{
  "id": 19867410,
  "title": "Tracking down Tasmania's rare, flightless pandani moth",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/tracking-down-tasmanias-rare-flightless-pandani-moth",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T21:25:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-11-14/tasmanian-volunteers-find-flightless-pandani-moth/107354720"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tasmania, known as a Noah's Ark of ancient species, is home to the rare pandani moth, a flightless insect that moves by hopping or gliding down from the Tasmanian pandani plant. The moth, first seen in the 1980s and formally named by entomologist Peter McQuillan in the early 2000s, has rarely been observed until recently. A group of volunteers from Wildcare Tasmania, known as the Friends of the Pandani Moth, contributed to the discovery of the moth in the remote south-west of Tasmania. Ecologist Jarrah Dale, president of the group, was captivated by the moth after reading McQuillan's description paper and decided to find it in person. In October last year, Dale enlisted 30 volunteers to locate the moth in the Pandani Grove at Mount Field National Park. The group used white sheets and shook the pandani plants to dislodge the moths, eventually finding three specimens. The Friends of the Pandani Moth plan to continue gathering genetic samples and baseline data to better understand the moth's ecology and population. McQuillan believes Tasmania has roughly 2,000 native moth species, many of which remain unnamed. The moths' relationship with their unique environment and the race against time to document these species before climate change and bushfires cause their extinction is a focus for conservation efforts.",
  "summary": "It can't fly, it spends its life hidden among the foliage of a native plant, and its closest relative is in another country. Scientists are now trying to find out more about this elusive insect.",
  "key_points": [
    "Tasmania is a Noah's Ark of ancient species.",
    "Pandani moth is flightless, hops or glides from pandani plant.",
    "Friends of the Pandani Moth discovered three specimens in October."
  ],
  "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."
}