#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Entomologists studying the territory of the Putorana Reserve note that the absolute majority of insects on the territory of the Putorana Plateau have not been studied at all.
The Zoological Institute entomologists are carrying out the research. In addition, a freelance correspondent of the Natural Resources Ministry candidate of biological sciences and documentary photographer Vladimir Gorbatovsky is participating in the work.
Now the survey is being carried out near the Sobachye lake cordon, the experts have already examined more than 11 square kilometers of the territory.
“The vast majority of taxonomic groups (orders, families) of insects on the territory of the Putorana plateau have not been studied at all. There are neither materials in scientific collections known to us, nor publications devoted to the absolute majority of insect groups of the Putorana plateau”, said Mikhail Bondar, deputy director for scientific work and environmental education of Taimyr Nature Reserves directorate.
Scientists have already covered two areas and more than ten localities on the plateau, located at altitudes from 63 to 1100 meters with ten different collection methods:
“Massive material on insects has been collected at ten points. Hydrobiological collection of benthos was carried out in watercourses flowing into lake Sobachye. Faunal data cover eight orders of insects: mayflies, orthoptera, stoneflies, coleoptera, hymenoptera, caddis flies, dipterans, lepidoptera”.
According to the results of processing the collected material in 2019, specialists identified 214 species, of which 210 are indicated for the first time for the Putorana plateau:
“Most of the species were first indicated for the north of Central Siberia. Representatives of two families, Blephariceridae and Deuterophlebiidae, were first described for Northern Siberia. We hope that this year, too, the faunistic data will be supplemented by finds of new species for the region, and perhaps for science”.
Earlier we wrote that near Norilsk Mikhail Bondar found fossils of ancient mollusks.
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Text: Mikhail Tuaev, Photo: Nikolay Shchipko and Mikhail Bondar
