New moth discovered

26maart2008
Source: Trouw
In 2005 Piet Zumkehr discovered a new moth in Papua (Indonesian New Guinea) during an expedition with Rob de Vos, butterfly expert of the Zoological Museum in Amsterdam.
Rob de Vos described the moth in a recent publication and named it after its discoverer. The moth is named Notata zumkehri. It is a tiger moth from the Arctiidae family. Tiger moths derive their name from the hairiness of the caterpillars. The female is white as a sheet, the males are white with round, dark brown spots underneath their wings. These spots are scent scales that give off pheromones in order to attract females. The Notata zumkehri has a wingspread of 1,5 centimeter. According to De Vos new moths and butterflies are discovered regularly, especially in the tropics. But they’re not always so remarkable as the Notata zumkehri.