New species of beetle found in Mt. Hamiguitan

DAVAO CITY — A new species of snout beetle was found in Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 11 said on Tuesday, April 20.

In a statement, the DENR Davao said the snout beetle species collected in Mt. Hamiguitan has "bronze scale markings, thus named Metapocyrtus bronsi sp. nov."

"The researchers said that this flightless weevil is one of the hundreds of species under the genus Metapocyrtus.

But these new beetles differ from all the others because of the yellow gold to bronze scale markings with green to blue scales scattered at the edge of the markings in elytra and pronotum and legs entirely black," The DENR said.

Clint Michael Cleofe, a MHRWSbased DENR conservationist added that "under the insect order Coleoptera (Beetles), there are currently two site endemic species in Mt. Hamiguitan, first is Colilodion colongi, and the latest, the Metapocyrtus bronsi.”

The DENR also said that the discovery of the new species is a result of the biodiversity research conducted by the scientists and researchers from the Central Mindanao University (CMU).