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The discovery of a new species of pseudoscorpion, Olpium caputi, on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia has brought attention to the often overlooked region. French Polynesia, with its 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, has received much less attention from biologists compared to other areas such as the Hawaiian Islands.
Since the 18th century, biologists have been drawn to the North and East Polynesian islands, including the Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia. However, the latter has only been the subject of a few studies, with contributions to our knowledge of its pseudoscorpion fauna dating back to the 1930s through the Pacific Entomological Survey.
However, a recent study by a team of enthusiastic scientists has shed light on the pseudoscorpion fauna of French Polynesia. Between 2017 and 2020, they conducted research on the region’s fauna and environment for the French Polynesian Agricultural Service and as part of a larger survey of arthropods. During their research, they collected a few pseudoscorpion specimens on the islands of Huahine and Tahiti in the Society Islands archipelago.
Among these specimens was a new species, named Olpium caputi, which was collected by sieving moss at 1,450 meters above sea level on the Mont Marau Summit in Tahiti. This new species is named after Zuzana Čaputová, the President of Slovakia, in honor of her support for women and scientists in leadership positions.
Lead researcher Jana Christophoryová explains, “As a female leader, she takes a strong stance and supports women and scientists. Even in the 21st century, women in science or top positions are rare. The rarity of the research in French Polynesia, the uniqueness of the discovery, and the fact that the new species is a female, led us to name it after this inspiring woman who can be a role model of courage and perseverance for many women.”
The paper detailing this discovery was published in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
The team:
The research team consisted of zoologists Katarína Krajčovičová of Bratislavské regionálne ochranárske združenie – BROZ, Bratislava, and Jana Christophoryová of Comenius University, Bratislava, who specialize in the taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of pseudoscorpions. They were joined by botanist Frédéric Jacq and entomologist Thibault Ramage, both independent naturalists who have been working to improve the faunistic and taxonomic knowledge of French Polynesia for over 15 years.
Research article:
Krajčovičová K, Ramage T, Jacq FA, Christophoryová J (2024) Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) from French Polynesia with first species information and description of new species. ZooKeys 1192: 29-43. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1192.111308
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How cool! What an honor for the President.