An undergraduate student at the University of California, Riverside has discovered a new species of firefly.
Student Joshua Oliva collected the specimen near Topanga, Calif. while looking for samples for his semester's insect collection.
"He wasn't 100 percent certain it was a firefly, and brought it to me for confirmation," said Doug Yanega, senior scientists at the Entomology Research Museum. "I know the local fauna well enough that within minutes I was able to tell him he had found something entirely new to science. I don't think I've seen a happier student in my life."
Contrary to popular belief, there are actually few fireflies in Southern California. These insects appear to be abundant only because they usually congregate in highly localized populations.
"One reason we are bringing this discovery to the public's attention is that it seems likely that this beetle may be highly restricted in distribution, and the habitat where it occurs may require consideration for some level of protection, at least until we can learn more about it," Yanega said.
The species is about half a centimeter long and black in color with an "orange halo-like pattern" on its head shield. The new species has not yet been formally named, and the researchers note this process could take several years. The researcher noted it is not out of the question the newly-discovered beetle will be named after Oliva himself.
"I've heard back from the experts in Florida," Yanega said. "They both saw the photos, and agree this is something new, and they want to describe it. The process may involve describing additional species in the same genus, so they can't say how long it might be before a name is formally decided upon and published."
Oliva, 24, graduated earlier this month and plans to apply to UCR for graduate studies in entomology.
"My discovery shows me that the field of entomology has a lot of opportunities for hardworking students," he said.
