Holy moth-er of God!
Scientists have discovered a new species of moth found only on the Greek island of Crete — and named it after Pope Leo XIV to honor his advocacy for the environment.
Pyralis papaleonei — Pope Leo moth — was recently spotted by sharp-eyed entomologists who buzzed about their papal tribute in an April 28 study published in Nota Lepidopterologica , a journal specializing in moths and butterflies.
<img data-modal-image="39318733" width="787" height="590" src="https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="Pyralis papaleonei moth, named after Pope Leo XIV, with outstretched wings." class="wp-image-39318733" srcset="https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?quality=75&strip=all 2880w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=300, 225&quality=75&strip=all 300w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=768, 576&quality=75&strip=all 768w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=1024, 768&quality=75&strip=all 1024w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=1536, 1152&quality=75&strip=all 1536w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=2048, 1536&quality=75&strip=all 2048w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=600, 450&quality=75&strip=all 600w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=785, 589&quality=75&strip=all 785w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=661, 496&quality=75&strip=all 661w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=576, 432&quality=75&strip=all 576w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=440, 330&quality=75&strip=all 440w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=376, 282&quality=75&strip=all 376w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=180, 135&quality=75&strip=all 180w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=95, 71&quality=75&strip=all 95w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=53, 40&quality=75&strip=all 53w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=93, 70&quality=75&strip=all 93w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=72, 54&quality=75&strip=all 72w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=200, 150&quality=75&strip=all 200w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=231, 173&quality=75&strip=all 231w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=322, 242&quality=75&strip=all 322w, https://dailytruthreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/moth-found-island-crete-named-127146663-scaled.jpg?resize=588, 441&quality=75&strip=all
Continue reading
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!