We often sit in our gardens, admiring the green lawns, colourful flowers, trees, birds and butterflies. Occasionally, we may spot a spider, ladybird or praying mantis. Yet beneath our feet lies a remarkable hidden world populated by tiny creatures known as mites. A small survey of oribatid mites in my own garden in a townhouse complex in Langenhovenpark, Bloemfontein, revealed eleven species of these minute arachnids.
In a remarkable contribution to science and biodiversity, six researchers at the National Museum have described 62 new species over the past five years. This is according to results published in the Five-Year Strategic Plan End Term Report for the period ending March 2025.
According to Sharon Snell, CEO of the Museum, these new species have all been described in leading international scientific journals. These discoveries highlight both the richness of our natural heritage and the importance of museum collections. Many of the new species were described following recent field expeditions, but others came to light while curating old museum specimens, some of which were collected many decades ago.
The Tristan da Cunha Archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean comprises Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale Island, and Inaccessible Island. Gough Island, located about 350 km from the other islands, is approximately 2,700 km from Cape Town, South Africa, and 3,200 km from South America, making it one of the world’s most remote locations.
Climate change is an undeniable reality, and while natural climate variations have occurred over millennia, the current pace of change exceeds natural expectations, primarily due to human activities. The most noticeable changes are in the levels of carbon dioxide, temperature and rainfall. These changes will not be the same everywhere.
Taxonomists undertake the exciting task of discovering and describing new species across the earth, encompassing microorganisms, plants, and animals. Employing a system of binomial nomenclature, they assign names to species, drawing inspiration from people, localities, descriptive terms, or inventive words.