Polish expedition discovered new species of butterflies and frogs in South America
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Three species of endemic butterflies and one frog species was found during the Polish expedition to Tramen Tepui area on the border of south-eastern Venezuela, Guyana and northern Brazil, as announced on at a press conference in Kraków.
"This is an important discovery, and not just because Polish explorers made it. Firstly, it brings us closer to the answer to one of the world biogeography’s most important questions: where does the unusual endemic flora and fauna of the Pantenui area come from?" - said expedition participant, Biology and Earth Sciences graduate at the Jagiellonian University Izabela Stachowicz.
In her opinion, the discovery of new animals and other studies point to the possible origin of the fauna of the area from the Andes. Despite the fact that the expedition ended a few months ago, newly discovered butterflies and frog have yet to be named. A competition for naming one of them (red brown butterfly of the genus Erateina) has been anounced. Information can be found at www.motyl.national-geographic.pl.
The other two species are is dark brown butterfly of the genus Forsterinaria and light brown butterfly of the genus Euptychia. The expedition members have determined that the new frog species comes from the genus Tepuihyla.
Three members of the expedition, which took place in early 2012, managed to climb the previously unconquered peak Tramen Tepui (2727 m).
The expedition members were Marek Arcimowicz (photographer and collaborator of National Geographic Polska), Venezuelan climbers: Carlos Mario Osorio and Aleberto Raho, Michał Kochańczyk (explorer, expedition leader), Izabela Stachowicz (Biology and Earth Sciences graduate at the Jagiellonian University). Arcimowicz and two Venezuelans Arcimowicz reached the summit on 14 February 2012.
"The climb was preceded by dramatic circumstances: two days earlier, after the second attempt, we had to retreat less than 50 meters from the summit due to evening bad weather. We were forced to make camp, completely soaked, without shelter, sleeping bags, wrapped in plastic jackets, without food or drink . It\'s like taking a cold shower in a flannel shirt and spending a cold, November night on a park bench, completely soaked"- said Marek Arcimowicz.
The international team has set the first climbing route, named "Vertical Rain Forest".
As explained at the press conference, the climate in Tramen Tepui area is extremely unfavourable for expeditions. During the expedition, explorers had to make it through more than three days of non-stop rain. At the same time, lack of soil absorption (thin layer with sandstone rock underneath) made streams dry up within one or two days of sunshine, causing water shortages.
"Contrary to common belief, the biggest concern in that area are not snakes or spiders. The biggest threat that the Indians fear are +24 hour+ ants (the scientific name of this species is Paraponera clavata). Their name comes from the time of dying in pain after having been bitten by the insect" - said Izabela Stachowicz.
The expedition was carried out in scientific collaboration with the Jagiellonian University Zoological Museum, and under the patronage of National Geographic Polska.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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