A new moth species has been discovered in Finland, thanks to 12-year-old Sara Mutanen, who made the discovery in the coastal village of Bromarv in Raseborg, southwest Finland.
The moth, known only by its Latin name, Cuprina fuscella, has not been previously observed in Northern Europe. The nearest sighting was in Austria in 2013.
Sara found about 20 of the unusual moths while looking at ferns near her family's summer cottage.
Her discovery stumped most of Finland’s most experienced entomologists – including her own godfather, moth researcher Professor Marko Mutanen from the University of Oulu.
The moth was finally identified by Lauri Kaila, a senior curator at the Finnish Museum of Natural History, who identified it as Cuprina fuscella. He was the only researcher in Finland who even knew that the ultra-rare species existed.
"I wondered whether this could be true. It feels nice to have discovered it myself," Sara says.
Moths and butterflies are a family hobby, which Sara shares with her brother and father. The family celebrated the discovery by going out for a three-course dinner.
"A sensational discovery"
Professor Mutanen says the find is completely exceptional. He told Yle that he can't recall any parallel from his own career, even though he's been a butterfly and moth enthusiast for nearly 40 years. The discovery of a new moth species completely surprised entomologists.
"It's a sensational discovery, a completely unexpected thing. We've studied the basic Finnish species in great depth," says Marko Mutanen.
Researchers do not yet know whether the species has always been in the country or whether it has recently arrived.
There are approximately 2,700 known species of moths and butterflies in Finland, approximately 11,000 in Europe, and close to 200,000 worldwide.
A completely new group of moths
The significance of the discovery is increased by the fact that the species has no close relatives in Finland, so it represents a new genus within the country.
Around 20 C. fuscella moths have been found so far in the same location.
"So now we have a species living here, with a population. That's a completely different matter than, for example, a rare bird wanders into Finland," Mutanen points out.
Based on the fact that there is a significant population in Bromarv, he assumes that it has lived there for a long time.
"It is also likely that it occurs elsewhere in Finland, but that it has remained unnoticed because the species is so small and shy," he adds.
