The Miami Herald has reported some good evolutionary news about Cape Verde. A once-declared-extinct insect has been found throughout the mountains on one of its islands.
The archipelago nation sits 300 miles off the coast of West Africa and boasts over 2,000 species of known terrestrial fauna, per Visit Santo Antão.
Among that number is a new species of grasshopper called a "living fossil" — the Eyprepocprifas insularis or the Monte Gordo grasshopper — originally found in Monte Gordo Natural Park in 1980. Researcher Michel Lecoq discovered a single male but declared the species extinct years later after failing to find another.
However, two researchers recorded the presence of this species at high elevations in the mountains, including the first recorded female in 2023. It all happened in the same park as the initial discovery 40 years before.
This grasshopper species, which is only on São Nicolau island, stands out with reduced wings highly unlikely to fly, super long legs, and a very thick exoskeleton.
The outer skeleton is so thick that researchers noted "an exceptional amount of force was required" to mount specimens. They suggest declaring it vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List — meaning a high risk for extinction in the wild, but not endangered.
Why is this species vulnerable? Existing only on a single island means a limited range, not helped by an inability to fly. The Cape Verde archipelago has experienced prolonged droughts and winds blowing elements from the nearby mainland that can threaten its survival, per Bioengineer.
Per the Journal of Orthoptera Research study, which marked the rediscovery, "Rain may be absent for several years, causing catastrophic droughts" on the island.
As Willy Gonçalves, a Cape Verde farmer, told Africa News, "From 2017 onwards, we began to feel these climate changes more strongly here in Cabo Verde … more pests, more difficulties, and since then everything we've planted has been a struggle."
With vegetation losses, humans, animals, and insects seeking habitats and food can be affected, especially herbivores like grasshoppers.
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Definitely 👍 However, with conservation efforts like planting native plants, watch lists, wildlife corridors, and new laws, such species have a better chance for survival and removal of such lists.
Another species, the rare San Francisco leaf-cutter bee, was spotted for the first time since 1980 by the Tamalpais Bee Lab. The golden lion tamarin is thriving again in Brazil after once only numbering 200.
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