:
Moths by Daniel Silva
Since the beginning of the decade, different works have been done to exploit the sources of natural gas in the amazon jungle underground of this area, known as Bajo Urubamba jungle. This is a virgin region of the Peruvian jungle because before different machinery and pipes were installed, we did not have any records of human beings presence. Due to the impact of the machinery on the ecosystem, the transnational corporation Plus Petrol through the Environment and Biodiversity Program (PMB), is doing some research to register the various species of animalsand vegetation in the area. These may be endangered as a consequence of the transport of the gas and the presence of the man. The Lepidopterous are among the most important animals in the region, and are studied thoroughly by a team of scientists of the program. The Lepidopterous include butterflies (10%) and moths (90%)
Peru has the biggest verified variety of butterflies in the world: 3 880 species approximately. There is also a wide variety of moths in Peru, but there is not much information about them, though the population of moths is nine times the butterflies'. There was hardly any information about moths in Bajo Urubamba before the PMB´s research, which started at the beginning of the decade. Now, there is a record of 241 species of moths of the Ctenuchinae (Arctiidae) group, which includes the most beautiful varieties. Also, a record of the Hedylidae group has been taken, and there are 14 species already known. Due to the economic movement that is generated by the extraction and transport of the natural gas, the lands of this region in the Peruvian jungle (that was virgin before) are being colonized. The installation of the gas pipes caused the opening of a big path in the jungle, similar to an avenue. This has made the human beings´s (settlers' ) access easier in this area, who are turning the jungle into farming lands.
1
2
3
EXCLUSIVE!
