Creating educational materials for identifying various species of moths
In the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand, a project called Ahi Pepe MothNet has been making waves in the world of entomology. The project, which initially focused on the South Island, has now expanded to include the North Island, providing a comprehensive guide for identifying moths across the country.
The Ahi Pepe MothNet team has been busy creating resources that cater to a wide audience, including science materials tailored for Maori-focused schools. These resources, written in te reo Maori, tell the story of moths from a Maori perspective, using whakatauki (legends) about moths and their life cycles.
The project has also been instrumental in giving local moths common names in Maori. For instance, the Tmetolophota purdii species is now known as pākākā, meaning chestnut-coloured or scorched, due to its chestnut and orange-coloured forewings. Another species, Meterana exquisita, has been named ātaka, meaning exquisite, due to its beautifully mottled pale green and black forewings.
The cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) is a day-flying moth introduced to New Zealand as a biological control for ragwort, a noxious weed. Although specific details on its naming in New Zealand are not available, the process would involve identifying the moth's genus and species through examination and then confirming or assigning its binomial name following internationally agreed rules, such as the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). The cinnabar moth's common name, cinnabar, refers to its bright red coloration.
The significance of this systematic naming is to provide a universal language to identify species precisely, facilitating scientific study and biodiversity conservation. It ensures that one species has one name, no matter where in the world it is found. This standardization also maintains historical and evolutionary context, and moderates the complexity caused by numerous species and their variants.
The Ahi Pepe MothNet project has received funding from several organizations, including Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Otepoti, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Te Tumu, University of Otago, Department of Geography, University of Otago, Orokonui Ecosanctuary, Otago Museum, and New Zealand's Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. The project is also part of the Curious Minds initiative and Otago Science into Action, demonstrating a commitment to fostering curiosity and scientific literacy in New Zealand.
As scientists working in conservation and biosecurity must be able to identify specific organisms correctly, initiatives like Ahi Pepe MothNet are crucial in equipping communities with the knowledge and resources they need to understand and protect New Zealand's unique biodiversity.
- By providing resources in environmental-science that are written in te reo Maori, Ahi Pepe MothNet is fostering education-and-self-development for students in Maori-focused schools, helping to strengthen their connection to the natural world and improve their scientific literacy.
- The cinnabar moth, a significant player in New Zealand's environmental science, has a common name that reflects its bright red coloration, which is suitable for discussions in both lifestyle and education-and-self-development settings, highlighting the moth's vibrant presence in New Zealand's unique biodiversity.
