A small, bright blue creature with six eyes He writhed on a fallen tree branch, until he fell shortly after into a trap set by a team of researchers in Japan.
Scientists were exploring a dense forest on Tsushima Island in search of springtails, small, wingless insects that move by crawling or jumping, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
During the expedition, the group discovered the small animal, which turned out to be a new species: Paranura tsuchimensis, according to a study published September 4 in the digital journal Zootaxa.
According to scientists, the Paranura plant is found in all regions of Asia and the Americas. Although only three species have been reported in Japan. Recent discoveries have identified a “very close relationship” between this species and deadwood, inspiring a search for yet-to-be-identified species.
P. tsushimaensis is a long, flat insect that takes its name from the area where it lives on Tsushima Island.A spokesman for the team in Nagasaki Prefecture said. The experts collected two female samples, three males and one young man, when exploring the forest in which this creature lives.
According to the study, the animal is about 0.06 to 0.07 inches long, has a bright blue body and six black eyes on its head.
In addition to P. tushimensis, the group also identified three other new species of Paranura in other parts of Japan: P. nakamurai, P. alpicola, and P. convallis. Each species is found on rotting tree branches in Nagasaki, Nara, and Niigata Prefectures in Japan.
P. nakamurai was discovered in a forest on Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, where six female specimens could be collected. The four-eyed yellow creature is named after Kahito Nakamura, who discovered the species.
The study said that the size of this species ranges from about 0.03 to 0.06 inches.
P. alpicola, named after its alpine habitat, was discovered in a forest on Mount Sayakagatake in Nara Prefecture. The researchers said they collected five females and one male from the samples.
Experts said the yellow-colored, six-eyed creature had a sturdy, stocky body that measured between 0.05 and 0.08 inches long.
P. convallis was also discovered in Nara Prefecture and was named after the mountain valley where it lives, the study said. The six-eyed, orange-colored creature has a sturdy, stocky body that measures between 0.06 and 0.09 inches in size.. The researchers collected three females and two young men during the research.
Translated by Jorge Posada