Scientists remain optimistic after losing track of 14,000 tagged bogong moths

The search for more than 14,000 tagged bogong moths has produced no matches, but researchers say that may not be bad news. Volunteers checking 50 light traps across the Snowy Mountains have yet to find a single tagged insect.

Every year, billions of bogong moths migrate to New South Wales's Snowy Mountains to escape the summer heat. In autumn, they leave the cool caves where they shelter and travel thousands of kilometres to breeding grounds inland. Their route, however, remains unclear.

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It's actually a good thing because the probability of sighting a tagged animal is dependent on how many there are in the population.

Researchers from Western Sydney University and Invertebrates Australia tagged the moths in February. They used dabs of non-toxic paint or briefly sedated the peanut-sized insects with carbon dioxide before attaching tiny paper tags to their wings with eyelash glue. The light traps were designed to catch the moths safely overnight so volunteers could check for tags and release them unharmed.

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In our case, it shows there might be more moths than we thought. There's also the chance that they're taking a different route.

Eleanor Drinkwater, an entomologist at Invertebrates Australia, said the absence of tagged moths could point to a healthier population than previously estimated. "It's actually a good thing because the probability of sighting a tagged animal is dependent on how many there are in the population," she said. "In our case, it shows there might be more moths than we thought. There's also the chance that they're taking a different route."

For Kristi Bryant, a volunteer from Cooma, checking a light trap in her backyard became part of her young family's morning routine. She saw plenty of bogong moths, but none carried a tag. "It's like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you want to find the golden ticket," she said. Despite the failed search, recorded online observations of the insect have increased. Researchers hope documenting the moths' movements will raise awareness of the need to protect them.

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It's like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you want to find the golden ticket.