When researcher James Tweed went tenting in Queensland’s Lamington National Park, he made an surprising discovery. What at first look gave the impression to be simply hen droppings was really a beforehand unseen beetle with a particularly uncommon look.
University of Queensland researcher Mr. Tweed instructed the BBC he was stunned by it, saying “It’s very unique.” Not many bugs on the earth possess that attribute.”
An completely new household of longhorn beetles has been confirmed by the nationwide science company CSIRO.
This newfound longhorn beetle, no greater than your fingernail, boasts a spiky white mohawk, making it a becoming candidate for the nickname “punk beetle.”
“A lot of the hairs stand basically straight upright, and so it gives it a bit of a mohawk-type look,” the entomologist instructed the BBC.
While tenting in December 2021, researcher James Tweed stumbled upon a tiny creature on a leaf. His preliminary impression? Bird droppings. But one thing about it sparked his curiosity. “There was a nagging feeling that I should take a closer look,” Tweed recounted. This instinct paid off – the seemingly mundane speck turned out to be a groundbreaking discovery. Tweed introduced the specimen to the CSIRO’s Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) for additional examination.
“I worked with a couple of colleagues from the national insect collection, who literally wrote the book on these groups of beetles… they examined tens of thousands of specimens in museums all over Australia and the world, and they’ve never found it before,” he stated.
Mr Tweed remarked on the beetle’s distinctive mohawk, not like something he’d ever encountered within the insect world.
The researcher stated that the beetle’s look units it aside from different bugs. “This is something pretty special, something pretty different,” he remarked.
Experts theorize that the punk beetle’s spiky white hair may be a intelligent trick for survival. Mimicking hen droppings or a fungal an infection through the day, these distinctive hairs may assist the beetle camouflage itself from predators.
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