Researchers name beetle after National Geographic photographer

A new beetle species has been named to honor a fellow Husker, bridging the worlds of academia and wildlife conservation.

Brett Ratcliffe, emeritus professor of entomology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, named the recently discovered species Bothynus sartorei after Joel Sartore, a renowned National Geographic photographer and founder of the Photo Ark. The tribute recognizes Sartore’s dedication to wildlife conservation.

“I’ve always been impressed by his passion for what’s he’s trying to do to conserve wildlife,” Ratcliffe said. “He’s an excellent speaker; he galvanizes his audiences. He’s doing a great job for society and for nature and for the planet, and this is one little way I can recognize him.”

Ratcliffe and co-author Ronald Cave, professor of entomology at the University of Florida, published their findings in the Journal of Insect Biodiversity.

Sartore’s lesser rhino beetle is dark reddish brown and measures 14.7 millimeters long and 7 millimeters wide (or slightly larger than half an inch by a quarter of an inch).

Ratcliffe and Cave are working on a project documenting Bolivian beetles. It will ultimately include 200 to 250 species of rhino beetles, including Sartore’s lesser rhino beetle. This specimen came from a collector in Canada and is the only known specimen of the species. As they continue field work in Bolivia and examination of collections for the project, they hope to find more, Ratcliffe said.

“Science is like that sometimes,” Ratcliffe said. “You find one and it turns out if you look closer, maybe you find more.”