𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐚

A groundbreaking discovery has brought Barangay Limot, Tarragona, into the global spotlight as the exclusive habitat of the newly identified beetle species, 𝑴𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒔 (𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒔) 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒔. This significant finding marks the first cave-dwelling beetle species discovered in the municipality. It highlights the rich biodiversity of Davao Oriental and emphasizes the urgent need for environmental preservation.

 

The discovery was led by a dedicated team of researchers from Davao Oriental State University (DOrSU). Dr. Milton Norman D. Medina, Head of the Tropical Genomics Laboratory, spearheaded the initiative, joined by Assistant Professor Jhonnel P. Villegas, a Resident Futurist at the Center for Futures Thinking and Regenerative Development (CFTRD), and Mark Lawani from the Municipality Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO).

 

The researchers presented a policy brief to the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Tarragona, led by Mayor Samuel Lopez Uy. Mayor Uy expressed his sincere appreciation for the team’s efforts, stating that the discovery highlights the richness of Tarragona’s natural environment and offers an opportunity to enhance conservation efforts and promote sustainable tourism in the municipality. The LGU has expressed its commitment to developing policies that align with the findings, including stricter regulations to safeguard fragile ecosystems and sustainable tourism development.

 

The initiative was a collaborative effort among DOrSU’s Tropical Genomics Laboratory (TroGen), the Terrestrial Invertebrate Research Laboratory (TIRL), CFTRD, and the LGU of Tarragona. The discovery of 𝑴. 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒔 is expected to pave the way for further ecological research and highlight the importance of protecting cave ecosystems, which are often fragile and underexplored.