Top Ten New Species: Snub-Nosed Monkey, Devil Worm, More

Bonaire Banded Box Jelly

Photograph courtesy Ned DeLoach

Found near the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire, this "strikingly beautiful yet venomous jellyfish" resembles a box kite, with its long, colorful tails, according to ASU.

A teacher participating in a citizen-science project gave the Bonaire banded box jelly the scientific name Tamoya ohboya, under the assumption that people who are stung by the noxious jelly would exclaim, Oh boy!

(Also see "'Pink Meanie' Pictures: New Jellyfish Attacks Other Jellies.")

Published May 29, 2012

Wandering Leg Sausage

Image courtesy G. Brovad

At 6.3 inches (16 centimeters) long, the giant millipede Crurifarcimen vagans (pictured) is the biggest millipede yet found.

Discovered in the species-rich Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania, the species' size and shape earned it the common name "wandering leg sausage."

(Blog post: "How Millipedes' Legs Become Sex Members.")

Published May 29, 2012

Sazima's Tarantula

Photograph courtesy Caroline S. Fukushima

The "breathtakingly beautiful" Sazima's tarantula was found in Bahia, Brazil, according to ASU.

Dubbed Pterinopelma sazimai, the iridescent blue species may be at risk due to habitat loss and harvesting for the pet trade.

The arachnid is especially vulnerable because it lives only on "ecological islands"—a type of habitat in Brazil's tabletop mountains.

(See "Tarantulas Shoot Silk From Feet, Spider-Man Style.")

Published May 29, 2012

Night-Blooming Orchid

Image courtesy Jaap Vermeulen

Flowers of the night-blooming orchid (pictured) open around 10 p.m. and close the next morning.

Thought to be the first night-blooming species among the 25,000 known orchids, the plant was named Bulbophyllum nocturnum, in part from the Latin word meaning "at night."

Known from only a single plant found in Papua New Guinea, the night-blooming orchid may be at risk due to habitat loss from logging, according to ASU.

(See "World's Smallest Orchid Discovered [By Accident].")

Published May 29, 2012

Walking Cactus

Illustration courtesy Jianni Liu

An ancient, spiny creature nicknamed a walking cactus is seen in an illustration.

Discovered via fossils unearthed in China's Yunnan Province, the 2.4-inch-long (6-centimeter-long) Diania cactiformis had a worm-like body and ten pairs of armored, likely jointed legs.

The animal would have lived about 500 million years ago during a period of rapid evolution called the Cambrian explosion.

(Learn more about prehistoric animals.)

Published May 29, 2012

Dive-Bombing Wasp

Photograph courtesy C. van Achterberg

A new species of parasitic wasp found in Europe, Kollasmosoma sentum (pictured), "dive bombs" ants to lay its eggs.

The wasp skims the ground to locate an ant, then drops rapidly and deposits an egg inside the victim, transforming the ant into rations for the wasp larva.

"When ants are aware of the air raid, they may wave away the wasps with their legs or turn with mandibles open to face the assailant," according to ASU.

(See "Pictures: Wasps Turn Ladybugs Into Flailing 'Zombies.'")

Published May 29, 2012

Nepalese Autumn Poppy

Photograph courtesy Paul Egan

The "beautiful" Nepalese autumn poppy likely escaped identification for many years due to its extreme high-altitude habitat—nearly 14,000 feet (4,300 meters), according to ASU.

Botanists had collected the flower before in 1962 and 1994 but didn't recognize the species as a new flower.

Last year, though, the discovery "was made by intrepid botanists collecting plants miles from human habitation in heavy monsoon rains," ASU reports.

(See National Geographic's flower pictures.)

Published May 29, 2012

Devil Worm

Image courtesy A. G. Borgonie, Ghent University

Discovered miles under Earth's surface, the devil worm (pictured) is the deepest-living animal yet found.

Though "admittedly the least photogenic of the lot," the devil worm "was most surprising," ASU's Wheeler said.

"I do not think anyone expected to find a multicellular organism living nearly a mile underground," he said.

"Discovery of this nematode raises the obvious question: What else do we not know about the biodiversity of the underworld?"

(See "Deepest-Ever Fish Caught Alive on Camera.")

Published May 29, 2012

Spongebob Squarepants Mushroom

Photograph courtesy Thomas Bruns

The new species Spongiforma squarepantsii has a spongy appearance that reminded scientists of the cartoon character Spongebob Squarepants.

Found in Sarawak, Malaysia, S. squarepantsii looks more like a sponge than a mushroom, and when squeezed like a sponge, it will bounce back to its normal size and shape, according to ASU.

Overall, "the best guarantee for our own future lies in learning about the rise and fall of other species," ASU's Wheeler added.

"If biodiversity is sustainable, so too, perhaps, are we."

Published May 29, 2012

See Ten Weirdest Life-forms of 2011: Editors' Picks

Photograph courtesy Marcela Bejarano-Álvarez

Published May 29, 2012