insects
For years, scientists thought a bright, colorful moth flying around Europe was just an oak carcina moth, since the two looked almost exactly alike. Then a scientist in Austria looked closer.
This moth looked just like an oak carcina moth on the outside. But a scientist in Austria checked its genes and found something amazing — it was actually its own separate species, hiding in plain sight for millions of years!
It's not a butterfly, and it's definitely an insect — moths and butterflies are cousins, but this one keeps all its moth features, like feathery antennae and wings held flat.
Scientists call surprise species like this 'hidden' species, and they're often found by reading DNA, a trick that lets us spot differences our eyes simply can't see.
insects
How strong is an ant compared to its own body size?What happened with Georgia the lab-raised firefly in 2025?What did scientists discover in Uganda that looks like tiny frogs but is actually an insect?What does a ladybug love to eat that helps garden plants?What body part does a butterfly use to taste its food?What special flying trick can a dragonfly do?What does a bee do to tell other bees where to find flowers?How does a grasshopper make its chirping sound?What special trick can a praying mantis do with its head?Quration — Quration Kids