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Bogong Moths Return in Massive Swarms to Australia
Confirmed
In Short: SYDNEY, Oct 2 — Bogong moths are making a spectacular return to Australia, swarming in such density that they can block out the stars, a phenomenon not seen since their near-extinction nearly a decade ago.
The great migration of the Bogong moth was once a yearly feature of the Australian spring, with billions of insects traveling down the nation’s east coast in search of cooler climates.
Photos from the past show how the moths would cluster so densely inside their caves that the rock beneath was barely visible.
Researchers have discovered that Bogong moths use the Milky Way to navigate, as demonstrated by tethering captive moths and projecting stars on a wall.
While the migration continued in the years following the population crash, the number of moths making the journey was alarmingly low.
The return of the Bogong moths is a cause for celebration among scientists, despite the fact that vast clouds of flying bugs might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Forecasters initially warned of heavy rain at the event's closing ceremony, only to realize that the radar had picked up a cloud of Bogong moths, AFP reported.
What this adds
The Bogong moth population had collapsed to an estimated 99.5 per cent, beginning in 2017 due to drought, pesticides, and habitat destruction.
The return of the moths is a significant ecological event, highlighting the resilience of nature and the importance of conservation efforts.
What's confirmed
- But drought, pesticides and habitat destruction triggered an unprecedented collapse that began in 2017, eventually wiping out an estimated 99.5 per cent of the Bogong moth population.
- “So many Bogong moths would come through that they could block out the stars and the moon as they went overhead,” said Parrott, from Zoos Victoria.
- Photos showed how the endangered moths clustered together so densely inside their caves, it was impossible to see the rock beneath.
- By placing a tether around captive moths and projecting stars on the wall, researchers last year showed how Bogongs used the Milky Way.
- “They are very, very important to Australian ecosystems,” Drinkwater said.
- While the Bogong migration continued in the years following the population crash, scientists were aghast at how few moths were making the journey.
- “People described going into the caves and finding barely any moths, and just kind of being in shock,” Drinkwater said.
- SYDNEY, Oct 2 — Moth swarms so thick they can blot out the stars are fluttering across Australia, heralding a migratory spectacle unseen since the creatures’ brush with extinction nearly 10 years ago.
- The great migration of the Bogong moth was once a yearly feature of the Australian spring, the insects humming down the nation’s east coast in their billions as they searched for cooler climes.
- While vast clouds of flying bugs might not be everyone’s cup of tea, scientists have been delighted to find that the Bogongs are back.
- Bogong moths are thought to help plants spread pollen and are also a key food source for the mountain pygmy possum, a critically endangered cave-dwelling marsupial.
What's still developing
- This picture taken on October 1, 2026 shows a Bogong moth among the leaves of a tree in Sydney.
- The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are set to kick off the NFL’s first-ever game in Australia.
- While fans are excited to see meaningful football continue its return, several key players will be missing for both teams.
- Which players will miss the first NFL game in Australia?
- MORE: NFL Week 1 TV schedule: Full list of games for 2026-27 season All of the information you need to watch Thursday night’s NFL Australia battle can be seen below.
- MORE: Where to live stream Rams vs 49ers: NFL Australia, TV channel, watch, free Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
- Following a sold-out six-date Australian tour in 2025, multi-platinum alternative rock band The Fray will make their highly anticipated return Down Under in February 2027 for the Summer of Light Tour.
- The run will span indoor and outdoor venues across Australia and will also mark the band’s first-ever performance in New Zealand.
- Inflation is still too high and is not expected to return to the middle of our 2–3 per cent target range until early 2028.
- High inflation has been driven by ongoing price pressures in Australia as well as energy cost pressures associated with the Middle East conflict.
- Price pressures in Australia and cost pressures from the Middle East conflict will keep inflation elevated in the near term.
- Inflation is expected to gradually return to the target range as the economy slows.