Bogong moth

Bogong moth
An adult
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Agrotis
Species:
A. infusa
Binomial name
Agrotis infusa
(Boisduval, 1832)[2]
Synonyms

The bogong moth (Agrotis infusa) is a temperate species of night-flying moth, notable for its biannual long-distance seasonal migrations towards and from the Australian Alps, similar to the diurnal monarch butterfly.[3] During the autumn and winter it is found in southern Queensland, western New South Wales, western Victoria,[4] and also in South and Western Australia.[5] Adult bogong moths breed and larvae hatch during this period, consuming winter pasture plants during their growth.[4] During the spring, the moths migrate south or east and reside in mountains such as Mount Bogong, where they gregariously aestivate over the summer until their return towards breeding grounds again in the autumn.[3]

The moth's name, bogong, is derived from an Australian Aboriginal language; the Dhudhuroa word bugung describes the brown colouration of the moth.[6] It is an icon of Australian wildlife due to its historical role as an important food source and because Aboriginal peoples would come to where the moths spend the summer to feast on them and hold intertribal gatherings.[4] In recent years, it has invaded major cities like Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney due to strong winds during its spring migration.[5]

Starting around 1980 and accelerating rapidly after 2016, the Bogong Moth population has sharply declined as a result of increasingly severe droughts, along with increased temperatures in caves used by the moths for aestivation, both primarily resulting from anthropogenic climate change. In December 2021 the bogong moth was added to the IUCN Red List as an Endangered Species.[7]

  1. ^ Warrant, E.J.; Whitehouse, M.E.A.; Green, K.P.; Wallace, J.R.A.; Caley, P.; Tomlinson, S.; Umbers, K. (2021). "Agrotis infusa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T190513532A196183274. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T190513532A196183274.en. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b Boisduval, J. A. (1832). Faune Entomologique de l'Océan Pacifique, Avec l'Illustration des Insectes Nouveaux Recueillis Pendant le Voyage. J. Tastu, Paris.[Entomological fauna of the Pacific Ocean, with the illustration of new insects collected during the trip.]
  3. ^ a b Common, I. F. B. (1954). "A study of the ecology of the adult bogong moth, Agrotis infusa (Boisd) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), with special reference to its behaviour during migration and aestivation". Australian Journal of Zoology. 2 (2): 223–263. doi:10.1071/zo9540223.
  4. ^ a b c Warrant, Eric; Frost, Barrie; Green, Ken; Mouritsen, Henrik; Dreyer, David; Adden, Andrea; Brauburger, Kristina; Heinze, Stanley (2016). "The Australian Bogong Moth Agrotis infusa: A Long-Distance Nocturnal Navigator". Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 10: 77. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00077. ISSN 1662-5153. PMC 4838632. PMID 27147998.
  5. ^ a b "ParlInfo - Bogong moths and Parliament House". parlinfo.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  6. ^ "Mount Bogong: 2958: Historical Information". Vicnames. Victorian Government. 12 August 2011. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference abcredlist was invoked but never defined (see the help page).