"Striking beauty"

Newly discovered beetle almost mistaken for bird droppings

It took some time before it became clear what a sensational discovery the young Australian researcher had made.(Bild: Lingzi Zhou, Australian National Insect Collection)

A sensational find almost slipped through the fingers of an Australian researcher - he almost mistook a newly discovered beetle for bird droppings. The insect is not only a new species, but an entirely new genus. The unusual appearance probably has a specific purpose.

"I was walking through the campsite at Binna Burra Lodge (in Lamington National Park south of Brisbane) one morning when something on a Lomandra leaf caught my eye," reported James Tweed, a PhD student at the University of Queensland. Together with other researchers, he was camping in the rainforest in the Gold Coast hinterland.

"To my amazement, I then saw the most extraordinary and fluffiest longhorned beetle I had ever seen. At 9.7 millimeters in size, it was a striking red and black beauty covered in long white hairs."

It was only at second glance that it became clear that the beetle was by no means excrement.(Bild: James Tweed/University of Queensland)

Even the most experienced experts were unaware of the insect
What Tweed didn't know at the time was that the insect was a remarkable new species of fluffy longhorn beetle. After the trip, the young researcher scoured books, scientific papers and the internet to find a match for the species, but nothing looked even remotely similar. Photos posted in a Facebook group for Australian beetles generated a lot of interest, but even the most experienced experts couldn't provide any answers.

An email to the experts at the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) finally confirmed the emerging suspicion. The experts there confirmed that it was undoubtedly a completely new species. But that wasn't all - when Tweed was able to compare his discovery with the extensive collection at the ANIC itself, it turned out that it was an entirely new genus - or family of species.

Appearance not particularly tasty
The name of the unexpected sensational find: Excastra albopilosa. "We chose the name Excastra for the genus, which is Latin for 'from the camp', and for the species name we chose albopilosa, which translates as 'white and hairy'," says Tweed. "We don't yet know what these hairs are for, but our initial theory is that they make the insect look like it has been killed by an insecticidal fungus."

"This would possibly deter predators such as birds from eating the insect, but until someone finds more specimens and studies this species further, we can't say for sure why this beetle is so hairy."

Mystery of why beetle has remained undiscovered
The area near Lamington National Park has been popular with entomologists for more than 100 years, so it is puzzling that it has not yet been found. Tweed himself hasn't had any success either: "I've come back several times to look for more specimens, but I've had no luck."

Climate change reduces chances of sightings
The chance find is a further indication that numerous species have not yet been discovered around the globe. It is estimated that there are around 5.5 million - but only a fifth of these have been named and described so far. "Insects are the most diverse group of animals on our planet, but also the least appreciated and studied."

However, this enormous biodiversity is also under threat, as Tweed clearly points out. Due to climate change in particular, but also due to the many human interventions in nature, "we are experiencing a rapid decline in biodiversity worldwide", he says in alarm. Many unknown species are threatened with extinction as a result; long before they are even discovered.