Wildlife researchers have identified dozens of previously unknown insect species during an expedition to Angola’s remote Lisima Plateau, a conservation group announced on Wednesday.
The Wilderness Project explored the plateau’s waterways, which feed four of Africa’s major river systems: the Congo, Okavango, Zambezi and Cuanza.
Among the discoveries were eight new dragonfly species, three previously unknown grasshoppers and around 60 new butterflies and moths displaying a range of striking colours.
Researchers also documented an armoured predatory cricket, a newly identified copper-coloured caterpillar and its adult butterfly form, as well as a crowned crab spider that glows under ultraviolet light.
Another notable find was a new blood orange-coloured ladybird orb-weaver spider. The species mimics ladybirds by using its bright colouring to warn predators that it may be toxic or unpalatable.
Expedition leader Rob Taylor described the armoured crickets as particularly remarkable.
“The armoured crickets are very cool ... very fierce-looking,” Taylor told Reuters. “As a defence mechanism, they can actually squirt fluid onto whoever's trying to attack them.”
The discoveries come as scientists worldwide seek to catalogue species before they disappear amid a growing biodiversity crisis.
Researchers estimate that Earth is home to around 8.7 million species, yet only about 1.5 million have been formally identified by science.
Human activity continues to drive species loss, with more than 800 animal species believed to have become extinct since 1500 and around one million plant and animal species currently facing the risk of extinction.
Taylor warned that the Lisima Plateau’s unique wildlife faces increasing pressure from deforestation, tree-felling and artisanal diamond mining.
He also highlighted the impact of slash-and-burn farming, a practice that clears forests for cultivation but often leaves soil depleted as nutrients are washed away, further degrading natural habitats.
Global equities rose after mild inflation data strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates steady. Oil prices also edg...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 13th of August, covering the latest developments....
Venezuelan authorities plan to focus on reconstruction efforts and recovering around 31 metric tons of gold, worth an estimated $4 billion, held in th...
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
Rhossi, a rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle that washed up near death on a Welsh beach in 2023, has returned to Texas after more than two years of rehabilitation in the UK.
Glacier coverage in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Basin has shrunk by 33.7 per cent over the past 70–90 years, according to an updated glacier inventory by Kyrgyzhydromet. The agency says the pace of glacier retreat has accelerated sharply in recent years.
Extreme heat and historically low river levels are forcing nuclear power plants across Southeast Europe to reduce production, increasing pressure on already stretched electricity supplies and prompting governments to call for lower consumption.
Flash floods in Gansu Province in China's northwest last week killed 25 people and injured 23 more, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday, raising earlier death tolls.
Three firefighters have died as wildfires continue to burn across Greece, with Crete facing a second day of intense blazes driven by strong winds. The fires come as Europe battles destructive wildfires fuelled by extreme heat and drought.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment