Ancient giant millipede reappears in Madagascar's forest after over 120 years. Has anything changed so far?

In a mysterious discovery, a giant millipede with numerous legs was again spotted in the Makira Forest of Madagascar after 126 years.

It was found along with 20 other species which have been lost in time includingthe ant-like flower beetles, iridescent fish and even jumping spiders.

The giant millipede, which was the long, dark-brownSpirostreptus sculptus, was first noted by entomologist Henri de Saussure and naturalist Leo Zehntner back in1897 who discovered it in Madagascar.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The researchers spent several weeks last year and looked into Makira Forest, which was one of Madagascar’s largest protected areas.

While speaking to IFLScience, Re:wild’s lost species officer Christina Biggs said, “Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot and Makira is an underexplored area within the country, so we decided to pilot a new model for lost species searches there."

Also Read:Rare cactus species extinct due to rising sea levels in US

The research group had started the mission of finding the lost species with a list of 30, however, the giant millipedeemerged as the unexpected finding.

Entomologist Dmitry Telnov said, “I personally was most surprised and pleased by the fact that the giant millipedeSpirostreptus sculptus, not uncommon in Makira Forest, appeared to be another lost species known only from the type specimen described in 1897."

He further said, “The longest specimen of this species we observed in Makira was a really gigantic female measuring 27.5 centimetres [10.8 inches] long.”

Multiple lost species rediscovered in the forest

Apart from the giant millipede, the team was also able to find various species which were lost in time. Two of these were ant-like flower beetles which had not been documented since 1958 and one was the jumping spider Tomocyrba decollate which was last seen in 1900.

During the expedition, the researchers also discovered the species of zebra spider, which was earlier not believed to be living in Madagascan rainforests.

Director of the SpiDiverse working group at BINCO Brogan Pett, after finding some adults guarding egg sacs in a cave, said, “[T]hey were quite large spiders and it was remarkable that they had gone unrecognized for so long.”

Watch:Gravitas: Are Insects the Food of the Future? Singapore Approves 16 Insects Fit for Consumption

“It’s important to continue researching the biodiversity of Makira because although it is one of the largest rainforests in the country we still have relatively little idea which species occur, and there are likely to be many completely undescribed species as well,” said Julie Linchant, who works in the Wildlife Conservation Society Madagascar.

“Having a better understanding of the biological riches of Makira will enable us to better target our protection efforts," she added.

(With inputs from agencies)