Two rare species recorded for first time in Shenzhen

A Trichochrysea hirta, a species of leaf bettle, spotted in Dapeng. Li Qiang

Elysia leucolegnote spotted in Dapeng. Courtesy of the organizers

RARE species such as Trichochrysea hirta and Elysia leucolegnote were recorded in the city for the first time during Shenzhen nature challenge competition 2022 (Dapeng competition area), Shenzhen Evening News reported.

The Dapeng competition area’s award ceremony was held Saturday, and during the 10-day competition period, participants traveled around the Dapeng Peninsula and submitted 6,012 effective observation records. The records covered a total of 1,620 species, accounting for 31.37% of the species recorded during the competition.

The Dapeng competition area also recorded some other rare species in Shenzhen, such as Ricania pulverosa (black planthoppers), and spotted Platydemus manokwari (New Guinea flatworm), an alien invasive species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as one of the 100 most destructive invasive species in the world. These records have provided an important basis for future scientific research and nature conservation in the city, according to the report.

Trichochrysea hirta is an animal belonging to the Eumolpidae family, while Elysia leucolegnote is a photosynthetic mollusc, which feeds on some filamentous green algae to absorb chloroplasts and has the unique ability to maintain the photosynthetic activity of chloroplasts in animal cells.

Data suggested that these two species have not been recorded in Guangdong in the past, especially Elysia leucolegnote, which has only been found in some areas of Guangxi and Hainan after 2020.