Jewel Beetles, Obtained from Local People, Turn out to Be Four Species Unknown to Science

"All new species belong to the genus Philanthaxia. Before the publication of this study, 61 species had been known from this genus. Currently, it comprises of 65 species, with a primarily Southeast-Asian distribution, except for two species extending to the Australasian region," said Oto Nakládal, a co-author of the study.

The new species P. pseudoaenea occurs in Thailand, while P. jakli, P. chalcogenioides and P. lombokana are distributed on some Indonesian islands (Sumatra, Borneo, Lombok). The biology of all these species is unknown, just as the host plants, because all specimens were obtained from the locals.

The specialists also described sexual dimorphism of Philanthaxia iris. This species had originally been described on the basis of a single female from Java, and male specimens had not been known so far. Due to the specimen from a local collector, also from Java, it was possible to describe a male.

Inventories of biodiversity "hot-spots," such as Southeast Asia, is extremely important because of the increasing extinction rates due to rapid changes of natural habitats. Several species become extinct before even known to science. "Mankind is not even able to evaluate the real losses associated with species extinction, because every individual species is, as a rule, a result of millions of years of evolution and adaptation and has therefore its unique role in the ecosystems" Nakládal added.
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Diet soda raises heart attack risk

Diet soda may be a wise choice for those who are keen to look after their health, but a new study has claimed that sugar-free fizzy drinks could actually raise the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

The study of more than 2,500 people found that those who had diet drinks every day were 61% more likely to get vascular problems than those who did not have any carbonated drinks. "If our results are confirmed with future studies, then it would suggest that diet soda may not be the optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages for protection against vascular outcomes," said researcher Hannah Gardener, an epidemiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

For their study, Gardener and colleagues recruited about 2,560 participants who had to report whether they drank diet fizzy drinks, regular fizzy drinks, a mixture of the two or none at all, the Daily Mail reported. The researchers, however, said the survey did not include data on the types of diet and regular drinks consumed, which could have given further information on how drinking different brands affected participants.

Doctors have no chemical or biological explanation for why diet soda may be risky. It could be that people who drink lots of it also fail to exercise , weigh more, drink more alcohol or have other risk factors like high blood pressure and smoking. However , the researchers took these and many other factors into account and didn't see a change in the trend.

Further studies would have to be carried out to explore how consuming diet drinks potentially raised the risk of vascular problems, said Gardener.

Sharlin Ahmed, from The Stroke Association, said: "According to this study, drinking diet fizzy drinks on a regular basis could pose the same or even higher risk for cardiovascular disease as standard fizzy drinks, providing a word of warning to those who often opt for diet versions in order to be 'healthy' ." "Everyone can reduce their risk of stroke by consuming a balanced diet and exercising regularly," Ahmed added.

Earlier studies have tied diet and regular soda consumption and greater risk of diabetes and a group of weight-related problems.
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