Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Science

New 'ecclesiastical' moth named after Pope Leo XIV

Distinguished by its striking colors and a name that carries the weight of a high ecclesiastical office, a new species of moth has been discovered in the rugged terrain of Greece. When researchers from the Tyrolean State Museum, the Finnish Museum of Natural History and the Bavarian State Collection...

New 'ecclesiastical' moth named after Pope Leo XIV
Image: Phys.org
Distinguished by its striking colors and a name that carries the weight of a high ecclesiastical office, a new species of moth has been discovered in the rugged terrain of Greece. When researchers from the Tyrolean State Museum, the Finnish Museum of Natural History and the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology identified this unique insect in the White Mountains of Crete, they chose a name that reflects both its noble appearance and a message of environmental hope: Pyralis papaleonei—derived from "Papa Leone" (Pope Leo).

Originally published at Phys.org

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