Scientists are welcoming a near-biblical swarm of moths with open arms.
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Indeed, the Australian state of New South Wales saw the endangered bogong moths show an unprecedented strength in numbers. This is despite a 99.5% decrease in numbers since the 1980s, according to The Guardian.
Eyewitness accounts sound a bit like something out of a 1970s era disaster movie...
On Sept. 25, one local's home was hit with a swarm of the endangered insects, which migrate through New South Wales' Snowy Mountains annually. "I walked out my door and was hit in the face by thousands of them," he told ABC News. "I swear there was millions of them layered on various areas under my deck, under my eaves and all around the windows."
However, Western Sydney University entomologist Eleanor Drinkwater pushed back that the moth swarm was seeking shelter in people's homes. "They're not trying to get into your house. They're just trying to migrate," Drinkwater insisted to ABC News.
The Moths Were Designated as Endangered in 2021
The moths were declared endangered back in 2021 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for Threatened Species. Every year, they trek through the New South Wales Alps to avoid the sweltering Australian summer. The annual swarm of moths also serves as a moveable feast of native birds and pygmy possums.
"We have seen a decline in bogong moths this decade, which has changed people's perception of what a migration looks like," Bogong Watch Project at Invertebrates Australia manager Linnea Emneby told ABC News. "It's just incredibly encouraging to see them actually bouncing back."
"Bogong moths are known to kind of hitch a ride on winds," she added, "the same way you descend or ascend in a hot air balloon."
"The moths are gentle, beautiful little animals that will move on on their own," Zoos Victoria reproductive biologist Marissa Parrott insisted to The Guardian. She added to the celebration of the endangered moths' surge with, "We're absolutely thrilled with what we're seeing."
Eyewitnesses Recount Encounters with Moth Swarm: 'Got Hit Right in the Face'
Meanwhile, a Reddit thread concerning the moth swarm mostly agreed with the joyful scientists.
"I'm in the blue mountains. Today at the shops, every car had at least 5 moths on them," one top comment read. "Got hit in the face by a few; I am very happy to read they have bounced back so well and that they are just passing through."
"I left my shopping bag hanging off the car last night," another moth-swarm eyewitness recounted. "I apologise to my local supermarket, where I unfortunately discovered my bag was full of them.
What follows next is nightmare fuel for those with Mottephobia.
"I momentarily disappeared behind a screen of moths taking flight."
However, one Aussie took issue with ABC News describing the moths as the size of a peanut.
"I've seen them as big as a mud swallow," they quipped.
