Together with colleagues from Palacký University Olomouc, we gathered scattered records of the insect order Zoraptera — one of the least studied insect groups — and compiled it into a global open occurrence dataset using #QGIS, #OpenStreetMap and #rstats.

The dataset now includes 656 records with coordinates and/or area footprint with uncertainty, spanning 1895 to 2024.

📜 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-025-04696
💾 https://zenodo.org/records/14652555

#biogeography #biodiversity #Zoraptera #entomology #ecology #insects

#NewSpecies!
New angel insect from French Guiana just walked in:

Brazilozoros kukalovae
Holotype: Národní muzeum

Treatment: http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D38786-DB09-FF8D-328A-AE3AFE328395
Publication: http://doi.org/10.5252/zoosystema2023v45a6
#Zoosystema

#FAIRdata
#science #taxonomy #ecology #biodiversity #nature #wildlife #conservation #animals #entomology #insects #Zoraptera #angel #angelinsect #FrenchGuiana

Google has selected a #PlumeMoth (#Lepidoptera: #Pterophoridae: Pterophorus pentadactyla) to represent the #insect order #Zoraptera.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Zoraptera

This surprised me greatly, but it seems zorapterans are "commonly known as angel insects" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoraptera), which was an even bigger surprise, and the plume moth image has been tagged "angel insect". After all, it is white and feathery and presumably suitable for inspirational posters.

Bring on the AI-powered knowledgeverse ...