Staff Writer
TWO new species of moths have been discovered in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu-Natal.
The “monkey moths”, part of moth family Eupterotidae – known for their hairy bodies – have been named Stenoglene perissinottoi and Stenoglene clucki.
Environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa said the announcement of the “groundbreaking discovery” was a “fitting way to celebrate South Africa’s National Heritage Day and the 42nd year of the Unesco World Heritage Convention”.
The iSimangaliso Wetland Park “continues to reveal more examples of the wisdom of the decision of half a million citizens including Nelson Mandela, who campaigned to save the area from mining and instead conserve it for the benefit of our people and global community as a Unesco world heritage site”, said Molewa.
She congratulated project leader Renzo Perissinotto, of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and iSimangaliso staff on their discovery. The moths were described by Belgian entomologist Thierry Bouyer, who used material collected by Perissinotto.
“It is hugely gratifying and exciting that, at a time when the global ecosystem and habitat destruction is resulting in a worldwide extinction rate of 1 000-times greater than the natural extinction rate, new species are being discovered in iSimangaliso,” added Molewa.
The park, whose name means “miracle and wonder” in Zulu, has led to discoveries of “one new species previously unknown to man” almost every year since being declared South Africa’s first World Heritage Site in 1999.
A further seven potential new species are currently undergoing a verification and description process. This, according to iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority chief executive Andrew Zaloumis, leaves “no doubt” that the park is “a global hot spot of biodiversity”.
“The exceptional biodiversity (of iSimangaliso) is being revealed with increased frequency, as our research on its various ecosystems structure and functioning leads to the unravelling of its building blocks: the species,” said Perissinotto.