Amazing Discovery: Over 100 New Species Found in Guadeloupe!

Guadeloupe’s biodiversity still holds many secrets, as evidenced by the findings released on December 16. In total, nearly a hundred new species were discovered.

The survey, conducted in 2024, involved a massive team of researchers. Over the course of forty days, 120 local and international scientists explored the islands of Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, and La Désirade, located south of Guadeloupe’s two main islands. Various types of traps were set up across different ecosystems, complemented by a team of field experts. « We had conducted some prior research on these islands, but never on this scale. That’s why we found so many new species », noted Julien Touroult, the scientific director of the terrestrial segment.

This expedition, led by the Regional Agency for Biodiversity of the Guadeloupe Islands (ARB-IG) and the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), turned out to be very productive: « From the 2,000 samples collected on land and another 2,000 from the sea, we have already identified new species. A white scorpion spotted in La Désirade, and a beetle nearly one centimeter long », he added. In total, about 50 new marine species were discovered, along with forty insects and thirty plants.

On other occasions, insects that are common in Latin America or on the African continent were discovered for the first time in the tropical fauna of the archipelago. « In Marie-Galante, we found dung beetles that likely originated from West Africa, probably brought here by humans. They pose no threat to the local fauna and flora », highlighted Laure Corbari, a research professor at the MNHN and scientific coordinator of the expedition.

This is crucial information, as Guadeloupe is among the thirty biodiversity hotspots in the world, these areas being home to numerous endemic species. While the archipelago does not have an exceptionally high number of species (about 12,000), some are unique to Guadeloupe. The ecosystems of La Désirade and Marie-Galante remain preserved, yet the endemic and sub-endemic species (those barely present outside their main territory) of Les Saintes are considered to be in a relatively critical condition.

Not all results of the expedition are known yet — about 4,000 species were collected and need to be analyzed — and more discoveries are expected to be announced in the coming years. « With some luck, within five years, all the major findings will be established and we will have identified several new species », Julien Touroult anticipates. Laure Corbari adds: « It’s important to remember that we still know very little about nearly 80 % of the planet’s biodiversity. »

According to Julien Touroult, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a new expedition in the future focused on the two main islands of the archipelago, known as the “butterfly wings”: « The last research in Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre was back in the 1970s. Since then, our tools have evolved. We would likely make discoveries. Already, in the marine areas near the Grand-Cul-de-Sac-Marin [in the north of the archipelago], between 2012 and 2015, an expedition described 300 new species », he recalls.

Beyond the scientific dimension, this initiative also aims to raise awareness among the local population and territorial communities about the importance of preserving this unique environment. School visits are conducted as part of this effort to educate and engage the younger generations in preserving their ecosystem.