Filipino Biologist Discovers New Butterfly Subspecies In Negros
BIOLOGIST – A Filipino biologist discovered a new butterfly subspecies in Mount Talinis.
There are 907 species of butterflies in the Philippines. The country is one of the world’s great reservoirs of endemism and biodiversity.
Recently, a Filipino biologist named Jade Aster T. Badon discovered a new butterfly subspecies in the Philippines. He is also an instructor at Silliman University in Dumaguete City.
Based on a report from GMA News, the biologist shared that they found the new butterfly when they hiked to Mount Talinis back in 2012. He collected the specimen near the summit during his expedition.
When he attended the wildlife conservation symposium in Leyte last year, he found out that the butterfly was a new subspecies of Appias Phoebe. He said, “[The butterfly] was actually featured in one of my books, and then when I skimmed through the pages, I noticed the picture of the butterfly. I said, it looks different.”
“The one here in South Negros is distinctly different from the other subspecies in the country,” he added.
READ ALSO: BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE – The 4 Stages Of Its Cycle
According to the report, the Filipino biologist said the news subspecies can only be found in the said mountain, more than 1,500 above sea level. He said the mountain was “understudied.”
Badon said he was honored to be the one to discover the new butterfly in the country. He named it after Justin S. Nuyda, one of the first Pinoy to document the butterflies in the Philippines. His research was published in Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo (NEVA).
“My advisor passed away ten days after I graduated [grad school]. Before he passed away, he told me, I can’t wait for what you’re going to accomplish. I feel honored to be able to discover something because he was expecting a lot from me. I feel happy that I discovered this unexpectedly,” he said.
What can you say about this article? Leave your comments and reactions below.
READ ALSO: What Is Biology In Science? Meaning And The Following Branches
Please like and follow/subscribe:
Philnews YouTube Channel
Philnews.ph FB Page
Viral Facts