Our very first species of the month is a new species of water scavenger beetle in the genus Oocyclus. It doesn’t have a name yet, so feel free to suggest one! This little iridescent green sphere lives in rock seeps and the spray zones of waterfalls in the Venezuelan Andes (in this case, near Trujillo). I’ll take this opportunity to note the blog title refers to the lab’s research interest in insects that live in these kinds of habitats. So far, our work in Venezuela has found 15 new species in this genus. Based on this and preliminary data from elsewhere, it would not be surprising if northern South America was home to 50 or more species. These guys tend to be relatively localized to regional mountain chains, with 2 to 4 species endemic to each chain. I don't have a good up-close habitus photo yet. I'll post one when I do; they look cooler in their element anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment