Two new records of insects (Arthropod: Insecta) from Dokdo Islands, Korea

• Published in: Journal of Asia-Pacific biodiversity Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 106 - 109
• Main Authors: Bang, Woo Jun, Ryu, Jihun, Kim, Young-Kun, Won, Min Hyeok, Choi, Jae Won, Lee, Dong Yeol, Lee, Hyeon Seung, Lee, So Youn, Suh, Sang Jae, Choi, Kwang Shik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.03.2022; Elsevier; 국립중앙과학관
• Subjects: arthropods; biodiversity; Diptera; Dokdo; ecosystems; Geocoris; Geocoris pallidipennis; Insect fauna; Korean Peninsula; Lygaeidae; maritime climate; new species; surveys; Tephrochlamys japonica; 생물학; Korean Peninsula; Geocoris pallidipennis; Dokdo; Insect fauna; Tephrochlamys japonica
• ISSN: 2287-884X; 2287-9544
• DOI: 10.1016/j.japb.2021.09.012

Dokdo, a group of oceanic islands located in the East Sea near Ulleungdo Island, Korea, has great biological and ecological diversity. The ecosystem of Dokdo is considered unique because the oceanic climate differs from that of mainland Korea, and the islands have remained isolated for an extended period due to their geographic features. Biological surveys of insects were conducted five times on Dongdo and twice on Seodo in 2019 and 2020. From these surveys, we could find a total of ten orders, 82 families, and 190 species of insects, including two newly described species: Geocoris (Geocoris) pallidipennis (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) and Tephrochlamys japonica (Okadome) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae). These survey results suggest that Dokdo is very important from both academic and conservation perspectives. Establishing a complete database of Dokdo insects will require continued investigations. Such a database would provide basic information for inferring correlations with mainland species.