Dr. Aparna Sureshchandra Kalawate, a scientist, has unveiled a newly discovered species of beetles to the global community. This species, named Omorgus (Afromorgus) Moreshwar, was found at the Moreshwar temple in Morgaon village, renowned as an ashtavinayak pilgrimage site.
The paper was published on April 12 in international journal Zootaxa, a New Zealand-based scientific mega journal for taxonomists. It was a peer-reviewed publication with two scientists from different countries reviewing every article.
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Collaborative Research on Omorgus (Afromorgus) Moreshwar Beetle
Kalawate worked with the Zoological Survey of India, western regional centre. The paper was co-authored by Werner P Strümpher, director of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa. The new beetle belonged to the subgenus Afromorgus of the Trogidae family, which now had 10 species from India.
She said Omorgus (Afromorgus) Moreshwar fed on dead bodies in the last stages of decomposition. Its activity helped identify the time of death and other aspects in forensic science.
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Kalawate’s Pioneering Work: Discoveries in the Trogidae Family
The beetle was necrophagous and also called keratin beetle. After an organism died, blowflies were amongst the first to arrive in the early stages of decomposition. The final stage saw the arrival of the newly discovered beetle which fed on the corpse.
Kalawate was the first Indian scientist working on the Trogidae family of beetles and had discovered two new species in a matter of five years. The beetle she discovered earlier was called Omorgus (Omorgus) Khandesh found in the Khandesh region.
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