CALAPAN CITY , Philippines – Two new species of spider water beetles were discovered in two remote barangays in Oriental Mindoro.
The discoveries of researchers from the Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Biology have shown potential for water quality monitoring. German Dr. Hendrik Freitag led the researchers.
The two new species were classified under the genus Ancyronyx (scientific name) or uwang in Filipino in a study published and posted on the Internet in the open-access journal Zookeys last Aug. 6.
The first species, Ancyronyx buhid, was discovered in the ancestral land of the Buhid tribe of Mangyans in Roxas town in southern Oriental Mindoro.
Researchers said the Buhid spider water beetle (Ancyronyx buhid) is a potential bio-indicator or an organism that can help check the health of an ecosystem.
It fulfills the criteria of bio-indicators, they added.
The study said Ancyronyx buhid is only found in clean water ecosystems, not polluted streams. “The vivid and specific color patterns of adult Ancyronyx species enabling an easy identification, as well as the availability of regional identification keys for both larvae and adults, allow their potential use as bio-indicators,†the study said.
The second species, Ancyronyx tamaraw, was identified among older collections of unidentified specimens, and was found to be living in the waters of Tamaraw Falls in Puerto Galera, a resort municipality in the northern part of the province.
The Ancyronyx tamaraw, however, is too rare to serve as a good bio-indicator, researchers said.
Initially, researchers intended to study the larvae of known Ancyronyx species in clean waters on Mindoro island.
In a media release, researchers said of the 20 known species of spider water beetles, 11 of them are endemic to the Philippines.
“It emphasizes the importance of the country as a bio-diversity hotspot at a global scale,†they said.