Neopalpa donaldtrumpi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Neopalpa donaldtrumpi |
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| Adult male specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Gelechiidae
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Neopalpa
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N. donaldtrumpi
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| Neopalpa donaldtrumpi Nazari, 2017
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| Distribution of N. donaldtrumpi (yellow triangles) | |
The Neopalpa donaldtrumpi is a tiny moth that lives in parts of Southern California and Northern Mexico. A scientist named Vazrick Nazari discovered it in 2017. This moth became famous because the yellowish-white scales on its head look a lot like the hairstyle of Donald Trump, who was the President-elect at the time. Nazari named it this way to help people notice that we need to protect special places in the US where many new species are still waiting to be found.
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How the Moth Was Discovered
The group of moths called Neopalpa was first described in 1998 by a scientist named Dalibor Povolný. This group includes a moth called Neopalpa neonata.
Almost 20 years later, another scientist, Vazrick Nazari, looked at moth samples. These samples had been collected over the years and were kept at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
Nazari realized that some of these moths were different from the ones already known. He believed they were a completely new species. In January 2017, he officially named this new moth Neopalpa donaldtrumpi. He chose this name because the yellowish-white scales on the moth's head reminded him of Donald Trump's hair.
What the Moth Looks Like
The N. donaldtrumpi moth has orange-yellow forewings (front wings). These wings have dark brown spots along their edges and at the front. The length of its forewings, from tip to tip, is about 3 mm (0.12 in) to 4.6 mm (0.18 in). That's about the size of a grain of rice!
Its hindwings (back wings) are a light, pale brown with dark edges. Both male and female moths have these same colors. The moth's antennae are about two-thirds as long as its wingspan. Its head is covered with those special yellowish-white scales that gave the moth its unique name.
Where the Moth Lives
The N. donaldtrumpi moth has a close relative called N. neonata. The N. neonata moth can be found in many parts of California, Baja California, and Northwest Mexico.
However, the N. donaldtrumpi moth has only been found in specific areas. So far, scientists have only seen it in the northern half of Baja California in Mexico. In the United States, it has been found in Riverside and Imperial counties in Southern California.
Moth Behavior and Habitat
The Neopalpa donaldtrumpi moth belongs to a group called "twirler moths" (Gelechiidae). These moths are known for their interesting habit of spinning in circles on leaves.
You can find this moth throughout the year. However, scientists still don't know what plants it eats (its host plant). They also don't know how long these moths usually live. The places where this moth lives are currently at risk because of urbanization, which means more cities and towns are being built.
See also
In Spanish: Neopalpa donaldtrumpi para niños
