A moth with a wingspan of 10 inches has been discovered in the U.S. for the first time, based on the Washington State Department of Agriculture, which is asking residents to report additional sightings.
The atlas moth — thought of the world’s largest moth — was first reported to the state company by a University of Washington professor final month. It was seen in Bellevue.
The moth was despatched to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which recognized it as an atlas moth. It is believed to be the first detection of the moth in the U.S.
“This is a ‘gee-whiz’ type of insect because it is so large,” Sven Spichiger, managing entomologist for the state’s agriculture division, mentioned. “Even if you aren’t on the lookout for insects, this is the type that people get their phones out and take a picture of — they are that striking.”
And that is precisely what Washington agriculture officials need folks to take action that they will decide if there’s an atlas moth inhabitants.
“This is normally a tropical moth. We are not sure it could survive here,” Spichiger mentioned. “We hope residents will help us learn if this was a one-off escapee or whether there might indeed be a population in the area.”
There is little identified about the moth however entomologists imagine its host vegetation are cherries and apples.