Home / Environment / Tiny Moth Named 'Avatar' Fights Real-World Extinction
Tiny Moth Named 'Avatar' Fights Real-World Extinction
20 Feb
Summary
- Arctesthes avatar moth, critically endangered, won New Zealand's bug of the year.
- The moth's name highlights a real-world mining threat to its habitat.
- The Denniston Plateau faces potential destruction from a proposed coalmine.
A tiny, critically endangered moth, the Arctesthes avatar, has been named New Zealand's bug of the year, winning by a significant margin. Discovered in 2012, this unique moth's name was chosen to draw attention to the serious threat it faces from proposed mining activities.
The moth's habitat, the ecologically significant Denniston Plateau on the South Island's west coast, is targeted for a large open-cast coalmine expansion. This real-world threat mirrors the fictional environmental destruction depicted in the Avatar films, from which the moth derives its name.
Conservation groups, including Forest & Bird, have rallied to support the moth, emphasizing its precarious existence and the potential for planned extinctions. Despite assurances from the mining company to limit environmental impact, the government has indicated a willingness to fast-track mining projects for economic benefits, raising concerns about biodiversity trade-offs.
