98 new species of beetle genus Trigonopterus discovered in Indonesia

The researchers discovered 98 new species of beetle genus Trigonopterus in Java, Bali and other Indonesian islands.

The researchers from the Natural History Museum Karlsruhe, the Zoological State Collection Munich and the Indonesian Research Centre of Biology discovered and published the findings in the Journal ZooKeys in the third week of December 2014.

Among the 98 new beetle species found in Indonesia, one species is named after famed English naturalist Sir David Attenborough. It was named after the naturalist and broadcaster to recognise his documentary work over the last 50 years.

The species Trigonopterus attenboroughi is reddish-brown in colour and measures up to 2.63mm in length. These species were found in Bali forest areas which are regularly visited by package tours.

Many of these beetle species are restricted to small areas and sometimes they are found only in a single locality. These beetles are wingless and usually stay for millions of years where they are.

Already a grasshopper, a tree, a type of shrimp and a spider are among species already named after Attenborough.