TORONTO – For people who are afraid of bugs, you might think that the city – with its concrete buildings, bustling streets and relative lack of greenery – might be a safe place to keep away from bugs.
Not necessarily.
Some university students in Metro Manila, Philippines, – the 10th largest megacity in the world – were surprised to discover a new species of beetle hanging around their campus.
While on field training in November 2012, biology students and a faculty member from the university’s department of biology sampled creeks, ponds and pools in wooded areas around its sprawling 83-hectare campus. Seven species of water beetles were found, including an unknown one, called Hydraena ateneo, named after the university.
“I was so amazed that there are new species even in the Ateneo Campus in the middle of Manila,” said student Arielle Vidal.
The findings were published in the international open-access scientific journal Zookeys.
“The Long-palped Water Beetles (genus Hydraena) are in fact one of the most overlooked and diverse genera of aquatic beetles,” said associate professor Dr. Hendrik Freitag. “Only 14 species of this genus – all endemic – are known from the country by now, but many more wait to be named and described… Those species that were found in the Ateneo campus must have re-colonized the area after the tree cover has re-established in the last 50 years and the small creeks began to flow again.”
The study showed that small patches of semi-natural habitats in the city can accommodate a mix of species, which they hope will lead to a push to protect lands of urban biodiversity.
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