Scientists discover new species of beetle by accident. I was at the laboratory door

The new species measures just over a millimeter, which made it more difficult to identify, and was in the university’s pine trees.

A seemingly mundane discovery on a university campus in Japan has led to a landmark scientific revision to the classification of scarabs not country.

Researchers at Kyushu University have identified a new, previously unknown species of beetle. hidden in plain sight in campus pines Hakozaki satellite.

The species, named Parastethorus pinicolawas found in Japanese black pine and measures just over a millimeterbeing practically invisible to the naked eye. The discovery was in the scientific journal Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae and is the result of a three-year project dedicated to reviewing the Stethorini tribe, a group of small mite-predating beetles.

Lead investigator Ryōta Seki explains that the choice of location was deliberate. “Did you know that these ladybugs often inhabit pine trees. As there were trees of this type on campus, I decided to investigate there and that’s where I found the new species”, he said. According to the scientist, the lack of attention to this type of habitat may explain why the insect went unnoticed for decades.

The difficulty in identifying these species also contributed to the delay in discovery. Tiny in size and almost identical appearance to each otherthese beetles can only be distinguished through microscopic analysis of their reproductive organs. To overcome this challenge, the team analyzed around 1700 specimens, says .

The study also revealed errors in previous classifications. The species known in Japan as Stethorus japonicus was identified as being, in reality, Stethorus siphonulusa species widely distributed between China and Southeast Asia. In addition, researchers identified a second species new to Hokkaido, called Stethorus gaynamed after Seki’s grandmother.

Munetoshi Maruyama, associate professor and co-author of the study, highlights the ecological importance of these seemingly insignificant insects. “Even on a university campus, there are unknown species living next to us. These small organisms play a fundamental role in ecosystems,” he said.