Discovery of Namdo Meotjaengi Yurinabang Habitat Confirmed
Expectations for Establishing Pest Control Strategies for Urban Trees
The Jeonnam Forest Research Institute has discovered a new species of clearwing moth, a major pest that damages domestic crops, landscaping trees, and street trees, and has recently officially reported it in the Journal of Species Research.
This research was conducted as a joint study with research teams led by Professor Kim Iksoo of Chonnam National University and Professor Choi Sewoong of Mokpo National University. The newly discovered species was named 'Namdo Stylish Glass Moth (proposed name: Synanthedon namdoelegans Kim et al., 2025)' to reflect both Jeonnam Province, where it was collected, and the elegant form of the adult moth.
Clearwing moths have almost no scales on their wings, making them appear as transparent as glass. Due to their external morphology and unique flight posture, they can also resemble bees.
The newly reported species is clearly distinguished from other clearwing moths previously reported in Korea by the different colors of the bands on the dorsal and ventral sides of the abdomen, which are orange and yellow, respectively.
The research team scientifically proved that this is a newly discovered species worldwide by combining morphological characteristics and genetic analysis results.
Kim Woojin, the naming author and researcher at the Jeonnam Forest Research Institute, stated, "The discovery of this new species is not only an academic achievement but also an opportunity to reconsider the diversity and distribution of pests in urban forest ecosystems. We will continue to focus on field research to contribute to the development of pest management strategies for street and residential trees."
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