DISRUPTIVE AMAZON
In the Arch of Deforestation, where the forest suffered the most, there are islands of paradise that remind us why the Amazon is the heart of the world. Thus the Latin winds blew, immersing us in ancestral tropicality.
: AUSTRAL
For two months, in 2021, we lived at RPPN Cristalino the greatest expedition of our lives. In the southernmost part of the biome, we are faced with an unparalleled biodiversity. Large mammals and tiny praying mantises were everywhere, echoing in every corner of the forest.
With the support of Fundação Ecológica Cristalino and Greenpeace Brasil, more than 30 species of praying mantises were found and recorded with an artistic eye that dreams of a utopian, technological and ancient Amazon, where life and its people are the center of the world.
THE AMAZON OF MATO GROSSO
In the southernmost part of the biome, the largest rainforest in the world meets Cerrado, the Brazilian savannah. In this rich ecotone, biodiversity is vibrant, unique and threatened. Unfortunately, almost everything there has already been turned into a sad landscape of monotonous green. Even so, reserves such as RPPN Cristalino guarantee the protection and continuity of this important paradise in the tropics.
NEW SPECIES
The expedition's main goal was to document new species of praying mantis. Among the more than 200 collected specimens, all raised to natural death, at least three are new to science. The first has already been described, a beautiful male of Microphotina. The second, of the genus Dougonyx , also represents an unprecedented alive record of this group. In fact, the more than 30 species found were all documented, revealing novel behavior and their habitat in the rainforest, raising new questions about these amazing insects.
PROJETO MANTIS + GREENPEACE BRASIL
In a wonderful partnership with one of the most important environmental preservation institutions of the planet, we shared directly from the Amazon our Austral journey, the beauties we lived, the feelings of anguish, the treasure that together we work to protect. Check out the blogs written by Leo Lanna and published on the Greenpeace Brasil website (in portuguese)!
