Natural History Wanderings

ScienceDaily reported that researchers at the California Academy of Sciences have discovered 91 new plant and animal species and two new genera, The new species include 38 different ants, 12 fishes, 14 plants, eight beetles, two spiders, one reptile, and one amphibian. Madagascar was the biggest hotspot of new species:

The islands of the southwestern Indian Ocean, especially Madagascar, are composed of extremely fragmented natural habitats and are renowned for hosting many endemic species — those that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. This is a place the California Academy of Sciences considers a global biodiversity hotspot. However, Madagascar’s biodiversity is increasingly threatened, adding new urgency to the research being conducted on the island. This year, Academy scientists were able to identify 38 previously unknown ant species, seven new plants and two new spider species from Madagascar.

Read more at 91 new species described by California Academy Of Sciences in 2013.