{
  "id": 18797685,
  "title": "170-year-old moth in museum drawer helps scientists identify 11 new species",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/170-year-old-moth-in-museum-drawer-helps-scientists-identify-11-new",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-07T21:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/wildlife/a-moth-collected-by-alfred-russel-wallace-nearly-170-years-ago-was-rediscovered-in-a-museum-drawer-and-helped-identify-11-new-species/articleshow/135537442.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A moth that had languished unnoticed in the Natural History Museum s collection for over a century has played a pivotal role in the identification of 11 new moth species. The tiny specimen, collected by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in Sarawak, Borneo, around 1855-1856, had been largely disregarded by earlier experts. It was only recently that modern DNA sequencing and a re-examination of its original labels revealed its true significance, enabling scientists to revive an entire moth genus.The moth s discovery came during research conducted by Natural History Museum scientific associate Mark Sterling and senior curator Dr David Lees. While examining a collection of seemingly undiscovered species, an old, damaged moth caught their attention. The specimen, originally described in 1863, had been dismissed as unworthy of further examination in 1927 due to its deteriorated state. However, clues on its labels led the researchers to connect it to Wallace s expedition in Borneo.A label on the specimen indicated it came from Sarawak, a region in present-day Malaysian Borneo that Wallace visited during his travels through Southeast Asia. Comparing the label with historical records and Wallace s account of his expedition, published in The Malay Archipelago, the researchers determined that the moth had indeed been collected by Wallace in December 1855 and January 1856. This discovery 170 years later allowed the researchers to assign the moth to the genus Topiris.The DNA sequencing of the specimen revealed that it belonged to the same species as more recent specimens collected in nearby Brunei. Further analysis confirmed that the other moths being studied also belonged to the genus Topiris. This finding enabled the researchers to resurrect the genus, which had been largely forgotten following the earlier dismissal of the original specimen.The study was published in the journal ZooKeys, where the researchers named 11 new moth species, including one in honor of environmental activist Greta Thunberg. The discovery highlighted the ongoing relevance of historical museum collections, even for specimens that appear too damaged for immediate use. With a collection of approximately 13.5 million specimens representing over 100,000 species, the butterfly and moth collection at the Natural History Museum continues to yield valuable insights into biodiversity and evolution, proving that overlooked material in museum drawers can still hold significant scientific importance.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}