New species of jewel scarab was discovered in the Canandé reserve.
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It was around 3:00 a.m. on the first night of an expedition to the Canandé reserve when Manuel Barría was putting gas in the electric generator that supplied the light trap. At that moment, he saw a little green reflection shining in the net. He thought the gleam was just his sleepy eyes playing tricks on him, but when he approached, he saw the Chrysina he'd so hoped to find. "I couldn't believe it, and I jumped for joy!"
Manuel had felt a hunch in mid-2021 when he saw a strange green scarab on iNaturalist. It turned out to be true. In a short time, he had gathered funds and prepared an expedition to Canandé. So began the search for this jewel scarab, uncommon in Ecuador and initially appeared to be the sibling of a Panamanian species considered extinct.
Warm dawn in the Canandé reserve was the perfect moment for this beetle to appear before Manuel and his companion, the renowned entomologist David Robacker. In this way, these beetles avoid the heat and wetness of rainy days in April and May.
At the same time, Manuel and David dealt with the anxiety of gathering the necessary personnel to describe a species in seven days in an area with a much lower density of beetles than average in Central America. Fortunately, they managed to collect a female and two males of the species, these last being vital because it is through the male genitalia that scientists can more easily describe species of this type.
Aside from this excellent find which reinforces the level of endemism and biodiversity in our Canandé reserve, Manuel collected additional information for another study he is undertaking to assess the level of disturbance to the forests via species collected. The is how he was able to determine that Canandé is a primary forest with a very low level of disturbance, except for the areas bordering highways. Nonetheless, to his surprise, he saw how the wood industry moves truckfuls of trees cut down around our reserve.
As Manuel aptly commented, "Once you cross the river, you meet an imposing forest (...). It's a shame that, along the way, you run into so many trucks full of felled trees."
For this and more, we are grateful to all our donors and allies who make possible the Canandé reserve, where our team works hard to preserve the last remnant of this little-studied ecosystem which is so vital for global ecology.
You can access the scientific article at the following link:
