Frog Moths, Batrachedridae are a small group of largely tropical Moths, which gain their name from their resting posture, in which the front legs are held under the body while the back legs sprawl at the side, causing them to sit upright in a similar manner to a Frog. There are ten genera within the Family Batrachedridae, with the most abundant genus, Batrachedra, containing 114 known species and being found on every continent except Antarctica.
In a paper published in the journal SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología on 30 September 2025, Per Falck, an independent researcher from Neksø in Denmark describes a new species of Batrachedra, from the island of La Gomera in the Canaries.
The new species is named Batrachedra olei in honour of the Danish lepidopterist Ole Karsholt, who Per Falck identifies as a good friend, and who helped him which both the content and the language of the research paper. The species is described from a series of specimens attracted to an actinic light (the sort of light in electric 'fly-killers') set up at locations on the island of La Gomera between 2021 and 2024.
Specimens of Batrachedra olei range from 7.5 to 12.5 mm in wingspan, and have are white on their heads, necks, and the forepart of their thoraxes, while the hindpart of their thoraxes, their abdomens, their hindwings, and their antennae are yellowish grey. The forewings of the species are yellowish ochreous mottled with grey scales, with two indistinct, longitudinal streaks.
Adults of Batrachedra olei were found on the northern part of La Gomera between January and November, no juvenile specimens were found. The species is probably endemic to the island. Batrachedra olei is the first species discovered in the Canary Islands. There are seven previously described species of Batrachedra from Europe and North Africa, but a DNA barcode analysis recovered an unnamed species from South Africa as the closest relative to Batrachedra olei.
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