EDMONTON — Two species of a type of beetle called the weevil have been unearthed by a University of Alberta researcher in the rainforest of the Philippines — one new and another thought to be extinct for nearly a century.
Tom Terzin, an Augustana Campus science professor in Camrose, Alta. made the discovery of the two species that managed to survive clearcutting in the forest, in what serves as an "encouraging sign" of how animal life can recover from disruptions caused by humans.
"Nature is amazingly resilient, if we give it a chance for recovery," says Terzin.
The finds were made while analyzing beetle samples found in bushes in Negros Island's Northern Negros National Park in 2016 and 2017. The forest had been almost completely decimated by logging, agriculture and population growth by the end of the 20th century.
One short-nosed weevil stood out to Terzin. The small black bug had a scattering of light scales across its surface instead of the metallic sheen of its relatives. The new specimen was named Metapocyrtus (Trachycyrtus) augustanae, after Augustana Campus. It is exciting for Terzin — both as a lifelong dream to discover a new species, and also due to what it reveals about animal life.
"It could mean there's a redirection of the habits of these species, evolutionarily speaking, and being only known from a single specimen, for now, indicates it's probably a rare species," he explains.
Also among the specimens was the rediscovery of a short-nosed weevil known as Metapocyrtus (Orthocyrtus) bifoveatus, which was last sighted on the island 100 years ago. Known to live only in the rainforest's lowlands, which were wiped out by deforestation, the colourful insect was thought to be extinct, but this sample was found in a much higher forested area of the island.
"Somehow this species has managed to survive in higher altitudes of over 1,000 metres, which shows a struggle for life, that they refused to become extinct from deforestation," says Terzin.
The specimens are now housed in the Augustana Tropical Insects Research Studio entomology collection, where they can be accessed for teaching and research projects, particularly related to ecological recovery in forests. Terzin is one of only a handful of western researchers issued a permit to explore the Philippines' national parks. He hopes to find more new insect species when he returns to the country in 2025.
More information and pictures of the weevils can be found here. To speak with Tom Terzin, please contact:
Sarah Vernon | University of Alberta communications associate | svernon@ualberta.ca