The Washington State Department of Agriculture reports that a moth with a 10 inch wingspan has been discovered for the first time in the country
This moth is encouraging locals to report any additional sightings. Everybody is curious to know about it in details.
University of Washington professor reported the atlas moth, which is regarded as the largest moth in the world, to the state agency for the first time last month.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture received the moth and recognized it as an atlas moth. It is thought to be the country's first report of the moth.
Sven Spichiger, managing entomologist for the state's agriculture department, described the bug as "gee-whiz" in size.
"These are the kinds of insects that people bring their phones out and take pictures of, even if they aren't looking out for bugs," the author said.
To find out if there is an atlas moth population, Washington agriculture officials want individuals to do just that.
"Normally, a moth from a tropical region. It may not be able to survive here, according to Spichiger.
"We hope locals can assist us in determining whether this was a singular escapee or whether there may actually be a community in the region."
Although little is known about the moth, entomologists think that cherries and apples are its host plants.
And that's exactly what the state of Washington's agriculture officials want people to do in order to identify the presence of an atlas moth population.