In January 2024, the description of a new species of springtail from the Philippines was published in Zootaxa.
๐ผ๐ก๐ก๐ค๐จ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ช๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐จ
Distribution/habitat: Mt. Makiling (Luzon, Philippines)
About the species: As entomologist Dr. Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo wrote in a Facebook post: โSpringtails are soft-bodied arthropods with a characteristic forked appendage folded like a spring underneath their abdomen, hence, their common name. This appendage propels the arthropod to jump at a length several times more than its body length.
โThis new species differs [from other ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ด๐ค๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด species] in the arrangement of hairs or bristles […] The species name is derived from the word โarboreal,โ which means โliving in treesโ, referring to the presence of ๐. ๐ข๐ณ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ด in forest canopies. Though the species is present in both the canopy and forest floor, it is still unusual among Filipino entomologists to find springtails in the canopy. The discovery of this new jumping gem is a reminder that even in the familiar corners of the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, there are still species waiting to be unveiled.โโMF
Reference: Marnelli S. Alviola, Cristian C. Lucaรฑas, Ireneo L. Lit Jr., Felipe N. Soto-Adames and Sopark Jantarit. A new canopy-dwelling Species of the Genus Alloscopus Bรถrner (Collembola: Orchesellidae: Heteromurinae) from Mt. Makiling, Philippines. Zootaxa. 5405(2); 281-295. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5405.2.8.
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.
