Chroogomphus fungi are economically very important because of their association with pine trees, some medicinal properties (potential antibiotic) and because they are edible. According to an online wild mushroom cookbook they are excellent when dried, have a firm chewy texture but almost no flavor. This means you can put them in any dish without worrying about overpowering them - there's nothing to overpower! They make an excellent textural addition, though, a little crunchy, a little…

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Pseudoscorpions are a type of arachnid, meaning that they are not insects, but are closely related to spiders. They are cryptic animals, living amongst leaf-litter, under rocks, within compost piles, under bark and within decaying wood, in caves, and in various vertebrate nests. We know little about these tiny organisms and they are sometimes referred to as ‘neglected cousins’ of the spiders. They are named “Pseudo” scorpions because they have pincers that resemble scorpions, but…

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The family Lamiaceae is commonly known as the mint or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used herbs such as basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, and lavender. The family is rather large with about 7000 species and the genus Hanceola is fairly small with eight known species. These species are only known from evergreen forests in Southern China. The new species was found in the same region but…

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Bush frogs belong to a genus of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae. These frogs can be found in South and Southeast Asia and among the most spectacular members of this group are some so-called flying frogs. Well, the expression gliding frog is perhaps better, as they have the ability to achieve gliding flight. Our new species is not known to be a glider but nevertheless is a new exciting find in Bangladesh. By the way these…

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This one is for Harry Potter fans.There are about 2400 species of Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae) on Earth. They can be found in a wide range of habitats including our homes. Spiderlings of this group are known for a behaviour called ballooning. They move through the air by releasing one or more silk threads to catch the wind, causing them to become airborne. As a consequence, wolf spiders have wide distributions.This new wolf spider species was named…

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Geckos have a number of unique features that distinguish them from other lizards. They use sounds in social interactions with other geckos. They lack eyelids which is why they often lick their eyes to keep them clean and moist. However, they are probably best known for their specialized toe pads that enable them to climb smooth and vertical surfaces, and even cross indoor ceilings with ease.This new species was collected in Cambodia at Phnom Chi…

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A new video showing what our institute was busily doing not too long ago. Great way to spend six minutes of your home office time. A tour through the institute by the "Father of DNA Barcoding" himself:

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Millipedes are often found under mulch, dead leaves, or under piles of grass clipping. They thrive in places where the soil stays damp. There they eat dead leaves and decaying wood particles. In the fall, millipedes often migrate. They move out of their normal habitat. Colleagues suspect they may be trying to get ready for winter. However, they have also been seen migrating after a heavy rain has flooded their habitat. During these migrations, millipedes…

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You've probably eaten fennel at some time in your life. Not everybody likes this vegetable although it is pretty versatile and rather healthy. The entire plant (including seeds) is edible. It's origin is in the mediterranean region and is one of Italy's most popular vegetables. In fact 85% of the world's fennel comes from Italy. Several diseases caused by fungi are known for fennel and researchers have just discovered and described a new one: Ochraceocephala foeniculi. This new…

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The Apennine Mountains are a beautiful mountain range along the length of the peninsular Italy.  Embedded in a really nice area of the Central Apennine in the Abruzzo region lies the Majella National Park. Colleagues did plant collections in this park and found a new meadow-grass species living on fairly high altitude (2700m).The scientists names the new species after the region they found it (Magellan Mountains). For the experts: A new species, Poa magellensis sp. nov., is…

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