There’s life in the old bug yet – On the trail of aquatic insects thought to be extinct
The latest and, for now, last Explora story is online. We’re in Zurich, in the Wehrenbach ravine, looking for a species of caddisfly thought to be extinct.
In 1888, Friedrich Ris found a previously unknown species of caddisfly in the Wehrenbach ravine in Zurich and named it “Microptila minutissima”. Hardly anything is known about the species, since no further specimens were found in Switzerland after 1888. The wet meadows with their spring floodplains remained practically untouched, providing the ideal habitat for caddisflies, so scientists wondered if it might be possible to find more specimens. That would be quite a sensation, and would make it easier to ensure the conservation of the wetlands and protect this unique natural habitat.
From the lighthouse to the sample jar
In the middle of the meadow, a kind of lighthouse has been set up to attract the species of caddisfly we’re looking for. Some caddisflies, which can’t be identified with the naked eye, flew into the light and were identified in the lab the next day. Check out the Explora story to find out if any of them belonged to the species thought to be extinct.
Don’t miss...
There’s more new content in December! The final three episodes of the miniseries “When cows meet robots – Agricultural sciences at ETH Zurich” are online.
The storytelling platform Explora features fascinating and informative stories in different formats and on topics relating to the holdings of the ETH Library.