Giant Millipede Thought To Be Extinct Rediscovered

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After more than a century of absence from the scientific record, the giant millipede Spirostreptus sculptures, an invertebrate reaching an impressive length of 27 centimetres, has been rediscovered in Madagascar during an expedition. The species, thought to be extinct, was spotted in the Makira rainforest, one of the most remote and least explored areas of Madagascar. His sighting came about by chance thanks to Christina Biggs, head of lost species for Re:wild's global research, who spotted him moving in front of her tent. She naively filmed it as she was impressed by its beauty, not knowing that she was looking at a species that had been hidden from science for more than 100 years.

The expedition responsible for this extraordinary discovery was organised by Re:wild's Search for Lost Species, a global search that aims to find plants, animals and fungi that have been 'lost' for at least 10 years, if not centuries as in this case. This project involved specialists from various fields and local guides who, together, searched for species that had not been documented for decades. The focus was on organisms that, like the giant millipede, had been considered lost to science. In addition to rediscovering the Spirostreptus sculptureus , in fact, the team identified more than 20 new species, in what was described as a scientific triumph.

One of the places richest in biodiversity is precisely Madagascar, which is why it was included in the research project. It is home to a variety offlora and fauna not found elsewhere, thanks to its geographical isolation and variety of ecosystems. And the Makira Forest, is precisely one of the most pristine and protected areas on the island: this wild habitat has offered refuge to many rare species, demonstrating how the protection of specific environments can preserve a unique natural wealth. In fact, as Re:wild's itself reported, it was in Makira, the island's largest rainforest, that the team was searching for at least 30 'lost' species, including three mammals, three fish, seven reptiles, 12 insects and five spiders.

In addition to the giant millipede, the expedition unearthed severalother species, including new varieties of spiders and fish, some of which had been missing for decades. These include the Makira rainbowfish (Bedotia alveyi), which had not been sighted for over 20 years. Its presence was detected after a five-day search that had not yielded the hoped-for results, which as Tsilavina Ravelomanana, an ichthyic biologist at the University of Antananarivo, recounts, saddened everyone's spirits. However, their work was not in vain when to their amazement they found a specimen along the Antainambalana River. This discovery, and more, also came about thanks to the help and collaboration of the local communities, who contributed their profound knowledge of the surrounding environment, highlighting the value of collaboration between scientists and locals in research missions.

Despite the success of the expedition, the work to protect Madagascar's biodiversity is far from over. Many species, such as the Masoala lemur or the Calumma vatososa chameleon, have still not been tracked, raising questions as to whether or not they may be extinct. deforestation, climate change and human activities seriously threaten these fragile habitats. Protecting key areas such as the Makira forest will be crucial to ensure not only new discoveries, such as that of the giant centipede, but also the preservation of Madagascar's extraordinary natural richness to protect its inhabitants.