Taizhou, March 21 (Xinhua) - Researchers from Taizhou University have recently discovered two new insect species in Zhejiang Province: the Four-ringed Midge and the Black-legged Midge. The findings were published in the international entomology journal, Insects, in collaboration with the Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
Professor Qi Xin and his team from the College of Life Sciences at Taizhou University conducted an in-depth investigation into the diversity of chironomid insects in different habitats. These discoveries mark the 15th and 16th new species of chironomid flies they have collected and published in Zhejiang in the past three years.
In the process of identifying the new species, the researchers fully utilized modern biological technologies and methods. They integrated morphological, molecular, and ecological data, and through comparative analysis of genetic information and morphological characteristics of the new species with known species, they confirmed the unique identity and status of the new species.
Dr. Song Chao from Taizhou University said that chironomids do not bite humans and their larvae live in various water bodies, making them important indicators of aquatic environments. Color spots are often considered as intraspecific variations within a chironomid species rather than primary criteria for sub-classification. The team's latest research found that the new chironomid species exhibit unprecedented differences in color spots, not only in color and size, but also in distribution and combination patterns. Relevant molecular data also supported their classification as new species. The discovery suggests that the number of species in the chironomid family may have been significantly underestimated, indicating the existence of a large number of cryptic species.
Qi Xin explained that insects are usually named according to their physical characteristics, or sometimes after their geographical distribution, such as the Chinese Dichotomy Midge, which was discovered in the coastal waters of Zhejiang. Some insects are also named after the person who collected them. The discovery of the new species not only enriches the diversity of insects in the chironomid family but also contributes significantly to biodiversity research in China.
