This Black Witch moth was found in Churchill, Manitoba, the furthest north the species has ever been documented. (Credit: Torbjorn Ekrem, Canadian Field Naturalist)
In Mexican folklore, the moth known as the Black Witch (Ascalapha odorata) is a bad omen, a harbinger of death. The species is normally found in tropical regions, but does occasionally come to southern Canada during the summer. A new paper documents a sighting of this species in Churchill, Manitoba, the furthest north it has ever been found.
Original research paper published in the journal Canadian Field-Naturalist on March 27, 2014.
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