguished from (related species) by the presence of long and dense brown (comb-like) antennae,” researchers said. “The presence of distinct black spots on the tornus (or inner anal angle of the wing) and discal area is another striking, distinctive character.”
There is very little known about the habitat and life history of the species because so few have ever been found, according to the study, and the recent capture is “added as a new distribution record for this rare species.”
The research team includes P.K. Adarsh and Abhilash Peter.
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Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.