A biologist from the Siliman University in Dumagueta has discovered a new butterfly subspecies after hiking to the peak of Mount Talinis in Negros Island back in 2012.
Jade Aster T. Badon, also an instructor at the university, collected the specimen during his research expedition around Lake Nailig, a crater lake near the peak. It was not until 2019 that he realized he may have found a new butterfly subspecies after attending a wildlife conservation symposium in Leyte.
Badon, along with his co-author Dr. Jacqueline Y. Miller, published their discovery at the entomological journal Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo.
The butterfly subspecies they discovered was an Appias phoebe nuydai, which they named in honor of Justin S. Nuyda, an artist who has contributed to the study of butterflies in the Philippines.
The subspecies has black spots on its forewings, while its hindwing underside is yellow. The researchers told GMA News Online that the new subspecies can only be found in Mount Talinis.
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