Li Di Science and Technology Daily reporter Yong Li
The reporter learned from the Huaxi Entomological Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan on the 27th that Zhao Li, director of the museum, accidentally found a rare moth on the way to Jiguan Mountain in The Anzihe Nature Reserve in Chongzhou, Sichuan on December 3, and recently after screening, it was determined that the species had appeared in India, and was called "rusty emperor moth" by India's nature conservation organization. This is the first time that this species has been recorded in china.
"This discovery proves the distribution of this species in China, indicating that insect species in the Himalayan mountains and Hengduan mountains belong to the same fauna, filling a gap in china's moth record." Zhao Li said. Since the species did not have a Chinese name, Zhao Li formulated its Chinese name based on the name of the region where it was first discovered and the genus in which it was located, the "Himalayan Great Silkworm Moth".
It is doubtful that this moth only appears in the Himalayas, but this time it was found near Jiguan Mountain, is it "over the mountains"? Or is it "homegrown"? In this regard, the science and technology daily reporter interviewed Zhao Li, director of the museum.
<h1>It appears only in early winter and is known as an "ice moth"</h1>
"Because of the rain in the Chengdu area for several days, snow has been reported in the surrounding mountains. I had planned to go to Jiguan Mountain in the Anzihe Nature Reserve to take a snowy picture, but when I reached an altitude of about 1500 meters, I found that the road had been destroyed by a flood in August, and the local road had long been closed. Zhao Li said that this discovery was purely accidental.
Recalling his encounter with the species, he said that the road conditions and weather conditions on the day could only change the plan temporarily, shooting scenery in the village near the road closure and looking for insects, but he did not expect to encounter the species in surprise after dark in the light of the farm yard.
When he first discovered it, Zhao Li was not sure whether this was an unknown species, and he was ecstatic to record the experience in the circle of friends- "This yellow eye-catching silkworm moth species is a rare thing." At present, I have not yet had time to check the data to confirm whether it is a rare moth unique to Sichuan Province, the Sichuan subspecies of the Futuotu silkworm moth, or another species. ”
After consulting the relevant information, Zhao Li confirmed that it was a Himalayan large silkworm moth that had never been officially recorded in China in the past. "An important reason for the rapid confirmation of the species's identity is that this time we were fortunate to collect female individuals of the Himalayan large silkworm moth, and the important difference between the species of the genus of the large silkworm moth that is similar to this species is that the females collected this time have rust-colored markings on their wings." He said.
The reason why I am lucky is that Zhao Li collected a total of three specimens of this species this time, including two males and one female individual considered extremely difficult to find in related records. Zhao Li told reporters, "The wing spread of this species found this time is about 9 centimeters, the female's wings are relatively rounded, and the male's wings have spikes at the front, which is difficult to find due to the fact that females are generally inactive." ”
It is worth noting that the world's distribution record for this species is only in the mountainous areas of India, Nepal, Sikkim, Myanmar and Thailand close to the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains. It was first discovered in the southern foothills of the Himalayas in 1872 and is distributed only in a few villages in the Rodinha Nevara region of India, appearing from November to December.
According to the data, the Himalayan giant silkworm moth has been banned from being caught in the region, and illegal capture will result in a fine of Rs 25,000. Because of its rare and yellow wings with rust-colored markings, Nature Conservation In India has figuratively called it the "rusty monarch moth" on its promotional websites. In addition, because it only appears in early winter, some overseas enthusiasts also call it an "ice moth".
<h1>The species found in Sichuan is distinct from the individuals found in India</h1>
"In the past, the discovery sites of the Himalayan giant silkworm moth in various countries were close to the borders of our country, but it has never been recorded in China, and even the "Zoology of China" has not recorded this species in the detailed research report on the family Of Great Silkworm Moths in China." Zhao Li introduced that this is a moth full of mystery, and all reports about its discovery time are the early winter of November and December, which is completely different from the activity time of most moths.
This species belongs to the genus of the large silkworm moth in the family Macromothidae. So far, there are only more than 400 species of moths in the family Macromothidae in the world, while only 11 species of the genus Macromothus have been found worldwide. According to Zhao Li, most of the species in this family are large, exaggerated, colorful, and have high ornamental value, so they are familiar with insect researchers and enthusiasts.
"Related research is well established in insects, and it is difficult to make new discoveries in recent years. And this very easy to attract attention to the reason why large beautiful species has not been found in China for a long time should be related to its appearance time. Zhao Li said.
In the common sense of insect researchers, in the cold early winter and in the mountains at an altitude of more than a thousand meters, it is impossible to have moth activities, and no one will go to the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains at this time to investigate moths. Therefore, this large and gorgeous moth has been "grown in the mountains unknown to people".
Regarding the first discovery of this species in China, is it "over the mountains" or "native"? Zhao Li said that the himalayan giant silkworm moth found this time is natively distributed, and there are still some differences with the individuals found in India, and the color is slightly lighter.
"About the places where they were found in the past are all areas with dense vegetation. The adults that emerge in early winter overwinter with eggs, hatch the following spring, and pupate in the summer, and unlike other moths, their pupae are green, favoring hiding in green leaves. Zhao Li introduced.
Living in cold areas, what do they eat? "According to records, they feed on cherry leaves or the leaves of the family Chitopodaceae, and in Sichuan they are likely to feed on the leaves of the Family Crustaceae, as there are many trees of the Family Phylloscopidae near the site." He said.
Known by the international media as "Asia's largest insect museum", the Chengdu Huaxi Entomological Museum is a national second-class museum with a collection of more than 800,000 insect specimens, and lepidoptera butterflies and moths are the focus of the museum's collection. Zhao Li told reporters that after that, he will publish research books on moths in southwest China, and this discovery will undoubtedly add valuable information to future research.
Found the local environment photo Zhao Li photographed
Himalayan eye-catching silkworm moth measuring wings spread Zhao Li photographed
Male specimen of the Himalayan large silkworm moth Zhao Li
Female specimen of the Himalayan great silkworm moth Zhao Li photographed
Editor: Yue Liang