In January 2024, the description of a new species of springtail from the Philippines was published in Zootaxa.
πΌπ‘π‘π€π¨ππ€π₯πͺπ¨ ππ§ππ€π§πππ‘ππ¨
Distribution/habitat: Mt. Makiling (Luzon, Philippines)
About the species: As entomologist Dr. Aimee Lynn Barrion-Dupo wrote in a Facebook post: βSpringtails 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.
βThis new species differs [from other ππππ°π΄π€π°π±πΆπ΄ species] in the arrangement of hairs or bristles […] The species name is derived from the word βarboreal,β which means βliving in treesβ, referring to the presence of π. π’π³π£π°π³π¦π’ππͺπ΄ 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.ββMF
Reference: Marnelli S. Alviola, Cristian C. LucaΓ±as, Ireneo L. Lit Jr., Felipe N. Soto-Adames and Sopark Jantarit. A new canopy-dwelling Species of the Genus Alloscopus BΓΆrner (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.
