new beetle species discovered tenerife ravine

New beetle species discovered in Tenerife ravine

New beetle species added to global biodiversity inventory in Tenerife

A beetle discovered in the Barranco de Lora ravine in Los Realejos has been formally described as a new species for science, bearing the name Mycetaea tenerifensis. The species is considered endemic to the Canary Islands and, for now, has only been found in this specific location.

Discovery details and scientific description

The specimens were collected by sifting soil beneath a fig tree at an altitude of around 400 metres. Mycetaea tenerifensis has been described in a study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society by researchers Wioletta Tomaszewska, Emmanuel Arriaga-Varela and Karol Szawaryn. The research analyses the diversity and evolutionary relationships within the family Mycetaeidae, a group of beetles little known outside specialist circles.

Significance for Canary Islands biodiversity

The finding adds a new endemic species to the known fauna of the Canary Islands and shines a spotlight on invertebrates, a group that still holds many of the keys to understanding the archipelago’s biodiversity. In a territory defined by isolation and unique evolutionary processes, every described species helps piece together the natural history of the islands.

Information on Mycetaea tenerifensis is available in BIOTA, the Canary Islands Biodiversity Data Bank.

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