Rare beetle species named after ex-California governor
Rare beetle species named after ex-California governor
This photo courtesy of Bembidion expert David Maddison, a professor of integrative biology at Oregon State University, shows a specimen of Bembidion brownorum discovered by UC Berkeley entomologist Kipling Will while sampling for insects near Freshwater Creek on former Gov. Jerry Brown's Colusa County ranch in Colusa County, Calif. (David Maddison via AP)
BERKELEY, Calif. -
Scientists are naming a rare species of beetle in honour of former California Gov. Jerry Brown after finding one at his ranch.
Bembidion brownorum was last seen in 1966, but it hadn't been named or described until one was collected near a creek on Brown's ranch in Colusa County, about an hour's drive northwest of Sacramento, the University of California, Berkeley announced Monday.
The beetle is brown and tiny at about 5 millimetres (0.20 inch) long, although that is still larger than other Bembidion beetles. Under magnification "it glows with a green and gold metallic shimmer," according to UC Berkeley.
Brown, who left office in 2019, lives in California's inner coastal mountain range on land that has been in his family since the 1860s. He has offered his property as a meeting space for the California Native Plant Society, entomologist, and forestry and fire experts.
UC Berkeley entomologist Kipling Will has been sampling insects at the 2,500-acre ranch for more than two years. On July 1, 2021, he found an unfamiliar beetle and called up an expert, David Maddison at Oregon State University, to help identify it, UC Berkeley said.
They determined that it was a species that hadn't been previously named or described. Will later found 21 specimens in museums throughout California, although they may have been unlabelled or misidentified, UC Berkeley said.
The species probably was rarely spotted because it probably has been rapidly declining as its habitat is destroyed by urbanization and agricultural development, Will said.
The beetle was named in honour of Brown and his wife, Anne Brown.
"I'm very glad that (my ranch) is advancing science in some interesting and important ways," Brown said in the UC Berkeley statement.
"There are so many undiscovered species," he said. "I think it's very important that we catalog and discover what we have and understand their impact on the environment -- how it's functioning and how it's changing."
Will and Maddison described the beetle in a study published Monday in the journal ZooKeys. John S. Sproul of the University of Nebraska Omaha is a co-author.
"As of the moment of publication this morning the species was formally named," Will said through UC Berkeley in answer to a question by The Associated Press. "If the question is about a ceremony of some sort, no we don't do that."
Imagine being struck with a sudden onset of confusion, struggling to think of words or to recognize your surroundings — and even ending up in the emergency department because of it. No, this isn’t a description of dementia, but of a common complication that can arise from serious liver disease.
A Quebec forensics company promised millions of dollars in bribes to officials in the Philippines, including a cabinet minister and his brother, as it sought lucrative police contracts, according to a statement of facts attached to a deal the firm struck to avoid prosecution in Canada.
A former staffer who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault has defected to Moscow and spoken to Russian state media in a news conference that lasted several hours.
A beluga whale widely speculated to be an alleged Russian 'spy' has entered Swedish waters, according to OneWhale, an organization set up to protect the animal’s health and welfare.
North Korea's attempt to put the country's first spy satellite into space failed Wednesday in a setback to leader Kim Jong Un's push to boost his military capabilities as tensions with the United States and South Korea rise.
Gangs of killer whales have been causing chaos off the coast of Spain for the past few years, ramming into hundreds of boats, causing expensive damage to some and even sinking three since 2020. And UBC researchers have a theory why.
A Quebec forensics company promised millions of dollars in bribes to officials in the Philippines, including a cabinet minister and his brother, as it sought lucrative police contracts, according to a statement of facts attached to a deal the firm struck to avoid prosecution in Canada.
Whether travelling by plane, train or automobile, francophone travellers are struggling to access services in their language, Canada's official languages commissioner said Tuesday.
Manitoba RCMP have arrested a priest from a First Nation community who is accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, and believe there may be more victims.
A B.C. high school teacher is facing a five-day suspension and course requirement after making multiple students feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their bodies—and it’s not the first time he’s been disciplined in the past decade.
A former staffer who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault has defected to Moscow and spoken to Russian state media in a news conference that lasted several hours.
Hundreds of ethnic Serbs on Wednesday gathered in a town in northern Kosovo, days after clashes that injured 30 soldiers from a NATO-led peacekeeping force and over 50 Serbs, provoking fears of a renewal of the region's bloody conflicts and prompting the Western military alliance to send in additional troops.
Sudan's military has suspended its participation in talks with a paramilitary force it's been battling for weeks for control of the northeastern African country, a military spokesman said Wednesday.
Moscow said Ukrainian artillery had hit a town inside Russia for a third time this week and reported drone strikes on two Russian oil refineries on Wednesday, while Ukrainian shelling in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine killed five people.
Beijing responded Wednesday to complaints from the United States about a Chinese fighter jet's dangerous interception of an American Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the South China Sea by demanding an end to such flights.
North Korea's attempt to put the country's first spy satellite into space failed Wednesday in a setback to leader Kim Jong Un's push to boost his military capabilities as tensions with the United States and South Korea rise.
Federal Liberals say they continue to have confidence in David Johnston's work as foreign interference special rapporteur, despite opposition MPs calling for him to step down after recommending against a public inquiry. During debate, opposition MPs spoke about being targeted by China, while at committee former federal security officials voiced support for an inquiry.
Fresh off leading Alberta's United Conservative Party to a majority victory on Monday night, Premier Danielle Smith says she wants to 'reset' her relationship with the federal government, while readying to invoke the province's sovereignty act over emissions targets, if needed.
Conservative MP Erin O'Toole says Canada's spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.
Imagine being struck with a sudden onset of confusion, struggling to think of words or to recognize your surroundings — and even ending up in the emergency department because of it. No, this isn’t a description of dementia, but of a common complication that can arise from serious liver disease.
A raccoon in Maine was euthanized and tested for rabies after a woman brought it into a pet store for a nail trim and some customers kissed it, state wildlife authorities said.
Gangs of killer whales have been causing chaos off the coast of Spain for the past few years, ramming into hundreds of boats, causing expensive damage to some and even sinking three since 2020. And UBC researchers have a theory why.
Top artificial intelligence executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday joined experts and professors in raising the 'risk of extinction from AI,' which they urged policymakers to equate at par with risks posed by pandemics and nuclear war.
A third man has been charged in the 2002 shooting death of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay, prosecutors said Tuesday, marking the latest movement in a case that languished for years.
Wall Street dipped early Wednesday along with global stock markets ahead of a vote by the U.S. Congress to avert a government debt default, while a downturn in Chinese factory activity deepened, another indication that the global economy is slowing.
Whether travelling by plane, train or automobile, francophone travellers are struggling to access services in their language, Canada's official languages commissioner said Tuesday.
New data from the General Social Survey by Statistics Canada examined values across different Canadian demographics and found that Canadian women are more likely to closely adhere to most social and democratic values than Canadian men.
Authors discuss their new book, 'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies,' which aims to demystify the process of delivering honest apologies.
French Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said Wednesday that Novak Djokovic's political message about Kosovo was "not appropriate" and warned the former top-ranked Serb player that he should not do it again.
Shopping for a new electric vehicle can seem a bit like the Wild West. While most people are familiar with Tesla and established automakers, they're less likely to know much about all-new companies looking to replicate the success of Tesla and take a share of the quickly growing market. Edmunds highlights five EV startups for shoppers willing to take the plunge.
China's industry minister met Tesla Ltd. CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday and the two discussed development of electric and "intelligent networked" vehicles, the ministry said.
Fernando Alonso has five podiums in six races in a remarkable season for Aston Martin, yet still feels he's no closer to catching Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The two-time Formula One champions now head to a race with special significance for both of them.
This photo courtesy of Bembidion expert David Maddison, a professor of integrative biology at Oregon State University, shows a specimen of Bembidion brownorum discovered by UC Berkeley entomologist Kipling Will while sampling for insects near Freshwater Creek on former Gov. Jerry Brown's Colusa County ranch in Colusa County, Calif. (David Maddison via AP)
