New species of parasitic wasp discovered in the eggs of leaf-rolling weevils in Africa

A new species of parasitic wasp has been obtained from the eggs of weevils, associated with bushwillows, collected and identified by Dr. Silvano Biondi. Given the tiny insect from northeastern Gabon is the first record of its genus for West-Central Africa, the researchers Dr. Stefania Laudonia and Dr. Gennaro Viggiani, both affiliated with Italy's University of Naples Federico II, decided to celebrate it by assigning the species a name that refers to the continent. Their team has published the findings in the open access journal ZooKeys.

An adult wasp of the new species Poropoea africana. Credit: Dr. Stefania Laudonia

Named Poropoea africana, the new species belongs to a large worldwide group of wasps well-known as egg parasitoids of leaf-rolling weevils. Using characteristically long ovipositors, they lay their own eggs in the eggs of the hosts, found in cigar-like rolls.

The new wasp measures less than 2 mm. It can be distinguished from related species by a number of characters, including the structure of the antennae, and the front and hind legs, which are more robust than the middle ones. The latter, which is a unique trait for the genus, seems to be an adaptation to host parasitisation, where the modified legs likely support the body and improve the propulsive efficiency of the ovipositor.

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Hermaphrodite snail named after marriage equality

Biologists christened the species Aegista diversifamilia, referring to a diversity of family types, because it "represents the diversity of sex orientation in the animal kingdom".

The snail is widespread throughout eastern Taiwan, but was previously mistaken for a closely related species.

A new species of hermaphrodite land snail found in Taiwan has been named in support of marriage equality.

Its discovery is reported in the journal.

"When we were preparing the manuscript, it was a period when Taiwan and many other countries and states were struggling for the recognition of same-sex marriage rights," said Dr Yen-Chang Lee, who first suggested the snail might entail its own species.

"It reminded us that Pulmonata land snails are hermaphrodite animals, which means they have both male and female reproductive organs in a single individual.

"We decided that maybe this is a good occasion to name the snail to remember the struggle for the recognition of same-sex marriage rights."

Dr Lee, from Academia Sinica in Taipei, noticed in 2003 that land snails of the established species Aegista subchinensis seemed to be markedly different on the eastern side of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.

Together with researchers from the National Taiwan Normal University, Dr Lee then conducted a detailed study of the shape of the animals as well as molecular markers.

The new diversifamilia species, from the east of the mountains, has a larger, flatter shell and is in fact more closely related to a land snail from Ishigaki Island in Japan.

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Meet the zebra lizard and 6 more of the newest species to be discovered

The World Wildlife Fund have discovered hundreds of new species and the pictures are sure to take your breath away.

Since 2012 the global charity has identified 367 new discoveries while researching in the Greater Mekong region in southeast Asia.

 

Included on the list are 290 plants, 24 fish, 21 amphibians, 28 reptiles, three mammals and one bird.

Amongst the most interesting ones that have been found include a zebra-striped lizard.

The reptile is only 11.5cm in length and has only one known habitat.

If creepy crawlies are more your thing, a blind huntsman spider also made the list.

With no eye sight the arachnid pursues its prey using its eight legs.

Dr Thomas Gray, manager of WWF-Greater Mekong's species programme, said: "The species discoveries affirm the Greater Mekong as one of the world's richest and most biodiverse regions.

"If we're to prevent these new species disappearing into extinction, and to keep alive the hope of finding other fascinating creatures in years to come, it's critical that governments invest in conservation and green growth strategies."

The WWF is an international organisation dedicated to the conservation of the environment.

They have been active since 1961.

Their latest announcement also included the discovery of a zorro-masked water snake and a rainbow lizard.

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Scientists discover new colourful bird species in Indonesia

Researchers in Indonesia have discovered a colourful new species of bird, but warned that the pace of development could threaten the diverse biology of the region.

A team of scientists from Trinity College, Dublin identified the Wakatobi Flowerpecker (Dicaeum kuehni) after many expeditions to the Wakatobi islands in south-east Sulawesi.

The researchers, led by PhD student Sean Kelly, found that the Wakatobi Flowerpecker is notably larger and genetically distinct from the grey sided flowerpecker that habits an area on the other side of a 27km stretch of sea.

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Dancing frog species discovered in Indian jungle mountains

Scientists have discovered 14 new species of so-called dancing frogs in the jungle mountains of southern India.

Indian biologists say they found the tiny acrobatic amphibians, which earned their name with the unusual kicks they use to attract mates, declining dramatically in number during the 12 years in which they chronicled the species through morphological descriptions and molecular DNA markers. They breed after the yearly monsoon in fast-rushing streams, but their habitat appears to be becoming increasingly dry.

"It's like a Hollywood movie, both joyful and sad. On the one hand, we have brought these beautiful frogs into public knowledge. But about 80% are outside protected areas, and in some places, it was as if nature itself was crying," said the project's lead scientist, University of Delhi professor Sathyabhama Das Biju.

Biju said that, as researchers tracked frog populations, forest soils lost moisture and perennial streams ran inexplicably dry. He acknowledged his team's observations about forest conditions were only anecdotal; the scientists did not have time or resources to collect data demonstrating the declining habitat trends they believed they were witnessing.

The study listing the new species published Thursday in the Ceylon Journal of Science brings the number of known Indian dancing frog species to 24. They're found exclusively in the Western Ghats, a lush mountain range that stretches 1,600 kilometers (990 miles) from the western state of Maharashtra down to the country's southern tip.

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New praying mantis species discovered

Nineteen new species of a tree-living praying mantis family have been discovered, tripling the group’s diversity at a stroke.

The bark mantises (Liturgusa Saussure) from Central and South America were found in tropical forests and among specimens kept in museums.

Many of the newly described species are known only from a few specimens collected before 1950 from locations now heavily impacted by agriculture or urban development.

“Based on this study, we can predict that mantis groups with similar habitat specialisation in Africa, Asia and Australia will also be far more diverse than what is currently known,” said Dr Gavin Svenson, curator of invertebrate zoology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in the US.

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New Crocodile Species Discovered in West Africa

Studying crocodiles in some of the world’s most remote and inaccessible places isn’t easy, but it’s all in a day’s work for researcher Matthew Shirley. It is also, as he says, a “crazy amount of fun”—even on the days when catching and studying crocodiles leaves him covered in his own blood. “I love cruising through these often very remote waterways at night with a hundred billion stars overhead and seeing these ecosystems through a new light—or really just my spotlight!”

Shirley, who recently completed his doctorate at the University of Florida’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, has spent the past few years studying crocodiles in several African countries. His research has resulted in a major new discovery: a new species of crocodile that has been hiding in plain sight for thousands of years.

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Scientists Discover New Species of Freshwater Sculpin in Rivers of Idaho and Montana

Scientists have discovered a new type of freshwater sculpin in the mountain rivers of Idaho and Montana. The fish has larger head and usually grow no longer than six inches. The fish is a rare one and has been named by scientists as the cedar sculpin for the Western red cedars being found near the Idaho rivers.

Michael Young is co-author of the paper naming the creature, published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. He said, "The discovery of a new fish is something I never thought would happen in my career, because it's very rare in the United State". He added that this can be expected in more remote parts of the world, but not in the US.

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Country’s First New Species of Fish Discovered

The science community welcomed a new species of fish today, called Evoita santanai. The striking, pinkish-mauve-and-white animal, a type of dwarf goby, was found off Timor-Leste (map), and is the first new species of fish found in the country, according to Conservation International (CI), the group that made the discovery.

The new fish description was published in the journal Zootaxa this week, based on four specimens collected by CI scientists in Nino Konis Santana National Park, the country’s first national park. Researchers found the new fish in shallow water during an August 2012 survey designed to help officials manage the park. The scientists also discovered that Timor-Leste is third in the world for coral reef fish diversity.

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Spectacular New Species of Beetle Found in French Guiana

The beetle, scientifically named Guyanemorpha spectabilis, belongs to the Pseudomorphini tribe, famous for the co-existence of its representatives with various ant species.

Guyanemorpha spectabilis, commonly named the Spectacular Guyane False-form beetle, stands out among its dull relatives in the Western Hemisphere, with its great size and beautiful coloration.

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New species found: walking catfish, Beelzebub bat and two-legged lizard

From a devilish-looking bat to a frog that sings like a bird, scientists have identified 126 new species in the Greater Mekong area, the WWF said in a new report detailing discoveries in 2011.

But threats to the region's biodiversity mean many of the new species are already struggling to survive, the conservation group warned. "The good news is new discoveries. The bad news is that it is getting harder and harder in the world of conservation and environmental sustainability," Nick Cox, manager of WWF-Greater Mekong's Species Programme, said.

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4 Legless Lizard Species Discovered in California

Four previously unknown species of snakelike creatures have been found in California — but don't call them snakes; they're legless lizards. Prior to the discovery of the new species, there was only one known legless lizard species in the United States: the California legless lizard.

Surprisingly, the newfound legless lizards were discovered at a series of sites that weren't exactly pristine: They include a dune bordering a runway at Los Angeles International Airport; an empty lot in downtown Bakersfield, Calif.; a field littered with oil derricks; and the margins of the Mojave Desert.

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Two New Species of Electric Knifefishes Discovered in Central Amazon

These species – Brachyhypopomus bennetti and Brachyhypopomus walteri – are weakly electric relatives of South America’s famous electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) that can produce strong electric discharges of up to 600 volts.

By contrast, the new species produce pulses of only a few hundred millivolts from an organ under the body that extends out onto a filamentous tail.

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