Apu mooreorum named in honor the foundation and its founders, Gordon and Betty Moore
In the forests of Peru’s Tambopata Reserve, funding from our Andes-Amazon Initiative ensured that Wired Amazon’s Discovering New Species (Grant #9450) community science program continued – onsite and online – thanks to our connected world. Nestled within the Madre de Dios region, the Tambopata Reserve has benefited from the steady engagement in person and online of elementary and secondary schools, universities, and individuals with a personal interest in exploring the Amazon.
Among the discoveries in the reserve’s montane forests, new to science last year: a spectacular Euchromiina tiger moth, “with wings and body covered with black piliform scales and some parts in bluish-green hues.” This creature was discovered on a foundation-supported expedition by Juan Grados of Rainforest Expeditions.
Naming a newly discovered species, once you find one, is an adventure. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature provides a hefty set of rules. Included are that the name must be unique, must not give offense, and must not be named after oneself. Often, names are selected to reflect the geography where a discovery was made. Sometimes, an individual is honored with a new species name.
In honor of our founders, Gordon and Betty Moore, Grados decided to name the new moth in Tambopata the Apu mooreorum, explaining the name was derived from and dedicated to Gordon and Betty Moore and the foundation for support of the Discovery New Species project. More detail about this new species follows this letter.
The moth joins approximately 1.9 million other species that have been described and classified so far. Among the millions of species that have been identified, this little winged tiger is just the latest to be named in honor of our founders. Prior discoveries include:
- Pernambuco Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium mooreorum
- Moore's Woolly Lemur, Avahi mooreorum
- Moore's Shrub Frog, Pseudophilautus mooreorum
- The shiny brown ant from Veracruz, Pheidole mooreorum.
About Apu mooreorum
One of the largest species of all Euchromiina, A. mooreorum bears black antennae, the proximal part of the valva is narrower and the distal part is triangular with internal processes of irregular shape.
Species of diurnal habits. Known for now from the department of Puno. It is likely to occur in the montane forests of Bolivia.
COLLECTION DETAILS
- Habitat: Montane forest
- Sampling Protocol: Light trap
- Elevation: 3,827 m
GEOGRAPHY
- Country: Peru
- Province/State: Puno
- Region/County: Puno
TAXONOMY
- Identification Method: Morphology
- Identifier Institution: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Museo de Historia Natural
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Erebidae
- Subfamily: Arctiinae
- Genus: Apu
- Species: Apu mooreorum
To learn more, check out the full article on the new species at ResearchGate.
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