London: World's longest insect nearly two
feet long has been discovered in the rainforests of Borneo
in Indonesia along with more than 100 new species.
The stick insect that measures 22 inches long was among
the 123 new creatures discovered in the Heart of Borneo. It
lives in the high tree canopies of the forest and is known as
Phobaeticus chani.
The amazing creature has been donated to the Natural
History Museum here, the Telegraph reported.
Adam Tomasek, leader of World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Heart
of Borneo initiative, said: "As the past three years of
independent scientific discovery have proven, new forms of
life are constantly being discovered in the Heart of Borneo.
"If this stretch of irreplaceable rainforest can be
conserved for our children, the promise of more discoveries
must be a tantalising one for the next generation of
researchers to contemplate," Tomasek said.
The new discoveries listed in the WWF report are a flying
frog that can glide for more than 15 yards using flaps under
its arms and legs and a slug which fires love darts laced with
hormones at its mate.
Other remarkable findings include a frog which breaths
through its skin, a flame-coloured snake, a "spectacled
flowerpecker" bird which is thought to rarely descend from the
canopy, 29 invertebrates, 17 fish and 37 new species of
orchid.
Tomasek said: "The discovery of these new species in the
Heart of Borneo underlines the incredible diversity of this
remarkable area and emphasises the importance of the
commitments already made by Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and
Malaysia to protect it."
The Heart Of Borneo -- an 85,000 square mile conservation
-- was set up in 2007 by the three bordering governments,
Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to conserve a tract
of tropical forest that is home to pygmy elephants,
orangutans, rhinoceros and clouded leopards.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, April 22, 2010, 19:06