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This discovery stunned biologists across the world as it represented not only the finding of a new species to science, but also a new order of insects, the first in nearly a 100 years.
In an even more interesting twist, this species was the first live representative of a lineage of insects thought to be extinct for over 45 million years!
The behavior of these animals is equally interesting – they are sit-and-wait predators of spiders and the males employ a similar hunting strategy literally ‘catching’ their mates.
Scientific name
Tyrannophasma gladiator
Where
They are found only in the high desert of the Brandberg Massif in Namibia, southern Africa.
When
Discovered during a CI-sponsored expedition to Brandberg in 2003.
Field Notes
It is known from a single population on top of Brandberg, but the remoteness and virtual inaccessibility of this high elevation place indicates that there are currently no immediate threats to its survival.
Finder
Piotr Naskrecki (Conservation International)