UCR Student Discovers New Species Of Firefly Near Topanga

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — A 24-year-old undergraduate student at UC Riverside has discovered a new species of firefly near Topanga, university officials said Wednesday.

Joshua Oliva collected the firefly near Topanga as part of his semester's insect collection, according to Doug Yanega, a senior museum scientist at the Entomology Research Museum at UCR.

"He wasn't 100 percent certain it was a firefly, and brought it to me for confirmation," Yanega said in a statement. "I know the local fauna well enough that within minutes I was able to tell him he had found something entirely new to science. I don't think I've seen a happier student in my life.

The new species found by Oliva is about half a centimeter long and black in color with an orange, halo-like pattern on the shield covering its head, and a small luminescent organ at the tip of the tail.

Florida firefly experts concur that the discovery is indeed a new species.

"I've heard back from the experts in Florida," Yanega said.  "They both saw the photos, and agree this is something new, and they want to describe it. The process may involve describing additional species in the same genus, so they can't say how long it might be before a name is formally decided upon and published."

The new species has not yet been formally named, and that process could take several years, Yanega said.

Few fireflies, which are actually nocturnal beetles that feed on snails, live in Southern California, Yanega said. They tend to occur in small, localized populations near springs and seeps.

The museum is publicizing the discovery because the beetle's habitat may require consideration for some level of protection until scientists can learn about it.