Text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Li Huankuntu/Haizhu Wetland provided
Recently, in the biodiversity survey project carried out in Guangzhou Haizhu National Wetland Park, researchers discovered a new species of insects in The family Habiaceae in China: Haizhus fluorescent leaf beetle, which has been published in the journal Of Insect Taxonomy, an international academic journal on insect taxonomy.
It is reported that after 9 years of restoration and protection, Haizhu Wetland, as a semi-artificial and semi-natural composite wetland park, has significantly improved the level of insect species and ecological restoration.
The Insect Diversity Survey was launched last July
Biodiversity is an important indicator of the ecological environment, and insects are the largest taxon in the animal kingdom, and they are also an important indicator organism that can judge the effectiveness and health of ecological environment restoration in a short period of time. After 9 years of restoration and protection, has the ecological environment improved significantly? Haizhu Wetland urgently needs to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth background survey of insect resources.
In July 2020, Haizhu Wetland cooperated with the Institute of Zoology of Guangdong Academy of Sciences to launch an insect diversity survey to comprehensively and objectively assess the status of insect diversity in Haizhu Wetland, providing basic data support for long-term ecological monitoring and project research in the later stage.
The survey team installed a total of 28 sampling points in the public open area, restricted open area and wetland conservation area of Haizhu Wetland, and the survey was mainly based on the Malay net method, trap method and flight resistance method, and the sweeping method, yellow disc method and lamp enticing method were used as auxiliary survey methods, and strived to comprehensively, systematically and accurately assess the current situation of insect diversity in the area.
As of July 2021, the specimens collected from this insect survey have basically completed the collation of order-level element specimens, with more than 150,000 specimens obtained, 192 species of 1 order and 26 families newly recorded, and the number of insect species has increased from the original 346 to 535 species.
The new species is the first to be reported in the world
In this insect diversity survey, a remarkable result was the discovery of the genus Fluoriteaceae of the Coleoptera leafaceae family, which is a team of researchers from the Institute of Zoology of the Guangdong Academy of Sciences. The team named it Hyders Firefly Beetle.
The new species is 6.0-6.5 mm long and 4.0-4.3 mm wide. Body yellow; antennae black brown, 1-3 segments yellow; 7 black spots per coleopteryn, 1 pair of basal, central and not far from the end, 1 black spot at the end; yellow or yellowish brown on the ventral surface and feet of the body, and black brown on the median and posterior thorax plates. The head is more prominently segmented, the foot is developed, the front and middle feet are shorter, and the hind feet are the longest.
According to reports, the subfamily Fluorescent Leaf Beetle is rich in species, and it is the largest taxon in the leaf beetle family, with more than 7,000 species known worldwide and 1,054 species in China. Prior to this, there were 25 species in the genus Sphragmata worldwide, and a total of 11 species were clearly recorded in China, mainly in southwest China, and 3 species were previously recorded in Guangdong. After the investigation team consulted the relevant literature, examined a large number of domestic and foreign model specimens and performed anatomical identification of the specimens, it was determined that this kind of fluorescent leaf beetle was different from any previously found Slugium, and it was a new species reported for the first time in the world.
This species was collected from Martens nets and buried tanks in the core conservation area of Haizhu Wetland, and nearby fruit trees such as mango and yellow peel, comparing the biological characteristics of related taxa, it was further speculated that its larvae may grow underground to feed on plant roots. Due to the repeated lighting near the collection site, there was no more specimen, and it was inferred that the adult insects did not have phototropism. The new species was first discovered, and its population is currently found to be very low, coupled with the small number of relevant references, so it is currently impossible to know its specific habits. Combined with the analysis of the distribution area, haizhus is a new species endemic to Guangdong Province.
The species richness of Haizhu Wetland far exceeded expectations
According to reports, the current number of insect specimens in Guangdong Province does not exceed 2 million, while more than 150,000 insect specimens collected in Haizhu Wetland within one year. In the public perception, the species diversity of urban parks will generally be relatively scarce, but "the richness and diversity of Haizhu Wetland (insect species) has subverted our imagination," Yang Xingke said, "According to more than a year of monitoring and investigation, as well as the number of specimens and taxa involved in the current we have, I believe that there is not only this new species in Haizhu Wetland, and there will be more new species to be discovered in the future." ”
Based on the insect diversity data of wetlands in China, the research team selected the wetland insect diversity data that covered the entire insect class and were identified below the genus level for comparison. In contrast, it is found that the level of insect species in Haizhu Wetland has increased significantly since the last insect diversity survey (2018-2019).
From the perspective of the mesh level, the new spinning foot order has been added. At the family level, 1 new family was added to the order Porphyripoda, 1 family was added to Coleoptera, 2 families were added to Lepidoptera, 3 families were added to Diptera, 14 families were added to Hymenoptera, and 5 families were added to Hemiptera. At the species level, 1 new species were added in The Order Zoepoda, 16 new species in Lepidoptera, 25 new species in Coleoptera, 42 new species in Diptera, 98 new species in Hymenoptera, 10 new species in Hemiptera, and 1 new species in Isoptera.
In addition to the new species discovered this time, Haizhu Wetland has added a new record species of Sai's yellow body cocoon wasp, which is only distributed in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka in Taiwan, and it is speculated that there should be more population distribution in the area between the origin and Guangzhou, which provides clues and evidence for exploring the origin and spread of the species, which has important biogeographic significance.
Among the many insects recorded in this survey, including the Red List endangered species of the fine hydrangeae family Tetragonites, but also found the national three protected animals such as the beetle family, the Honeybee Family Chinese Bee, and the Ant Family Bi-toothed Spiny Ant. There are also some insects of great ornamental value that add a lot of beautiful colors to haizhu wetland park, such as: the butterfly family commander green butterfly, the swallow moth family, the step beetle family wide-spotted green step beetle, the percussion family li kowtow, etc. are bright and distinctive insects.
Only requisition, do not turn, repair the stacked fruit forest wetland system, extend the "wetland +", build a wetland park intelligent management system... In the nine years since its completion, Haizhu Wetland has implemented the concept of systematic governance and taken multiple measures at the same time, and the park has a new look. As a rare composite constructed wetland ecosystem where the central wetland of a megacity and the wetland of the inner lake of the city meet the mosaic of fruit forests, Haizhu Wetland is a relatively young ecological environment with obvious artificial intervention.
"The discovery of the Haizhu Lake Firefly Leaf Beetle is of great research value and conservation significance. It shows that under the condition of artificial intervention, the natural ecological environment of Haizhu Wetland is good, and the conservation of biodiversity is effective. Yang Xingke said, "The discovery of new species is a scientific wealth added to the world, enriching biodiversity, and has important theoretical and practical significance for agricultural pest control, ecological protection, and study of the evolution of organisms." (For more news, please pay attention to Yangcheng Pie pai.ycwb.com)
Source | Yangcheng Evening News Yangcheng Pie
Editor-in-charge | Zhan Shuzhen