'Extinct' moth rediscovered at Kent nature reserve 73 years after last recorded sighting
A moth species, long thought to be extinct in England, has been rediscovered at a nature reserve in Kent.
Tiree Twist moths have been spotted at Kent Wildlife Trust's Lydden Temple Ewell Reserve near Dover.
They were last recorded in England in 1952 and were believed to only survive on the remote Scottish island of Tiree.
Rebecca Levey, an ecologist with Butterfly Conservation, was surveying the site with volunteers searching for Straw Belle caterpillars when she came across one of the moths.
She immediately recognised its distinctive orangey-brown markings. The sighting was confirmed by Dave Shenton, Kent Wildlife Trust's Local Wildlife Sites Officer and Kent County Moth Recorder.
By the end of the survey, the team had recorded 13 individual moths, revealing a previously unknown population.
Dave Shenton said: "This is mind-blowing. I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. Has it been hiding in plain sight here all these years?"
"This rediscovery is both emotional and thrilling," said Rebecca Levey. "Now the real work begins: uncovering the exact habitat this moth needs so we can help secure its future."
Lydden Temple Ewell has been managed by Kent Wildlife Trust since 1964, where an original 70 acres was purchased at Lydden Temple Down. In 1998, the entire site was designated as a National Nature Reserve.
Kent Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation will now make conservation plans to ensure that this marks the start of a comeback for the Tiree Twist moth.
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7 hours ago
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'Extinct' moth rediscovered at Kent nature reserve 73 years after last recorded sighting
A moth species, long thought to be extinct in England, has been rediscovered at a nature reserve in Kent. Tiree Twist moths have been spotted at Kent Wildlife Trust's Lydden Temple Ewell Reserve near Dover. They were last recorded in England in 1952 and were believed to only survive on the remote Scottish island of Tiree. Rebecca Levey, an ecologist with Butterfly Conservation, was surveying the site with volunteers searching for Straw Belle caterpillars when she came across one of the moths. She immediately recognised its distinctive orangey-brown markings. The sighting was confirmed by Dave Shenton, Kent Wildlife Trust's Local Wildlife Sites Officer and Kent County Moth Recorder. By the end of the survey, the team had recorded 13 individual moths, revealing a previously unknown population. Dave Shenton said: "This is mind-blowing. I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. Has it been hiding in plain sight here all these years?" "This rediscovery is both emotional and thrilling," said Rebecca Levey. "Now the real work begins: uncovering the exact habitat this moth needs so we can help secure its future." Lydden Temple Ewell has been managed by Kent Wildlife Trust since 1964, where an original 70 acres was purchased at Lydden Temple Down. In 1998, the entire site was designated as a National Nature Reserve. Kent Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation will now make conservation plans to ensure that this marks the start of a comeback for the Tiree Twist moth.
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