Researchers in Shanghai have identified a new insect species named Aethina arciformis, according to a study published on April 1 in the international zoological journal Zootaxa.

Yu Zhizhou, a researcher at Shanghai Mini Beasts Studio, collected a specimen of the beetle in 2025 from a decaying bamboo root in a bamboo grove in Shanghai Botanical Garden. Measuring 4.4 millimeters in length, the insect belongs to the sap beetle family known as Nitidulidae.

The Nitidulidae plays an important role as decomposers in ecosystems, contributing to nutrient cycling and maintaining ecological balance.

The studio later collaborated with a research team of Northwest A&F University to conduct a systematic analysis, which confirmed the specimen as a new species.

The discovery marks the eighth new insect species identified in Shanghai over the past decade.

Sources: Shanghai Observer, WeChat account of Shanghai Mini Beasts Studio (大城小虫), Zootaxa