A new species of insect, belonging to the group of leafhoppers (of the family Cicadellidaeclose relatives of cicadas), was discovered in Uganda by British scientist Alvin Helden of the University of Anglia Ruskin.
He was doing fieldwork with students in Kibale Forest National Park in Uganda when he found the animal. The discovery of the species, baptized by Helden as Phlogis kibalensiswas described in a article published in the scientific journal Zootaxa.
The insect, which has a metallic sheen, about 6.5 millimeters in length (therefore, smaller than cicadas) and male reproductive organ in partial leaf shape, belongs to the rare genus Phlogis. The last documented sighting of an insect of this group took place in 1969, in the Central African Republic.
“Finding this new species is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, especially as its closest ‘relative’ was last seen in another country over 50 years ago,” Helden says in a press release.
Helden reinforces that, in addition to being rare and unusual in appearance, the specimen has habits and biological characteristics not yet known by the scientific community.
THEIt is not yet known, for example, which plants the Phlogis kibalensis feeds itself, nor its role in the local ecosystem.
“There is still a lot to discover, not just about this species, but so many others, including those that have yet to be discovered. It is very sad to think that some species will go extinct before we even know of their existence”, laments Helden.
The researcher says that there can be rare species anywhere, but that due to deforestation and the consequent loss of natural habitats, it is possible that we will never discover some of them.
Helden has been conducting fieldwork with students in Kibale Forest National Park since 2015. He documents the insects found in the forest and is producing a photographic guide to butterflies, moths and beetles.
Source: CNN Brasil
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