You Lookin’ at Me?
Posted by Richard Conniff on October 16, 2012
Borneo long-nosed frog
The Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, The Netherlands, has recently completed a species-finding expedition in Borneo, turning up at least 160 new species. Here’s part of the press release:
The largest numbers of new species were found among the spiders and fungi. Other new species include true bugs, beetles, snails, stalk-eyed flies, damselflies, ferns, termites and possibly a frog. Also a new location of the spectacular pitcher plant Nepenthes lowii has been found.
New blue fungus
For the fungi experts, the area was an Eldorado. József Geml: “While the plant and animal life of this mountain has been the focus of numerous research projects, Kinabalu has remained terra incognita for scientific studies on fungi. It is difficult not to feel overwhelmed by this task. One of the manifestations of this diversity comes in the endless variety of shapes and colors that sometimes are truly breathtaking. While the detailed scientific work will take years, we already know that many of these species are new to science.”
Atlas Moth from Borneo
Baron Patrick de Koenigswarter said
Fascinated by the photo of the Borneo Atlas Moth (?) which – aside from the strikingly gaudier coloration as contrasted with the Attacus atlas moth found hereabouts (in the Philippines) seems to have one impressively different feature relating to the “snakes heads” on the upper tips of its forewings which are normally “flat”; i.e., seen as if in profile, showing only one eyespot. In the case of the newly discovered Bornean moth, thanks to a kind of shading on the wing, the “face of the snake” appears in almost 3/4 aspect, looking up with 2 eyespots visible, plus a yellow line defining what could be a “lip” to the “Snake’s” mouth, all of which greatly enhance the realism of this presumably defensive feature of the “snakes”, no doubt intended to scare potential predators looking down on the resting moth.Would appreciate any comments from the experts if possible. Thanks!
Richard Conniff said
Added photo so people can check out those snakehead wingtips. Thanks.