In February 2024, the description of a new longhorn beetle species from the Philippines was published in the Philippine Journal of Science.
๐ฝ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐จ
Distribution/habitat: Mindanao (Municipality of Boston, Davao Oriental)
Endemic: Possible/likely, as Philippine Cerambycidae (long-horned) species are โmostly endemic,โ per the authors
Distinctive traits: The body, antennae, and legs of ๐. ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด are matte black. Females are slightly bigger than males, and have broader white markings on their forewings. These markings, among other characteristics, help differentiate ๐. ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด from other ๐๐ช๐ต๐บ๐ญ๐ฆ species.
Conservation status: Unknown/Unspecified
Described by: Milton Norman D. Medina, Amy G. Ponce, and Jhonnel P. Villegas
Etymology: ๐. ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด takes its species name from the Latin word for โorientโ or โeast,โ a reference to both Davao Oriental (its province of origin) and the fact that Boston (the specific municipality where it was discovered) is located on the provinceโs east coast.
Significance
From the authors: โThe municipality of Boston is part of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, a continuous stretch of forest ecosystems that serve as a biological sanctuary in the eastern part of Mindanao. This corridor is among the countryโs few remaining biological frontiers and is a priority conservation area for its unique flora and fauna. The area is a very important habitat for several endemic beetle species.โ The discovery and description of ๐. ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด along with the first catalog of the ๐๐ช๐ต๐บ๐ญ๐ฆ genus serve as useful references, both for enhancing ecotourism in Davao Oriental and in aiding authorities to craft and implement stronger policies for conservation.โMF
Reference:
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
