A professor from the University of Sulaymaniyah was the first to globally identify a new species of moth in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG). The species' name is inspired by the prominent Kurdish poet Mahwi (1830-1906), who often used moths as metaphors in his poetry.

The moth has been scientifically registered as "Mahwi" on the website zoobank.org, ensuring its recognition by this name in scientific institutions, publications, and texts worldwide.

Dr. Farhad Ahmad Khidir, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Sulaymaniyah, provided the following statement to the university’s website: “Over the past three years, we have discovered various rare moth species in different parts of the Kurdistan Region, especially around Sulaymanyah and its surrounding areas.”

“In collaboration between the University of Sulaymanyah, Mendel University in the Czech Republic, and the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology in Munich, Germany, research was conducted on Geometridae moths. By analyzing their physical characteristics and employing advanced genetic and molecular biology techniques in partnership with German scientist Dr. Axel Hausmann at the Bavarian center, we were able to identify several new species,” he added.

Commenting on the importance of these discoveries, Dr. Farhad stated: “These findings demonstrate that Kurdistan possesses a rare and unique natural environment rich in biodiversity. Such richness will undoubtedly attract scientists and researchers to further explore and study the region’s biodiversity.”

Dr. Farhad highlighted that the Lulavia mahwi moth is the first species of its kind to be featured in a scientific journal. The moth, Lulavia mahwi, is classified under the Lulavia genus within the Geometridae family, which encompasses over 20,000 species documented worldwide.

This moth is active during winter nights, and specimens have been found in several areas of Sulaymaniyah Province, including Rezan Stream, Basara Stream, Sagrma Mountain, and Bamo Hillside.