Overview
- ATREE researchers formally described two previously unknown solitary bees, Elaphropoda triangulata and Habropoda adi, in a paper published in the European Journal of Taxonomy.
- Each species is known from a single male specimen collected in the Siang Valley using Malaise traps, a passive method that captures low-density flying insects.
- Elaphropoda triangulata was named for triangular markings on its abdomen and Habropoda adi honours the local Adi indigenous community where the specimen was found.
- The authors warn that habitat loss and expanding infrastructure, including hydropower projects, could threaten these and other undocumented species and urged rapid taxonomic and ecological work.
- The discovery highlights large knowledge gaps about bee diversity in the Eastern Himalayas and follows a recent surge of new species records from Arunachal Pradesh, reinforcing calls for more surveys and habitat protection.