Monster moth not seen in over a century found in airport luggage in 'medicinal tea'

dailystar.co.uk:

luggage in front of shocked airport staff. The passenger was arriving from the Philippines when the creepy insects were discovered inside seed pods in the bags at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, which the passenger claims were for medicinal tea.Larvae and pupae from the moth were detected and the creepy insect was later identified to be a Salma brachyscopalis Hampson which was last seen in 1912.A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection Kris Grogan said Insect holes were found in the pods, and the moths were seized last year September.It was revealed that the creepy insects hatched in quarantine and had raised patches of black bristles, reports NBC News.On Monday (May 16), officials confirmed that a Smithsonian Institution expert was called in to identify the moth, which has been described as "very flashy".

According to an agriculture specialist, they belonged to the Pyralidae family, which is a group with thousands of species across the world.

The Smithsonian expert confirmed that it was the first time the moths larvae or pupae had been collected.Spokesperson Grogan said in an email that it remains unclear where the reported last sighting was in 1912.He added that the moths located at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport were "disposed of via steam sterilization." The Daily Star previously reported that a couple's property was dubbed an 'Indiana Jones' attic after dozens of snake skins were mysteriously found inside.