gdcollectables

Hi

yesterday we couldn't help but notice a strange phenomenon!

Mobs of moths everywhere, all different sizes and colours, landing on our windscreen as we drove, flying up from the roads, hovering in bushes; masses of them everywhere!

I don't normally mind the creatures, just like butterflies really, but I'd never seen anything like this before, they even managed to get into the house in the evening (around closed windows or through extractor vents).

Is this a usual occurrence in early Spring in Australia or just SA?

gd

meelie

:scared: Arrrrrr MOTHMAN IS COMING FOR YOU!!!!!! :scared:

Vash the Stampede

Never encountered this myself. :scared:

Bella Donna

Probably something to do with global warming - isn't everything these days... I'm not surprised that insects are confused though. The weather does seem to be getting a bit extreme everywhere.

tonyk38

There are several species of Aus moths that do this. The aboriginals used to harvest Bogong Moths by the million this way as a valuable source of protein.

Everything you wanted to know about Bogong Moths, but were afraid to ask.

bridiej

sounds like something Mulder and Scully might investigate!!

Vash the Stampede

Thanks; I was afraid to ask... :scared:

bridiej

LOL!

tonyk38

ABCDiamond

I saw that on the TV last night, it looked incredible I've never heard of it before myself.

wanderingwombat

When New Parliament House in Canberra was built they considered every possible security contiguency at the time. They forget about the Bogong moth.

On the moth's flight path to the Snowy Mountains there was this big bright shiney candle in the way......

WW

Bella Donna

Oooops....big splat?

NickyC

The Bogong Moths breed in Western Queensland during the winter and then migrate to the cool Snowy Mountains each spring. On their annual trip south they can get blown off course and some years a LOT of them end up in Sydney.

This is the only wildlife in Australia that freaks me out. I can handle spiders and snakes, I can even handle the giant, flying cockroaches we get here but I LOATHE moths. When they arrive, they usually hang around for about a fortnight before just disappearing - but in that fortnight they get everywhere and I spend a lot of time jumping out of my skin. (I pay my kids a dollar for every dead moth they get).

I doubt that these SA moths are the same Bogong Moths that we suffer from - but it's probably a similar phenomena. Local weather conditions have forced them off their usual migration pattern and they've ended up somewhere different.

welshpom

We had them down here in Goolwa too. All over the windows at night, then I disturbed them on the lawn in the morning.

I think they must have responded to the couple of days we had at 25c and emerged from their winter hideaways to mate. It's now showery, cool and blowing a gale. I bet they regret the decision to come out to play.

mr mover

They are BUDWORM moths and due to the early warm weather we have been having they have hatched early, and the local birds have not woken up to the fact. Mother Nature will adjust. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, mm