 An international team of scientists discovered a new species of lice that feed on bamboo located high in the region of the "Cerro de la Muerte" in Costa Rica, said the open access ZooKeys magazine.
The lice helps this lovely land to have a perfect ecosystem with thousands of animal species that’s has become part of the beautiful sightseeing in Costa Rica.
The new species, which has been called "Rhopalosiphum chusqueae" was confirmed after several periods of fieldwork in 2008 by a team led by Nicolas Perez-Hidalgo of the Biodiversity Department and Environmental Management, from the University of Leon in Spain.
The discovery was made by analysis of molecular data from MT DNA and nuclear genes encoding and external morphological features.
It is known that the family of the arthropod fauna is very abundant in tropical regions, although the plant lice prefer more temperate northern hemisphere. The tropical regions are where the adventure tours in Costa Rica take place; it’s one of the favorite places for tourist.
The plant lice may be one of the most dangerous pests for agriculture and gardening.
This has been a paradox for scientists, however, have observed that the diversity of these lice is increased in high altitude areas such as plateaus and mountains, areas where they have found this new species.
From the zoological point of view, experts say they are very successful organisms and, although they are present mainly in temperate climates, have the potential to threaten even the tropics, bamboo cultivation. When you make your Costa Rica travel; be sure to identify which places are the best to stay, and if you will be looking for an adventure trip or a paradise resort.
So their discovery will also help to improve the general knowledge of plant lice, development and modus operandi.
The study included Juan M. Nieto Nafría also of the University of Leon, David Martinez-Torres Cavanilles from the Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University de Valencia in Spain, and William Villalobos Muller from the Research Center on Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Costa Rica.
|
Costa Rica News 
