Urban taxonomy: a new beetle genus from an Asian mega-city underpins limited knowledge of the "new wilderness": computer scripts, tree files, datasets, open data.

Abstract.

Urban ecology is a rapidly expanding discipline depicting cities as dynamic ecosystems that
foster new ecological interactions between organisms. This study highlights the pivotal role of
biodiversity research in urban landscapes, advancing urban ecology and spurring the emergence
of “urban taxonomy” – the discovery of new species in urban ecosystems. We describe
Punctaltica gen. nov., a remarkable new moss-inhabiting flea beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae:
Galerucinae) genus discovered from anthropogenic microhabitats in Shenzhen (China) city parks.
Two species (P. shenzhenensis sp. nov. and P. montana sp. nov.) are reported, along with
Punctaltica’s phylogenetic placement via multilocus molecular analysis. The lifecycle of P.
shenzhenensis is documented via field and lab studies, detailing each developmental stage. Field
surveys show that moisture and seasons strongly affect the abundance of its population. Dry
conditions (<60% relative air humidity) are lethal to eggs, larvae, and adults. P. shenzhenensis
also features unusually large eggs, reaching up to 61% of adult size, and rare larval development
that is reduced to two instars. Upon examining the literature of new species discoveries from
urban areas, we underscore the significance of urban ecosystem research. Additionally, we
discuss urban taxonomy’s implications for future city development and park planning and
management. We advise preserving sizeable urban forest areas, even as parks, and minimizing
artificial maintenance like chemicals, leaf removal, and plowing.

This folder contains data from our study.