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Seventeen new species of stink bugs, a group of insects with straw-like mouths used to feed on plant and animal matter, have been identified on the islands of French Polynesia, and their names honor scientists, actors, and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The insects were collected by Dr. Brad Balukjian, an environmental science, policy, and management major who conducted field research on Moorea, Tahiti, and other nearby islands from 2007 to 2009, and again in 2011 as part of his PhD. The findings were published in late September in Insect Systematics and Diversity and challenge previous taxonomic classifications that relied primarily on insect morphology.
Original Article: Discovery of new species of bugs in French Polynesia
