Sensation of the Discovery of Strange Insects, New Species Similar to Small Flies but Like Worms

The translation of the given 'Bahasa' text to 'English' while preserving any html tags is: "Commotion over the Discovery of Strange Insects, New Species Resembling Small Flies but Like Worms Snakes".

Wildlife experts are left confused after a truly new species of insect was discovered in Alaska.

This species, called Sciara serpens, is a type of small moth with a strange life cycle. During the larval stage, this moth exists as a slimy transparent worm. But that's not the strangest part, when these worms gather, they move in a procession resembling snakes, consisting of hundreds of individuals crawling over each other in a frenzy.

"First time I learned about them was in the summer of 2007 when Maggie Billington, a guide at the North Alaska Museum where I worked as an insect curator, brought specimens and photos and explained the strange phenomenon,"
The translation of the given text from Bahasa to English while preserving any html tags is: "insect expert Derek Sikes said to Newsweek."

Source: Newsweek

"This is a rare day when someone brings an insect in Alaska that truly astonishes me! I know they are fly larvae of a certain type, but I have never heard of this 'slithering' behavior before. I am baffled - a total X-Files case!"

Sensation of the Discovery of Strange Insects, New Species Similar to Small Flies but Like Worms

The previous behavior of "snake mimicry" has been observed in several species in North America and Europe, with discoveries dating back to the 18th century. "[However] we found significant genetic differences between our new species and its closest relatives in Europe, which also exhibit this 'snake mimicry' behavior," said Sikes. "We also found differences in male genital organs that support the hypothesis that we have discovered a previously undescribed species."

The problem is, snakeworms are difficult to study.

"Adult snake worm moths are rarely encountered, and the phenomenon where thousands of their larvae move in long columns resembling snakes is also rare, very brief, and difficult to predict," said Sikes. "Even experts on these flies have never seen this phenomenon directly. It is very interesting to be confronted with such a rare and dramatic entomological mystery."

"Benar-Benar Baru bagi Pengetahuan" translates to "Truly New to Knowledge" in English.

After more than a decade of research, Sikes and his team succeeded in confirming that this species is indeed completely new to science. The results of their research were published in the journal Integrative Systematics: Stuttgart Contributions to Natural History.

"The discovery of this new species, which we named Sciara serpens, allows us to review all literature on this behavior and compile a valuable summary to guide future research."

"ujar Sikes" in English is "said Sikes."

However, why they exhibit such unusual behavior still remains a mystery. "There are many ideas, which we review in our article," said Sikes. "My co-author and I agree with some others who have published this phenomenon and think that snakeworm behavior is essentially a way to avoid drying out."

Habitat Mereka translates to "Their Habitat" in English.

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Larva ini lembab dan biasanya hidup di lapisan daun yang gelap, sejuk, dan lembab di hutan. Ketika mereka menemui area terbuka yang kering seperti jalur atau jalan, mereka berkumpul untuk meminimalkan area permukaan yang terpapar. Ini memungkinkan mereka melewati jalur kering tanpa mengalami dehidrasi. Mereka juga terlihat seperti ular, kadang-kadang mencapai panjang lebih dari tiga kaki, yang mungkin mencegah burung lapar untuk menyelidiki mereka.

"

Assisted by Scientific Community

Throughout their investigation, Sikes and his team were supported by a number of scientific citizens who helped collect data and report the discovery of this rare phenomenon from various regions in this country.

"In our article, we emphasize the importance of citizen scientists to our efforts (and we involve them in naming new species)," said Sikes. "Everyone has a high-quality camera in their pocket, which greatly enhances the quality and quantity of data for studying rare phenomena like this. We hope that the discovery of these new species will encourage further research from citizens to help solve the mystery of the snakeworm moth."

"More importantly, if you encounter one of these mysterious snakeworms, Sikes requests that you do the following:Photograph and upload your observations to iNaturalist.Collect some larvae in strong alcohol and store them in the freezer with a label indicating where and when they were collected.Try to raise them to adulthood: keep a group of live larvae in a plastic container with some leaves."

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