Activist Greta Thunberg gets new species of beetle named after her

Activist Greta Thunberg gets new species of beetle named after her

- Four hundred new species of creatures have been discovered in 2019 by the London-based Natural History Museum

- One species was of a new beetle was named after teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg

- Scientists said species are being lost faster than they are being found and it is worrisome

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A total number of 400 new species of creatures were discovered in 2019 by experts at the Natural History Museum, including a beetle that was named after teen climate activist, Greta Thunberg.

Daily Mail reports that the naming of the species was done by the London-based museum. Among the list are 171 beetles.

There were also newfound lichens, marsupials, snakes and long-extinct dinosaurs, as scientists warned that the species are being lost before they are even discovered.

It should be noted that the museum’s scientists are one of the biggest groups in the world. A museum doctor of science, Tim Littlewood, spoke about how species discovery is always exciting.

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Scientists are worried that species are being lost more than they are found. Photo source: Daily Mail
Scientists are worried that species are being lost more than they are found. Photo source: Daily Mail
Source: UGC
“Species discovery is always exciting and shows just how much there is still to understand about our planet.
“Learning how evolution has yielded new species able to live in Earth's diverse habitats is awe-inspiring,” he said.

He went further to add that humanity is losing them at a very alarming rate. The largest group that was newly discovered are Coleoptera (beetles) that were found in places like Kenya, Japan, Malaysia and Venezuela.

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Another thing worthy of note is that seven new plants and 12 species of sea polychaete worms were also discovered.

On the new discovery, Dr Adrian Glover said: “It's a little bit surprising that this work hasn't taken place already, particularly in an environment that is already quite well sampled.”

Meanwhile, earlier reports indicate that a very small species of insect which protects against invasive pests that threaten crops has been named after popular actor Idris Elba.

The Idris Elba wasp was first discovered in Guanajuato, Mexico, where it was seen attacking the eggs of Bagrada stink bug, a major pest that feeds on cabbage and broccoli.

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Source: Briefly News

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