In 2024, a group of beetle researchers from Daugavpils University discovered and described 111 new beetle species, 7 new genera, and one subgenus. Two of the newly described genera and ten new species are fossil species that are not found today and were discovered in Baltic amber. Most of the newly discovered species have been described from tropical countries: the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Vietnam, etc. However, five of the described species have been discovered in Europe, on the Greek mainland and the island of Crete.

The Coleopterological (beetle research) Research Center at Daugavpils University is the largest group of beetle researchers in the Baltics, employing 14 scientific staff, eight of whom hold doctorates in biology. Every year, the group also involves Latvian and foreign doctoral students and students of bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes in biology. The group maintains one of the largest beetle collections in the Baltics. The Daugavpils beetle research group specializes in beetle systematics and is well known worldwide.

The largest number – 42 new species – have been described by leading researcher Dr. A. Šavrins, who is a world-renowned researcher of short-winged beetles. He has discovered and described three previously unknown beetle genera. Leading researcher Dr. D. Telnov has discovered and described 31 species new to science, including 18 species from the family of ant-like beetles, 12 from the family of darkling beetles, and 1 from the family of false darkling beetles. Lead researcher A. Anishchenko has described 10 species of ground beetles that are new to science. He is the author of one new genus and one new subgenus. Researcher Dr. A. Rukmane has described eleven species of beetles that are new to science. In 2024, Professor Dr. A. Barševskis, head of the DU beetle research group, discovered seven species of longhorn beetles that are new to science.

Every year, DU scientists organize scientific expeditions to biodiversity hotspots around the world, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and others. DU scientists have established very close cooperation with the University of Mindanao and Davao Oriental State University in the Philippines. As a result of joint expeditions, new areas of research have been launched, such as studies of caves in the Philippine jungles, which have yielded very good results. Until now, there has been no knowledge about the beetle fauna found in Philippine caves. Currently, Dr. A. Anishchenko, in collaboration with Philippine scientists, has discovered a new genus, subgenus, and species of beetles in caves.

Given that most of the newly discovered beetle species have been described from the world’s biodiversity hotspots – the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and other tropical countries – this is of great scientific importance. These countries are experiencing rapid deforestation, resulting in the disappearance of many known and previously undiscovered species in the region. The description of new species adds to our knowledge of the fauna of these countries and helps to develop more comprehensive nature conservation plans. Three of the species discovered by DU scientists have already been included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Doliops ageometrica Barševskis, 2014, Doliops daugavpilsi Barševskis, 2014 and Doliops huruki Barševskis, 2014 (https://www.iucnredlist.org/). This confirms the importance of the research conducted by beetle researchers at Daugavpils University. Thanks to the fact that local Philippine fauna species are included in the list of protected and endangered species worldwide, it is much easier to organize nature conservation measures in the country.

The results of the research on Philippine beetles and the necessary protection measures for 2024 were presented in two reports at the prestigious International Congress of Entomology in Kyoto, Japan.

Additional information:
Prof. Arvīds Barševskis
Phone No. 26339994