New Species of Firefly Found in Nee Soon Swamp Forest after 100 Years
The researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and National parks Board (NParks) have discovered a new species of firefly at Nee Soon Swamp Forest in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and this is the only remaining patch of primary freshwater swamp forest in Singapore. Recently, there have found a new species of firefly here and it has been named as the Singapore firefly (Luciola singapura), according to the research paper published on Mar. 4, 2021.
In 2009, there were a survey of fireflies at 14 sites and 11 species were documented and after examining the specimens at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM), the researchers found that firefly specimens collected in 1989 and 1990 from the same area were morphologically similar to Singapore firefly.
After 30 years since its initial discovery in 1989, the researchers are finally able to confirm that the Singapore firefly is genetically and morphologically distinct from other fireflies. This Singaporean firefly are a smaller species of less than 5mm long and their habitat is the swampy area with dense vegetation, damp leaf litter, and high soil moisture, the paper described.
