Guess what? Scientists have discovered a brand-new insect species right in the middle of a bustling city in the Chinese mainland! 🌆🐞
The tiny beetle, named Eidoreus haizhuensis (try saying that three times fast!), was found in the Haizhu Wetland in Guangzhou, a big city in south China’s Guangdong Province.
This little guy is only about 1.2 to 1.3 millimeters long—that’s smaller than a grain of rice! 🍚 It has a reddish-brown, oval-shaped body and lighter-colored legs and antennae.
So how did they find such a tiny creature? Well, a team of researchers from the Guangdong Academy of Sciences has been studying insects in the Haizhu Wetland since 2020. During their careful work, they discovered this new beetle species!
Yu Yali, one of the scientists, said that smaller insects like this beetle often go unnoticed because they’re so teeny. But finding it is super important! It adds to the variety of life we know about and helps us understand how different creatures live and evolve.
What’s really cool is that most new species are usually found in wild, rural places. But this beetle was found in an urban wetland—a natural area right inside the city! 🌳🏙️ The Haizhu Wetland covers 1,100 hectares (that’s big!) and has been working to protect habitats for all sorts of creatures since 2012.
So far, scientists have found 903 different insect species in the Haizhu Wetland. Amazing, right?
This discovery shows that nature is all around us, even in the middle of busy cities. Next time you’re at a park or wetland, keep your eyes peeled—you never know what tiny wonders you might find! 👀🌿
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
