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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Joe Hinchliffe

A big moth, or something from Day of the Dead? One man’s search for an otherworldly Australian insect

Conservationist Ian McMaster and musician Emma Bosworth with a light and sheet setup used to attract moths
Conservationist Ian McMaster and musician Emma Bosworth with a light and sheet setup used to attract moths. Photograph: Jamila Filippone/The Guardian

Dark descends upon a dead-end property atop a winding mountain road and Ian McMaster steps out into the forest.

Protective goggles perched atop his grey hair, torch in hand, McMaster is drawn into the gums that surround his rammed-earth home toward a white sheet shining in UV light like a stage prop moon.

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