第2479期:Tropical moths travel 4,500 miles in photographer's bag
Description
The clear-winged, yellow-bellied moths made an improbable journey from the jungle of Guyana to Pontardawe in South Wales before being discovered. One was spotted on a windowsill at home by ecologist Daisy Cadet, whose mother had visited South America on a photography trip three months earlier. The pair later found the remains of two cocoons in the bag she'd used to carry her boots on the journey.
这些翅膀透明、腹部呈黄色的飞蛾在被发现之前完成了一段不可思议的旅程:从圭亚那的雨林来到了南威尔士庞特道埃。生态学家黛西·卡德特在家中的窗台上发现了其中一只飞蛾,而她的母亲在三个月前曾前往南美洲旅行和摄影。此后,这对母女在母亲旅行中用来装靴子的袋子里找到了两个蛹的遗骸。
With the help of the Natural History Museum, DNA analysis confirmed the moths were a previously unrecorded species – something Daisy struggled to comprehend.
在自然历史博物馆的帮助下,遗传物质分析确认了这些飞蛾属于一种从未被记录过的物种,这让黛西感到费解。
Experts say clearwing moths are notoriously difficult to find, even by professionals. The fact that they survived a cold, Welsh winter after landing so far from home is even more remarkable.
专家表示,众所周知,即便是专业人士也很难找到透翅蛾。而这些飞蛾在来到远离家园的地方后,在威尔士寒冷的冬季存活了下来这个事实更加引人注目。
词汇表
clear-winged 翅膀透明的
yellow-bellied 腹部呈黄色的
spotted 发现了
windowsill 窗台,窗沿
remains 遗骸,残骸
cocoons 蛹
notoriously 众所周知的
remarkable 不寻常的,引人注意的