HAIKOU, October 15. /TASS/. Biologists have discovered a new species of stink bugs — insects with an elytra "shield" on their bodies. According to reports, the insect was called the "marine stink bug from the Antelope reef".
Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong Province (South China) published a report on the recently discovered species of the local fauna. "Science knows about a million different species of insects, however, only 100 of them inhabit the marine environment. They are small in size and can be found as a rule in coral reef areas — these are the least studied representatives of the fauna, therefore, we are very interested in them," said Biology Professor Xie Qiang.
According to the scientist, species similar to the "Antelope stink bugs" have already attracted the attention of international researchers and every time they were found on the territories bordering China. The scientist said that this insect can be 3-4 mm long and it lives on the sea surface, sometimes, however, it hides in small coves between the corals, where it feeds on little arthropods.
As the specialist noted, he together with a group of colleagues went to search for marine stink bugs in the South China Sea waters, following that, a number of lab studies were carried out. As a result, scientists discovered that the newly-found insects are somewhat different from the ones already known to the scientific world — they have a different shape of the forelegs, breast, and scute.
“Thus, we discovered a new, 13th species of marine stink bugs. It was believed earlier that there were only 12 of them in the world,” said the biologist.
Stink bugs that can be found along river banks in Russia are usually called “soldiers” — as their body shapes resemble miniature knights carrying shields on their backs. They live in almost all climatic zones, but are most often found in the tropics. It is believed that these insects play an important part in maintaining biological balance, but in some parts of the world they still significantly damage agriculture.