Scientists at the Natural History Museum in London have described at least 815 new animal species in 2023, including 619 species of wasps. Species described include extinct species as well as discovered worms, frogs and beetles.
According to the Natural History Museum (NHM), describing new (unknown) animal species year after year is an important task for species protection. “As the Earth faces a biodiversity crisis, it is more important than ever to understand all life on Earth.”
Many species of wasps
At least 619 new species of wasps have been described in the past year. Together, researchers John Noyes and Christer Hansson have described a total of 574 of the 619 new species.
Wasp species are very diverse. Most of the new wasps discovered this year belong to the Encyrtidae. These are parasitic insects that lay their eggs on and in invertebrates.
According to Noyes, Encyrtidae “has been very important over the past 60 years.” It was important, among other things, to control pests in agriculture.
Beetles and other animal species
In addition to the wasps, 58 new beetles have also been described, including bright green and pinkish-orange specimens from Laos and China.
24 species of frogs have also been added to the list. Among these species, there are twenty “miniature species” of organisms Mantidactyl From the forests of Madagascar.
New species discovered on whale carcass
Scientists have discovered nine new worms on a whale carcass in Byron Bay, Australia. Some of these species eat carcass bones.
Excavations
Some extinct animals have also been added to the list. Scientists discovered four new species of fossil birds last year, including one that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. It has also been described as the largest penguin to have ever lived on Earth.
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