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Biodiversity in Lake Victoria Faces Extinction Threat

A fisherman takes his boat out on Lake Victoria. (Reuters)
A fisherman takes his boat out on Lake Victoria. (Reuters)
    Nairobi, London - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Biodiversity in Lake Victoria Faces Extinction Threat

A fisherman takes his boat out on Lake Victoria. (Reuters)
A fisherman takes his boat out on Lake Victoria. (Reuters)

A new study published on Monday revealed that three quarters of freshwater species living in East Africa’s Lake Victoria basin face the threat of extinction

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed that 76 percent of these creatures, including freshwater species like fish, mollusks, dragonflies, crabs and aquatic plants living in Victoria Lake and its surrounding, area are endangered.

The study noted that industry and agriculture have polluted the lake, and blamed over-fishing as well, the German News Agency reported.

Will Darwall, a co-author in the study, and head of the IUCN’s freshwater biodiversity unit said that the effects on communities that depend on the lake for their livelihoods could be disastrous.

According to the World Bank’s estimates, over 40 million people in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda directly or indirectly rely on the lake.

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Carnivorous 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Dresses in Remains of its Prey

This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
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Carnivorous 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Dresses in Remains of its Prey

This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)

A new carnivorous caterpillar that wears the remains of its prey has been dubbed the “bone collector.”
The odd insect is only found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It creeps along spiderwebs, feeding on trapped insects and decorating its silk case with their body parts, The Associated Press reported.
There are other meat-eating caterpillars that “do lots of crazy things, but this takes the cake,” said study author Dan Rubinoff with the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Scientists think the case might act as camouflage, allowing the caterpillar to feast on the spider’s ensnared meals without getting caught.
A host of caterpillars native to Hawaii use silk glands to spin protective cases studded with lichen, sand and other materials. This one is the first to use ant heads and fly wings.
“It really is an astonishing type of case,” said Steven Montgomery, an entomology consultant in Hawaii who was not involved with the new study.
Findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Scientists found just 62 of the carnivorous caterpillars in over 20 years of observing.
Predatory caterpillars are extremely rare and the bone collectors found in Hawaii will even eat each other, researchers said.
The bone collector's origins date back at least 6 million years, making the caterpillars more ancient than the Hawaiian islands themselves. Today, they dwell on an isolated patch of mountain forest alongside invasive species.
“There is really a concern that we need to do better with conservation,” said Rubinoff.