Discoveries in Angola: New Species Unveiled on Lisima Plateau
- On Wednesday, an expedition to Angola's Lisima plateau announced it discovered dozens of species potentially unknown to science, capturing the most detailed picture yet of the biodiversity hotspot described as "one of Africa's last great biodiversity blank spots."
- Near-Impenetrable geography and a ruinous 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 long stymied access to the remote highlands, which feed the headwaters of the Congo, Okavango, Zambezi, and Cuanza river systems.
- Scientists recorded 103 dragonfly and damselfly species, including eight new to science, alongside 60 new butterflies and moths, with other finds including a spider that glows blue under ultraviolet light and a ladybird orb-web spider that mimics toxic insects.
- Expedition leader Rob Taylor warned that wildlife faces threats from "tree-felling, deforestation and... the artisanal diamond mining industry," though Ramsar named the area, called Lisima Lya Mwono , a wetland of international importance last October.
- The Wilderness Project, which conducted the February survey known as the Cassai Life Atlas, now prioritizes formalizing protection for the plateau, having previously pushed for 5.4 million hectares of the area to be recognized in 2025.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Algemeen Dagblad
Scientists have discovered dozens of new animal species in Angola, including a fluorescent spider and an armored cricket. The species were found during an expedition to the remote Lisima Plateau, a region that remained unknown to scientists for a long time.
Africa: Dozens of New Species Found in One of Africa's Last Biodiversity Blank Spots
A major survey of Angola's remote Lisima plateau has uncovered species unknown to science, including new dragonflies, grasshoppers, moths and butterflies, confirming the highlands as one of Africa's most exciting biodiversity frontiers.
It was thanks to a group of experts, who conducted an investigation in Africa.The characteristics of the striking spider and other previously unknown specimens.
Researchers have discovered dozens of new animal species on a remote plateau in Angola that have not previously been described by science. These include dragonflies, grasshoppers, butterflies, and moths, but also a fluorescent crowned crab spider and an armored, predatory cricket.
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