Angola's Lisima plateau uncovers dozens of species new to science

1 min read
Source: BBC Wildlife Magazine
Angola's Lisima plateau uncovers dozens of species new to science
Photo: BBC Wildlife Magazine
TL;DR

An expedition to Angola’s Lisima plateau documented extraordinary biodiversity: 103 dragonfly/damselfly species (163 for the region), 34 species new to Lisima and six new to Angola, eight undescribed species, and about 1,000+ butterflies and moths, plus 47 grasshoppers/katydids/crickets and other taxa. The Cassai Life Atlas findings by The Wilderness Project fill a major knowledge gap and will guide conservation and land-use decisions as mining and habitat loss threaten the area. The team, including 16 specialists, aims to study 1.2 million square kilometres of African freshwater wilderness by 2035.

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