Bhutan recorded 31 species of flora and fauna new to science between 2009 to 2017. The records are inclusive of the species that were published in peer-reviewed publications. The National Biodiversity Centre maintains the record.
Species recorded as new to science means that the species were discovered for the first time for science from Bhutan. 31 species new to science from Bhutan include 16 species of plants, four moths, four molluscs, one dragonfly, three fishes, one stonefly and two beetle species.
In addition to that, 566 species were recorded as new to Bhutan. And that includes more than a hundred species of moths, fishes, plants, close to 70 species of bees and wasps, dragonflies and damselflies, close to 50 species of amphibians and reptiles, snails and slugs and a few species of crabs, birds, butterflies and mosses.
Choki Gyeltshen, a biodiversity officer says there could be more than the recorded number considering the rich biodiversity the country boasts of. There are also a lot of areas that would host a wide range of new species- both to science and to Bhutan. But these areas are least explored as they remain inaccessible.
“We always expect more species. For example, we have around more than 60 species of snails and we expect more than 80 species of snails in Bhutan. It is similar for moth species. Currently, we have more than 1,000 moth species and what we expect is there should be more than 4,000 species of moths.”
Bhutan might also see an increasing record if there are enough expertise in taxonomy and adequate laboratory facilities.
“We don’t have adequate lab facilities. Nowadays people around the world have started to model molecular using DNA techniques. So right now Bhutan does not have any of those facilities so that is why it is very difficult for us to do research and especially taxonomy research,” Choki Gyeltshen said.
Such new discoveries signify that the country’s eco-system is healthy. Rich biodiversity and healthy eco-system keep pest species and diseases in check, provide important natural safeguards against natural disasters such as floods, drought and landslides and regulate climate.
