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Deadbeat ant species branched off as parasite inside its own colony
A newly-discovered species of ant supports a controversial theory of species formation. The ant, known to live only under a single eucalyptus tree on the São Paulo State University campus in Brazil,...
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New Poison Dart Frog from Panama
The poison dart frog “Andinobates geminisae” A bright orange poison dart frog with a unique call was discovered in Donoso, Panama, and described by researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research...
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Five fascinating species discovered by Smithsonian scientists in 2014
While it seems that we can find just about anything on the Internet, it doesn’t mean we know everything yet. Every year, Smithsonian scientists discover many new species around the globe and even in...
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New species of bright-yellow water frog discovered in Peru
“Telmatobius ventriflavum,” a new water frog from the Pacific slopes of the Andes in central Peru. A new water frog from the Pacific slopes of the Andes in central Peru has been described and named in...
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What squirms inside a tiny bird? Odd new tapeworm species
This image shows a fragment of the avian tapeworm “Cucolepis cincta,” described in 2012 by Anna Phillips. This is 1 of 5 fragments of the worm which broke when it was collected. (Photo by Anna...
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Newly named mites have thick skins to deter predators
This menacing ambush predator, a mite from the family Cheyletidae, lurks on a leaftop waiting for a tasty victim to pass by. (Photo courtesy Electron & Confocal Microscopy Unit USDA-ARS) Lurking on...
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3 new species of dwarf dragons discovered in Ecuador & Peru
Adult male of the newly discovered woodlizard “Enyalioides altotambo,” found in the Chocoan rainforests of northwestern Ecuador. Not including its tail this specimen is 119 millimeters (4.68 inches)...
View ArticleNew Amphibian Rescue Lab in Panama
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute are working together as part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project have opened a new...
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Analysis: Many tropical tree species have yet to be discovered
This plant, “Inga spiralis,” in the bean family (Fabaceae), is only found in Panama. Many areas in the tropics have still never been thoroughly explored by botanists. (Photo by Carmen Galdamez) A...
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Key Link in Turtle Evolution discovered
Pappochelys could grow up to 8 inches in length, had a long tail and used its tiny, peg-like teeth to feed on small insects and worms in what is now southern Germany. In June 2015, an international...
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Meet a new true bug: “Wheelerodemus muhlenbergiae”
“Wheelerodemus muhlenbergiae,” adult male. (Illustration by Tina Litwak, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian) Who: Wheelerodemus muhlenbergiae What:...
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Trapped in Amber: Ancient fossils reveal remarkable stability of Caribbean...
Some of the fossils in this study are exceptionally well-preserved, such as the specimen shown here. With micro-CT scanning, the skeleton can be reconstructed in 3D, revealing complete skeletons, fully...
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Scientists study Skydiving spiders in South America
Arachnophobes fearful of spiders jumping, creeping or falling into their beds now have something new to worry about. Some spiders might also glide in through the window. This spider from the genus...
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Fossil Specimen Reveals a New Species of Ancient River Dolphin
An artistic reconstruction of “Isthminia panamensis,” a new fossil dolphin from Panama, feeding on a flatfish. Many features of this new species appear similar to today’s ocean dolphins, yet the new...
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Meet the (flea) beetles! New species
A specimen of the newly described “Burumoseria yuae,” dorsal view, collected in Taiwan. Nausea, vomiting and weakness are but a few of the symptoms one might anticipate after eating leaves from the...
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