Five years ago the Bogong moth population declined sharply due to increasing drought and rising temperatures in the caves used by the moths for estimation. Despite a trend of higher Bogong moth numbers due to this year’s La Nina climate and sustained rainfall conditions, however, it is still not out of the woods.
Darcie Carruthers says this is largely due to climate change. The Bogong moth is inextricably linked to many other organisms, including the critically endangered mountain pygmy possum which also feeds on them.
Darcie Carruthers discusses how unstable and unethical agricultural practices have the potential to affect the health of the ecosystem, and the reproductive future of the Bogong moth.
Image: Image: Shutterstock- Adrian Plitzco
Produced By: Andrew Herlinger
Featured In Story: Darcie Carruthers- Nature Campaigner at the Australian Conservation Foundation
First aired on The Wire, Monday 19 December 2022