Glowing blue spider along with dozens of unknown species uncovered in Angola highlands

ANGOLA — A crowned crab spider that glows a vibrant blue under ultraviolet light is among dozens of unknown species discovered in Angola’s remote Lisima plateau during a survey expedition to “Africa’s last great biodiversity blank spots,” according to The Wilderness Project.The survey also documented several rare species that experts had never previously recorded within the region.Conducted in February, the expedition, led by The Wilderness Project, culminated in a biodiversity survey called the Cassai Life Atlas.The findings offer vital new insights into a critical landscape that feeds four of Africa’s largest river systems: the Congo, the Okavango, the Zambezi and the Cuanza.Water flowing from the Lisima plateau travels thousands of kilometers downstream, supplying vital freshwater to regional communities and ecosystems, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Okavango Delta.The expedition expands upon 10 years of baseline data collected from the Okavango and Lungwebungu river systems by National Geographic researchers.Though vital to the local ecosystem, a combination of extreme remoteness, active landmines and a 27-year civil war kept Angola’s Lisima plateau almost completely unmapped for decades.February’s expedition was composed of 16 scientists set to “fill that gap.” According to The Wilderness Project, they found eight undescribed dragonfly species, three new grasshopper species and approximately 60 moths and butterflies.Some of the remarkable findings can be broken down into these categories as follows:According to The Wilderness Project, 103 dragonfly and damselfly species were recorded, along with over 1,000 butterflies and moths and 47 grasshopper, katydid and cricket taxa.This has brought the dragonfly and damselfly species count for the region to 163, with 34 documented for the first time.Additionally, of the 47 grasshopper, katydid and cricket taxa, three are entirely new to science.Leading dragonfly specialist and...