Ivonne Garzón-Orduña, a researcher at the Institute of Biology (IB) of UNAM and curator of the National Collection of Insects, has discovered a new species of measuring moth: Ofelia jaliscana, native to the dry tropical forest of Chamela, Jalisco. This finding has been recently published in the international taxonomy journal Zootaxa.
However, it is in its internal characteristics where it becomes unique: the male genitalia of this moth have not been seen in any other group of measuring moths. Garzón-Orduña has found photographs of an organism that appears to be Ofelia in Oaxaca, suggesting that there may be more species to discover. In this case, the description of the species and the genus was based on morphological characters, as DNA sequences could not be obtained due to their degradation.
Since 2019, Garzón-Orduña has been serving as the curator of the National Collection of Insects, where she studies the preserved specimens. The described specimens were collected over 40 years ago, in 1980, at the Biological Station of Chamela, and are part of the National Collection of Insects, the largest in the country, established in 1929.
Garzón-Orduña highlights the importance of continuing to collect specimens in nature, as there are always new species to discover. Moths are insects that undergo a complete development, from egg to adult, passing through herbivorous stages as caterpillars. There are more than 160,000 types of moths and butterflies in the world; it is estimated that there are 15,000 in Mexico, but these censuses are underestimations.
Ofelia jaliscana is distinguished among its peers by its small size, approximately two centimeters from wing to wing, and its cryptic coloration that allows it to camouflage in nature. Although we sometimes have the impression that we know everything, it is essential to continue exploring and discovering new species to expand our knowledge of biodiversity.
