Living dinosaur moth discovered in Australia

A moth with iridescent gold and purple wings that dates back to at least 40 million years ago has been discovered in Australia.

About the size of a small coin, scientists are calling Enigmatinea glatzella a living dinosaur. Using DNA analysis, an international team described their find in the journal Systematic Entomology.

It is the first time since the 1970s that a new family of primitive moths has been identified anywhere in the world.

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• A moth with iridescent gold and purple wings that dates back to at least 40 million years ago has been discovered in Australia.

Yeah, but what has that got to do with dinosaurs?

. The lives of these adult moths are short. They emerge from their cocoons, mate, females lay their eggs, and then die – all in one day.

that is short

furious said:

• A moth with iridescent gold and purple wings that dates back to at least 40 million years ago has been discovered in Australia.

Yeah, but what has that got to do with dinosaurs?

no idea, I didn’t write it

furious said:

• A moth with iridescent gold and purple wings that dates back to at least 40 million years ago has been discovered in Australia.

Yeah, but what has that got to do with dinosaurs?

between these and the dinosaur tree Australia has the coolest christmas tree by far.

furious said:

Yeah, but what has that got to do with dinosaurs?

fair question.

“Our fauna is so exciting we can still find new primitive species,” Edwards added. “Australia is so rich in moths that vast numbers still remain to be discovered.”

Every morning I see new ones at my back door. By new I do mean moths that I’ve never seen before.

roughbarked said:

“Our fauna is so exciting we can still find new primitive species,” Edwards added. “Australia is so rich in moths that vast numbers still remain to be discovered.”

Every morning I see new ones at my back door. By new I do mean moths that I’ve never seen before.

photo edited.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

“Our fauna is so exciting we can still find new primitive species,” Edwards added. “Australia is so rich in moths that vast numbers still remain to be discovered.”

Every morning I see new ones at my back door. By new I do mean moths that I’ve never seen before.

photo edited.

anyway, that was an interesting test.

I had a small moth (~8mm head to tip of abdomen, ~15mm wing span) here over the weekend that was quite stunning. Wings dominated (80%) by a very slightly silvery gold, with the secondary colour a very slightly whitish silver. The most beautiful moth I have ever seen. (And I look at moths a lot.)

Michael V said:

I had a small moth (~8mm head to tip of abdomen, ~15mm wing span) here over the weekend that was quite stunning. Wings dominated (80%) by a very slightly silvery gold, with the secondary colour a very slightly whitish silver. The most beautiful moth I have ever seen. (And I look at moths a lot.)

Quite a few of them can put opal to shame.