This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Millions of people worldwide watched as the Sydney Olympics came to a close in 2000. Meanwhile, thousands of bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) were airborne, making their annual migration to the Australian Alps.
These bogong moths swarmed in such large numbers that the weather radars showed a storm approaching Sydney. The bright lights of Stadium Australia, where the closing ceremony was unfolding, had lured them in. As an entomologist, I'm fascinated by insects.
This year, the bogong moth population has exploded along Australia's east coast, with people discovering these insects in every nook and cranny of their homes. The current resurgence offers scientists valuable information about the health and abundance of the bogong moth population. But they aren't the only insects worth watching.
Bogong moths are small, brown insects that typically fly at night. Each year, they embark on a magical migration, traveling up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) across Australia. By following the stars, they are able to navigate to the cool caves of the Snowy Mountains in southern New South Wales, where they shelter during the sweltering summer.
These moths then return to inland Australia to mate, lay eggs and repeat this migratory cycle. In recent decades, the bogong moth population has dramatically declined. Numbers fell by 99% between 2017 and 2019 alone.
Like many other insects, bogong moths face multiple pressures, including habitat destruction, drought and climate change. Light pollution may also hamper their ability to navigate during their mammoth migrations. But this year, bogong moths have reappeared in remarkable numbers, particularly on the east coast of Australia.
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