ANGOLA \u2014\u00a0A crowned crab spider that glows a vibrant blue under ultraviolet light is among dozens of unknown species discovered in Angola\u2019s remote Lisima\u00a0plateau\u00a0during a survey expedition to \u201cAfrica\u2019s\u00a0last great biodiversity blank spots,\u201d according to The Wilderness Project.<\/p>\n
The survey also documented several rare species that experts had never previously recorded within the region.<\/p>\n
Conducted in February, the expedition, led by\u00a0The Wilderness Project<\/a>, culminated in a biodiversity survey called the\u00a0Cassai Life Atlas<\/a>.<\/p>\n The findings offer vital new insights into a critical landscape that feeds four of Africa\u2019s largest river systems: the Congo, the Okavango, the Zambezi and the Cuanza.<\/p>\n Water flowing from the Lisima plateau travels thousands of kilometers downstream, supplying vital freshwater to regional communities and ecosystems, including the\u00a0UNESCO<\/a>\u00a0World Heritage-listed Okavango Delta.<\/p>\n Crowned crab spider glowing blue under UV light. Nicky Bay\/The Wilderness Project<\/p>\n The expedition expands upon 10 years of baseline data collected from the Okavango and Lungwebungu river systems by National Geographic researchers.<\/p>\n Though vital to the local\u00a0ecosystem<\/a>, a combination of extreme remoteness, active landmines and a 27-year civil war kept Angola\u2019s Lisima plateau almost completely unmapped for decades.<\/p>\n February\u2019s expedition was composed of 16 scientists set to \u201cfill that gap.\u201d According to The Wilderness Project, they found eight undescribed dragonfly species, three new grasshopper species and approximately\u00a060\u00a0moths and\u00a0butterflies<\/a>.<\/p>\n New discoveries like planthoppers offer vital insights into a landscape. Nicky Bay\/The Wilderness Project<\/p>\n Some of the remarkable findings can be broken down into these categories as follows:<\/p>\n Dragonflies, moths and grasshoppers<\/p>\n According to The Wilderness Project, 103 dragonfly and damselfly species were recorded, along with over 1,000 butterflies and moths and 47 grasshopper, katydid and cricket taxa.<\/p>\n This has brought the dragonfly and damselfly species count for the region to 163, with 34 documented for the first time.<\/p>\n Newly discovered katydid species. Nicky Bay\/The Wilderness Project<\/p>\n Additionally, of the 47 grasshopper, katydid and cricket taxa, three are entirely new to\u00a0science<\/a>.<\/p>\n Leading dragonfly specialist and associate of Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra said, \u201cLisima\u2019s sandy plateau releases some of the clearest and most reliable fresh water in Africa, which is reflected in the region\u2019s dragonflies and damselflies, with several highly specialized species found nowhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n Biologists have been analyzing the massive collection of over 1,000 butterflies and moths to map their complex relationships with local plant families and other insect populations.<\/p>\n Many-plumed moth Nicky Bay\/The Wilderness Project<\/p>\n \u201cPreliminary estimates suggest up to 6 percent of all recorded moth species could be new to science,\u201d The Wilderness Project said.<\/p>\n Results of the found beetles, spiders and scorpions are still being examined in the laboratory.<\/p>\n However, some include the crowned crab spider that glows a vibrant blue under ultraviolet light and the ladybird orb-web spider, which mimics a ladybug.<\/p>\n Reptiles, frogs and\u00a0bats<\/p>\n The survey recorded 47 taxa \u2014 24 amphibians and 23 reptiles.<\/p>\n According to The Wilderness Project, this represents a large portion of the region\u2019s known\u00a0wildlife, all captured in a single wet-season survey.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The expedition also documented a highly diverse community of wetland frogs, which highlights how critical the plateau\u2019s\u00a0flooded\u00a0forests and grassy wetlands are to supporting regional\u00a0wildlife.<\/p>\n In the local caves, the team documented Sundevall\u2019s roundleaf bat and R\u00fcppell\u2019s horseshoe bat, along with associated bat flies and ectoparasites.<\/p>\n The Ladybird orb-web spider, which The Wilderness Project said is potentially a new species. Nicky Bay\/The Wilderness Project<\/p>\n This discovery provides important insight into complex ecological interactions.<\/p>\n Plants<\/p>\n Researchers documented over 320 plant collections across the plateau\u2019s diverse ecosystems, which further emphasized the massive amount of botanical life within a small area, according to The Wilderness Project.<\/p>\n Ultimately, this biological mapping is critical because many of these undocumented species risk disappearing before scientists can fully study or even discover them.<\/p>\n Researchers highlighted the discovery in an\u00a0Instagram post,\u00a0<\/a>stating, \u201cWe are only beginning to scratch the surface of the abundance of life inhabiting this region.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t