It is not everyday that you have a new species of beetle named after you, however National Geographic Explorer, photographer and founder of the National Geographic Photo Ark, Joel Sartore, just received this honor. The new species to science, Sartore’s lesser rhino beetle (Bothynus sartorei), was named by University of Nebraska Entomology Professor Emeritus and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Brett Ratcliffe and published in the Journal of Insect Biodiversity in August of this year.
Kevin Lievano
This new species is named in recognition of Joel’s tireless efforts to promote and protect biodiversity through his extensive field work to document animal life through his charismatic and passionate lectures, and his Photo Ark project, the world’s largest collection of animal studio portraits to galvanize the public to care for and save species from extinction.
This small, nocturnal species is only known from a single specimen — the pinned beetle Joel photographed that was collected from Arani, Cochabamba, Bolivia in January 2002. Dr. Ratcliffe, recognized the beetle as potentially being new, and began to describe it in collaboration with Dr. Ronald Cave.
A drawing of a male Sartore’s lesser rhino beetle was also created for the Photo Ark in September of this year by University of Nebraska PhD candidate Kevin Lievano.