Scientists have discovered a new species of beetle called Trigonopterus corona on the island of Sulawesi in the country of Indonesia. That’s not the only species of insect named after a pandemic. In the month of April 2021, a new species of caddisfly which is a moth-like insect was found near a stream in Kosovo and was given the name Potamophylax coronavirus.
Highlights
This insect named after the pandemic, reflecting the significant impact the Covid19 pandemic had on this project. Researchers were studying this Trigonopterus genus for the period of last 15 years but the studies were postponed as the Covid 19 pandemic outbreak occurred globally. Trigonopterus is a highly diverse genus of flightless weevil that is found in the Australia India Melanesia Islands. The weevil is often referred to as a meal bug because it is so common there. The weevil is a type of beetle with an elongated nose.
Origination
The genus Trigonopterus originate in northern Australia, spread rapidly in New Guinea, then colonized Sulawesi, and further west to Sundaland which is a biogeographic region of Southeast Asia.
Sulawesi Island
It is one of the four major Sunda Islands in Indonesia. A strangely shaped island with four different peninsulas, forming three large bays Toro to the east, Tomini which is the largest to the northeast, and Bourne to the south. The archipelago includes Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and Borneo. The island is alpine and has several active volcanoes, but the southern peninsula and central south of the island have wide plains where rice is cultivated.
