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Swarms of the globally endangered insects have been spotted in parts of New South Wales as they migrate towards summer refuges in the Australian Alps.
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Swarms of bogong moths have been seen in parts of New South Wales during their annual spring migration to the Australian Alps. The insects travel from breeding areas in several Australian regions to cool alpine caves for the summer, then return in autumn to reproduce. [1] [2]
About 800 sightings were logged on iNaturalist from the preceding Friday to 28 September, ABC News reported, including more than 200 in the final 24 hours of that period. Separately, Zoos Victoria said reports to its Moth Tracker project in September had exceeded its total for all of 2025. These are counts of reports, not moths. [1] [2]
Researchers have suggested that rainfall may have increased the food available to moth larvae, while winds may have pushed migrating adults towards cities. ABC News reports that the species is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but not under NSW or Australian federal endangered listings. [1] [2]
Bogong moth numbers fell by up to 99.5% between 2017 and 2019, The Guardian reported. Bogong Watch project manager Linnea Emneby said the latest sightings suggest the moths may be recovering, although there is no certain estimate of their recent population. [2]
2 listed sources · explore evidence, limitations and provenance.
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