An exotic moth in Bratislava. (source: PriF UK)
During field work, students from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University (PriF UK) in Bratislava recently came across an exotic moth near Rusovce.
With a wingspan of around 12 to 15 centimetres, the ailanthus silkmoth (Samia cynthia) is now the biggest moth in Slovakia, the faculty reports on social media.
An individual was spotted in Slovakia for the first time in 2020.
Originally a species native to Asia, specifically northeastern China, the Korean peninsula and certain parts of eastern Russia, it was later introduced to other continents as well. In the past, the cocoon was used in the production of silk.
The larvae feed on the leaves of the so-called tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), one of the worst invasive species in Europe and also native to northeastern China.
