Chula Announces Discovery of 43 New Species to the World

The 36th Chula the Impact featured a press conference announcing the discovery of 43 new species to the world, all discovered in Thailand. These species were granted scientific names bearing the royal name of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on the auspicious occasion of her 70th birthday anniversary in 2025. The event also served as an important platform for disseminating academic knowledge in taxonomy and biodiversity to the public, reinforcing Chulalongkorn University's role as a leading higher-education institution that supports research for the sustainabiliyy of the nation and society.

Professor Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, presided over the opening ceremony. He stated that the announcement of the discovery of 43 new species in Thailand can be regarded as a New Year's gift to the Thai people, reflecting the potential of Thai researchers and the country's rich biodiversity. The discoveries also constitute valuable scientific knowledge for the public and serve as concrete evidence of Thailand's progress in taxonomic and biodiversity research.

The President further emphasized that these discoveries resulted from collaboration among researchers from various institutions both domestically and internationally, demonstrating the power of academic cooperation and Chulalongkorn University's role in continuously supporting and driving scientific research to generate new knowledge that contributes to natural resource conservation and sustainable development.

Subsequently, Professor Dr. Pranut Potiyaraj, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, reported on the faculty's academic role in promoting and supporting research in taxonomy and biodiversity. He highlighted integrated collaboration with research networks in Thailand and abroad to produce new knowledge recognized at the international level. The event also featured a tribute video honoring Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for her royal contributions to the promotion of education, science, taxonomy, and biodiversity in Thailand.

A key session of the event was a presentation on the background and details of the discoveries of the new species by Professor Dr. Somsak Panha, Director of the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity, Chulalongkorn University. He explained the research process, species classification, and scientific naming of all 43 new species, which were discovered through collaboration among 31 institutions in Thailand and 14 institutions overseas. These discoveries represent significant research achievements in taxonomy and biodiversity for Thailand.

The panel discussion was moderated by Assistant Professor Dr. Jessada Salathong from the Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University, allowing members of the media and attendees to ask questions, exchange views, and gain deeper insights into the importance of discovering new species.

An exhibition showcasing information on all 43 newly discovered species was also held to disseminate biodiversity knowledge to the public.

List of the 43 New Species Discovered in Thailand

New genera to the world: 2 genera

1. Debaratania
2. Sirindhornea

New plant species to the world: 3 species

• Curcuma princeps
• Brachylophon sirindhorniae
• Strobilanthes sirindhorniae

New animal species to the world: 33 species, consisting of

3 species of annelids

• Amynthas septuaginta
• Amynthas sirindhornae
• Metaphire fidelis

13 species of insects

• Batothecoides sirindhornae
• Gilen principissa
• Protohermes sirindhornae
• Ephoron debaratana
• Teloganopsis sirindhornae
• Coeliccia sirindhornae
• Lepidonella sirindhornae
• Megachile sirindhornae
• Temnothorax sirindhornae
• Tetraponera sirindhornae
• Camponotus sirindhornae
• Vombisidris sirindhornae
• Ceratocombus sirindhornae

5 species of crustaceans

• Caridina sirindhornae
• Macrobrachium debaratae
• Paralona sirindhornae
• Tropodiaptomus sirindhornae
• Quadrimaera sirindhornae

6 species of myriapods

• Coxobolellus sirindhornae
• Thyropygus sirindhornae
• Rhopalomeris sirindhornae
• Yuennanina sirindhornae
• Desmoxytes chaofa
• Desmoxytes sirindhornae

1 species of arachnid

• Domarchus sirindhornae

4 species of mollusks

• Pseudodon septuaginta
• Georissa principalis
• Discartemon sirindhornae
• Siamopotaxis principalis

1 species of vertebrate

• Limnonectes sirindhornae

New fungi and yeast species to the world: 5 species

• Blastobotrys princeps
• Cyberlindnera sirindhorniae
• Moniliella princeps
• Metschnikowia sirindhorniae
• Calathella sirindhorniae

Continue reading a full article on the website: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/news/279865/

Download Full Pictures of 43 New Species https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QOBOM5OA1rgiKVZIKOPIzPE2Pb2S3GUH?usp=sharing

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