The mysterious 'mobile rod' in Southeast Asia

Scientists discovered a rod-shaped insect with many other unique characteristics in the Philippines.

'Recently Oskar Conle, a deep researcher, showed us some strange rod-shaped insects that people found on Mount Halcon at the Philippine island of Mindoro many years ago,' said Marco Gottardo. PhD student of the University of Siena in Italy, told the BBC.

A rod of Conlephasma enigma rod. (Photo: Oskar Conle)

The beetles, called Conlephasma enigma , live in the third highest mountain of forests in the Philippines. This mountain is one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet. They have no wings and live on carpet on the ground, not on trees like most species in the insect world. With a blue head mixed with green and orange body, they emit a stench to prevent predators.

'We feel very surprised to see them, because they have a very different shape compared to other insects. We immediately realized it was a very special species , 'Gottardo said.

Gottardo and Philipp Heller, a colleague of his, studied a C. enigma. They concluded that it was a representative of an insect that scientists had never known. Their physical characteristics are so unique that scientists do not know their relationship with other rodent and leaf beetles.

Morphology of the male (above) and the female (below) of
C. enigma has many differences. (Photo: Oskar Conle)

The two scientists believe that the strange characteristics of the new rodent are the result of adapting to the life on the ground in the mountains of mountains. Most of the plant rodents have slender and long stems so that the enemy cannot distinguish them from the sticks on the tree.

'Another unique feature is the colors on their bodies. The head and legs of the male are green and blue, while the body is bright orange. Their back has black and blue triangular spots , 'commented Gottardo.

According to the team's guess, the colors on the body help the rodent threaten the enemy, not for camouflage.