A species of moth thought to be extinct in England for more than 70 years has made a dramatic return.
The Tiree Twist moth has been rediscovered at Dover’s Lydden Temple Ewell Reserve.
Thirteen were found, revealing a hidden population at the Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) habitat.
The species was last spotted in the country in 1952.
Previously known as periclepsis cinctana, the ‘Dover Tortrix’ and, until recently, the ‘Tiree Twist’, the species was believed to survive only on the remote Scottish island of Tiree.
The breakthrough came when Butterfly ecologist, Rebecca Levey, was surveying the site with volunteers searching for Straw Belle caterpillars.
Spotting the small chalky-white moth with distinctive orangey-brown markings, she immediately recognised its significance and contacted KWT’s moth recorder, Dave Shenton.
Ms Levey said: “This rediscovery is both emotional and thrilling.
“Now the real work begins – uncovering the exact habitat this moth needs so we can help secure its future.”
Speaking to KentOnline, he said: “This is mind-blowing. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing.
“Has it been hiding in plain sight here all these years?”
By the end of the survey, the team had recorded 13 individual moths and sparked hope the species may have quietly persisted in its former English stronghold.
KWT and Butterfly Conservation will now look to prepare habitat assessments and conservation plans to ensure the species can make a comeback.
Lydden Temple Ewell has been managed by Kent Wildlife Trust since 1964, where an original 70 acres was purchased at Lydden Temple Down.
In 1998, the entire site was designated as a national nature reserve and today features chalk grassland habitat to support a wide range of species from the Adonis Blue butterfly to the Wart-biter cricket, and now, the Tiree Twist.
