Most scientists involved in animal research dream of discovering a new species. With such a discovery comes a well-deserved and often generous helping of recognition as well as the keen sense of satisfaction from having helped expand our knowledge of life on earth. More importantly, the discovery of a new species brings hope and renewed respect for the diversity of living things that inhabit our planet.

Researchers Oliver Zompro, Niels Peder Kristensen, and Klaus-Dieter Klass have recently realized far more than the dream of discovering a new species--they have just announced the discovery a new order of insects.

The new order, christened Mantophasmatodea, currently includes several formerly-unidentified specimens that date back to 1909. One of these specimens remained in obscurity until June of 2001, when a curator at London's Natural History Museum showed a specimen to graduate student Oliver Zompro. Zompro sought input from colleagues Niels Peder Kristensen and Klaus-Dieter Klass, and together they collected mounting evidence for the insects' unique classification.

The new insects are described as cricket-like stick insects. But unlike the herbivorous stick insect, the newly-classified creatures are carnivorous. Other characteristics that distinguish this new order of insects include the lack of a protective plate on females' abdomens (a plate that, in female stick insects, covers egg laying appendages) and slightly different body proportions (stick insects exhibit more elongation in the thorax region of their body).

Living specimens of Mantophasmatodea have been found in Namibia and further work continues to collect and classify other species.

Find out more:

• Klass, K.D., Zompro, O., Kristensen, N.P. and Adis, J. 2002. 'Mantophasmatodea: A New Insect Order with Extant Members in the Afrotropics' (On-line), Science. Accessed April 18, 2002.
• Trivedi, B. 2002. 'New Insect Order Found in Southern Africa' (On-line), National Geographic. Accessed April 18, 2002.

Photo © O. Zompro / MPIL Plön, Germany.