Most undiscovered species are often thought to reside in deep rain forests and untouched caves, but researchers have identified 30 new insect species of the same genus in urban Los Angeles.
A three-year investigation of biodiversity in the bustling city revealed the new insects, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County reported. Local residents worked on the museum-led BioSCAN project and provided 30 sampling sites in their own backyards.
Each sample site proved to hold at least one of the 30 newly described species, and the insects were each named after the participant in whose yard it was discovered. The researchers at the museum looked at 10,000 specimens of phorid flies over the course of three months to distinguish the new species.
"I always thought we had the potential to discover new species wherever we sample - urban, tropical, anywhere. But 30 new species from a heavily urbanized area is really astounding," said Brian Brown, curator of entomology at NHM and principal investigator of BioSCAN.
The findings could provide insight into how urbanization influences biodiversity, which could play into policy discussions on how the plan and manage urban support ecosystems. The researchers credited the success of the project to the enthusiasm shown by L.A. residents in helping conduct the study.
"For us, it seemed like a no-brainer," said site host Walter Renwick. "We have two young bug-crazy children, a bug-crazy dad, and very patient mom in our household. We have ample space in our backyard and plan to stay in our home for at least another [three] years, if not longer. Even so, we were still a bit shy to commit, but with one visit from NHM staff, a mock-up of the trap, and we were sold!"
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Zootaxa.
