New Species of “Incredibly Rare” Insect Discovered

A British scientist has discovered a new species that belongs to a group of insects so rare that its closest relative was last seen in 1969. Dr. Alvin Helden, PhD, of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) n the UK found the new species of leafhopper, which he has named Phlogis kibalensis, during field work with students in the rainforest of the Kibale National Park in western Uganda, and the discovery has been announced in the journal Zootaxa. The article is titled “A New Species of the Unusual Leafhopper Genus Phlogis linnavuori (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Signoretiinae) from Uganda.” The new species, which has a distinctive metallic sheen, pitted body, and, in common with most leafhoppers, uniquely-shaped male reproductive organs--in this case partially leaf-shaped--belongs to a group, or genus, called Phlogis.