Scientists have discovered a new species of butterfly from the butterfly family. The insect is native to South America, but was first spotted almost 7,000 kilometers away from its place of origin in Wales. To determine its origin, researchers had to conduct an extensive investigation.
New species are sometimes discovered completely by accident, although they rarely fly into the homes of their discoverers. It is also rare for such a species to appear outside its home continent. The magazine “Nota Lepidopterologica” describes the story of a butterfly that crossed the ocean to go down in the history of science.
A mysterious species
The animal was first spotted in a living room in the Welsh town of Port Talbot. The owner of the house, ecologist Daisy Cadet, noticed an interesting insect with a striped body and transparent wings, somewhat reminiscent of a wasp, and took a photo of it. The photo caught the attention of Internet users and eventually reached specialists from the Natural History Museum in London.
Based on the photo, the researchers determined that they were dealing with a butterfly from the Leopardidae family and asked Daisy to hand over two individuals found in the house. First, the insects found in Great Britain were checked, but it turned out that the insects did not belong to any native species. DNA analysis indicated that they did not belong to any described species, but were related to butterflies from Central and South America.
This information changed the direction of the investigation. Daisy said her mother had recently returned from Guyana, where she worked as a photographer. In the items she brought from her travels, she managed to find tiny pupal casings and a woody piece of a plant. These objects were submitted for analysis.
A butterfly from the newly discovered species Carmenta brachycladosMark Sterling, The Trustees of the Natural History Museum
An insight into the life of a butterfly
Analysis of the genetic material of the insect and the pupa allowed us to determine that it belonged to the genus Carmenta. Comparison of its DNA with insects from the collections of the Natural History Museum confirmed that it was indeed a new species. Researchers named it Carmenta brachyclados.
Genetic testing of the plant fragment showed that it came from a plant in the family Mora. These trees from the legume family are found in the jungles of Central and South America. In this way, researchers were able to not only find out where the butterfly came from, but also gain some insight into its life cycle, even though the species has never been recorded in its native country.
Researchers said they hope that naming the new species will help shed light on the impact of the climate crisis on Guyana. This South American country is under serious threat from rising sea levels and the destruction of its rainforests.
A butterfly from the newly discovered species Carmenta brachycladosDaisy Cadet
A butterfly from the newly discovered species Carmenta brachycladosMark Sterling, The Trustees of the Natural History Museum
Main photo source: Mark Sterling, The Trustees of the Natural History Museum