Fauna Indonesia's Diversity, Two New Kura-Kura Kumbang Species Found In Sulawesi

JAKARTA - Indonesia is known as one of the countries with extraordinary fauna wealth, including various insect species that are still being found.

Recently, a team of researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) managed to identify two new species of turtle beetles from the Thlaspidula genus found in Sulawesi.

The two new species are named Thlaspidula doublengdewata and Thlaspidula sarinoi. This discovery further adds to the list of biodiversity of insects in Indonesia, as well as provides deeper insight into the study of the autonomy of the turtle beetle (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae).

The process of collecting specimens was carried out by the Center for Biosystematics Research and BRIN Evolution Team in two different locations, namely Mount Gandangdewata and Mount Torompu in Sulawesi. This study includes detailed morphological analysis as well as identification key updates for all members of the genus Thlaspidula.

According to Anang Setyo Budi, the First Expert Researcher at the BRIN Center for Biosystematics and Evolution Research, Thlaspidula doublengdewata, T. sarinoi, and T. boisduvali are included in the Thlaspidula species group which has a broad black spot in the posterolateral section of elytra boundary widening.

"However, the three of them have different patterns of black spots and proteins," said the First Expert Researcher at the BRIN Center for Biosystematics and Evolution, Anang Setyo Budi in a statement in Jakarta, as quoted by ANTARA.

In addition, the difference between these two new species can also be recognized through other characteristics, such as the length and color of the antenna segment. The beetles of the Thlaspidula genus have characteristics such as the turtle beetle in general, namely the elytra and the widening pronotum (explanate), often forming shields that cover the head and legs.

However, this genus also has its own uniqueness in the form of a labrum, body proportion, antenna structure, line of points on the elytra, and elytra texture.

Currently, only eight species in the Thlaspidula genus have been identified, with the spread from the Malayan Peninsula to Papua. The specimens used in this study are stored in the Zoologicalcum Bogoriense Museum (MZB), Indonesia, and are collected using a broom net from Mount Gandangdewata and Mount Toompupu.

Anang emphasized that this discovery was an important step in documenting Indonesia's biodiversity, especially in the mountainous area of Sulawesi, which is known as one of the centers of fauna endemism. However, further research is still needed to understand further aspects of the ecology, distribution, and conservation measures of this new species.

Hasil penelitian ini telah dipublikasikan dalam jurnal Zootaxa (https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5566.2.9) pada edisi Januari 2025. Publikasi ini dapat menjadi referensi penting bagi para ahli taksonomi dan konservasi dalam upaya memahami serta melindungi keanekaragaman hayati Indonesia.