A team of international researchers, including experts from the University of Göttingen, has identified seven new species
A species is a group of living organisms that share a set of common characteristics and are able to breed and produce fertile offspring. The concept of a species is important in biology as it is used to classify and organize the diversity of life. There are different ways to define a species, but the most widely accepted one is the biological species concept, which defines a species as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce viable offspring in nature. This definition is widely used in evolutionary biology and ecology to identify and classify living organisms.
" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none !important; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;">species of leaf insects, also known as “walking leaves.” These insects are part of the stick and leaf insect order and are known for their unusual appearance: they look confusingly similar to parts of plants such as twigs, bark, or – in the case of leaf insects – leaves.
Their advanced camouflage not only serves as a defense mechanism against predators but also poses a challenge for scientific study. Through genetic analysis, the scientists were able to uncover “cryptic species,” which look identical externally but are genetically distinct. This research has significant implications not only for the systematic classification of leaf insects but also for the conservation of their biodiversity. The findings were recently published journal ZooKeys.
Taxonomy – meaning the naming, description, and classification of species – is difficult in the case of leaf insects: individuals of different species can be difficult to tell apart, yet there can be huge variations within a species.
Individuals of different species are often counted as belonging to the same species based on their appearance. We were only able to identify some of the new species by their genetic characteristics,” explains the Project Lead, Dr Sarah Bank-Aubin, Göttingen University’s Animal Evolution and Biodiversity Department.
Some individual insects from India were previously thought to belong to a species that is widespread in Southeast Asia. But now the researchers have found out that they are a completely new species of leaf insects.
Bank-Aubin emphasizes: “The finding is important for species conservation: if all the individuals die out in India, it is not just a group within a species that is reduced, as was previously thought. In fact, a whole distinct species is being wiped out. This means that the Indian species is particularly important to protect.”
Other newly discovered species come from Vietnam, Borneo, Java, and the Philippines.
The researchers from Göttingen University worked with leaf insect expert Royce Cumming, City University New York. This research collaboration has led to the identification of over twenty new species.
Dr Sven Bradler, who has been researching the evolution of stick and leaf insects at the University of Göttingen for more than 20 years, explains: “There are around 3,500 known species of stick and leaf insects and there are currently just over 100 described species of leaf insect. Although they only make up a small fraction of this diverse family of insects, their spectacular and unexpected appearance makes them unique.”
A species is a group of living organisms that share a set of common characteristics and are able to breed and produce fertile offspring. The concept of a species is important in biology as it is used to classify and organize the diversity of life. There are different ways to define a species, but the most widely accepted one is the biological species concept, which defines a species as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce viable offspring in nature. This definition is widely used in evolutionary biology and ecology to identify and classify living organisms.
" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none !important; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;">species of leaf insects, also known as “walking leaves.” These insects are part of the stick and leaf insect order and are known for their unusual appearance: they look confusingly similar to parts of plants such as twigs, bark, or – in the case of leaf insects – leaves.
Their advanced camouflage not only serves as a defense mechanism against predators but also poses a challenge for scientific study. Through genetic analysis, the scientists were able to uncover “cryptic species,” which look identical externally but are genetically distinct. This research has significant implications not only for the systematic classification of leaf insects but also for the conservation of their biodiversity. The findings were recently published journal ZooKeys.
Taxonomy – meaning the naming, description, and classification of species – is difficult in the case of leaf insects: individuals of different species can be difficult to tell apart, yet there can be huge variations within a species.
Individuals of different species are often counted as belonging to the same species based on their appearance. We were only able to identify some of the new species by their genetic characteristics,” explains the Project Lead, Dr Sarah Bank-Aubin, Göttingen University’s Animal Evolution and Biodiversity Department.
Some individual insects from India were previously thought to belong to a species that is widespread in Southeast Asia. But now the researchers have found out that they are a completely new species of leaf insects.
Bank-Aubin emphasizes: “The finding is important for species conservation: if all the individuals die out in India, it is not just a group within a species that is reduced, as was previously thought. In fact, a whole distinct species is being wiped out. This means that the Indian species is particularly important to protect.”
Other newly discovered species come from Vietnam, Borneo, Java, and the Philippines.
The researchers from Göttingen University worked with leaf insect expert Royce Cumming, City University New York. This research collaboration has led to the identification of over twenty new species.
Dr Sven Bradler, who has been researching the evolution of stick and leaf insects at the University of Göttingen for more than 20 years, explains: “There are around 3,500 known species of stick and leaf insects and there are currently just over 100 described species of leaf insect. Although they only make up a small fraction of this diverse family of insects, their spectacular and unexpected appearance makes them unique.”
