It is a long-standing tradition that the scientist who first describes a newly discovered species earns the right to name it. This practice continues with a new longhorn beetle species found in the Philippine archipelago, now officially named Doliops kaupersi in honor of Latvian musician Renārs Kaupers.
The new species has been described and named under the leadership of Latvian biologist, Rector of Daugavpils University, Professor Arvīds Barševskis.
"The time has come for last year's jubilarian Renārs Kaupers' beetle! At the end of 2024, a new species of longhorn beetle, Doliops kaupersi, was described in science, which I dedicate to Renārs Kaupers," writes entomologist Dr. biol. A. Barševskis.
Doliops kaupersi is distinguished by its golden-green coloration and inhabits the Sarangani jungles on the island of Mindanao. All species of the Doliops genus are known for their limited distribution range, leading to the assumption that D. kaupersi is found exclusively in this region. The beetle resides in tree canopies and feeds on leaves, but little information is available about its biology.
Professor Barševskis has previously named newly discovered species after notable Latvian cultural figures. In the past, he has named species in honor of Raimonds Pauls, Imants Ziedonis, Jānis Streičs, and others.
The species description and taxonomic characterization have been published in the scientific journal Baltic Journal of Coleopterology.
