DISCOVERY NAMED IN HONOR TO SIR DAVID FREDERICK ATTENBOROUGH - "Mnioes attenboroughi"
STORY
The specific epithet attenboroughi honors Sir David Frederick Attenborough; the members of the project “Discovery new species” want to commemorate him for raising awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation and his educational documentaries on wildlife that inspired many biologists, among them the author.
This species has a very great value for Rainforest Expeditions, since inspired by the great work connecting nature and the world's forests, the founders of Rainforest Expeditions came to Tambopata with the same dream, to protect the Amazon more than 30 years ago.
Thanks to the filming of part of the BBC documentary Seven Worlds One Planet, where the macaws of Tambopata were featured and which had Sir David Attenborough as its narrative voice, we were able to reach him in a traditional way, writing a letter.
Our surprise was very pleasant when we received a response in his own handwriting, thanking us for the attention and motivating us to continue looking for alternatives for the protection of the Peruvian Amazon forests.
SPECIMEN DETAILS
Mnioes attenboroughi sp. nov. can be distinguished from its female congeners by the following combination of traits: frontal orbit white, tegula black, coxae predominantly red, wings hyaline, ovipositor sheath length 2.3–2.5× as long as metathoracic tibia; while the male can be distinguished due its mesoscutum entirely black and wings hyaline
COLLECTION DETAILS
- Collectors: Daniel Couceiro
- Habitat: Lowland rainforest
- Sampling Protocol: Light trap
- Elevation: 225 m
GEOGRAPHY
- Country: Peru
- Province/State: Madre de Dios
- Region/County: Tambopata
- Sector: Condenado
- Exact Site: Albergue Refugio Amazonas
- Lat/Lon: -12.875, -69.4097
TAXONOMY
- Identifier: Mabel Alvarado
- Identification Method: Morphology
- Identifier Institution: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Museo de Historia Natural
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Family: Ichneumonidae
- Genus: Mnioes
- Species: Mnioes attenboroughi