New insect species discovered on Rhodes
During a night visit to the Valley, biologist Sotiris Alexiou found and collected a new species of cricket.
The sample was sent for examination to Russian expert entomologist Andrey Gorotsov in St. Petersburg, who pronounced it a new species and named it Ovaliptila rhodos in honour of the island where it was found.
The new species is endemic to Rhodes. Up until now it has only been found in the Valley of Butterflies and nowhere else in the world. It is a night creature and prefers the dark, humid habitat that is formed under the valley's plane trees and oriental sweetgum.
An article with the description of the new species was published in the scientific journal by the Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg.
Source: amna-mpa