KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Malaysia and Singapore have been swarmed by the Lyssa Zampa moth, a giant, dark-coloured insect which has enjoyed a dramatic population boom in recent weeks.

The harmless moth has been spotted across Malaysia and Singapore. In the city-state alone, more than 800 sightings were reported in May, the BBC reported.

The moth can be seen throughout the year, but numbers usually peak from May to July.

Also known as the Laos brown butterfly, the moth’s wingspan measures up to 16 centimetres, making it one of the largest moths in Southeast Asia.

The moth’s natural habitat is montane forest, and according to Malaysian newspaper, The Star, the insect can be seen on Mount Kinabalu. Its larvae subsist on the leaves of endospermum, a tree belonging to the rubber tree family.

The Lyssa Zampa tropical moth is nocturnal. It is attracted to light in urban areas as it looks for host plants.

The reasons behind the sudden surge of the moth are not well understood, but scientists believe it has something to do with the plummeting number of predators.

“I believe there is a lack of predators such as birds which usually eat the caterpillars,” Dr. Norela Sulaiman, an entomologist of the National University of Malaysia, told the Star. “At the same time, it could be that their natural enemies, such as parasites and other pathogens, are not active enough to harm them and they thrive.”

The sightings of the gigantic moth have become fodder for social media, as netizens upload photos and discuss the sudden proliferation of the insect in the region. — Reuters

Malaysia and Singapore have been swarmed by the Lyssa Zampa moth, a giant, dark-coloured insect which has enjoyed a dramatic population boom in recent weeks. — Reuters