Dear Anonymous
Indeed – let’s talk facts.
Fact 1 – The statement you have made in your post concerning the 100 metre spacing and the status of applications is factually incorrect. Very few people know where the moth was found and we were present at the time. How can you claim to know?
Fact 2 – The SCMP article does not mention IUCN status.
Fact 3 – Applying the “Precautionary Principle” expounded by the Convention on Biological Diversity (to which HK is a recent signatory) and using the IUCN Red List Criteria, this species can be considered to be currently at high risk of extinction due to the small population size, the limited area of occupancy, the limited extent of occurrence and the high degree of threat (through habitat destruction of adjacent land and probable ecological impact on the site of discovery). The Moth may well qualify for IUCN Red List status and SSSI protection in the future but the recency of its discovery means that the paperwork needs to be conpleted before it can be fully protected, We are anxious to see that the moth is not lost before adequate protections can be put in place.
David & Nicola NEWBERY