Angola Expedition Uncovers 71 New Species on Lisima Plateau as Survey Maps Key Water Tower
Updated
Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Jun 3
Angola Expedition Uncovers 71 New Species on Lisima Plateau as Survey Maps Key Water Tower
3 articles · Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Jun 3
Summary
A February 2026 expedition to Angola’s remote Lisima plateau found at least 71 species new to science or newly recorded there, including eight undescribed dragonflies, three grasshoppers and about 60 moths and butterflies.
The 16-specialist Cassai Life Atlas team was able to survey one of Africa’s least-studied biodiversity zones because decades of civil war, landmines and extreme remoteness had long kept scientists out.
The survey also logged 103 dragonfly and damselfly species, 24 amphibians, 23 reptiles, cave bats and more than 320 plant collections, revealing a richer-than-expected transition zone shaped by both miombo and Congolian forest habitats.
Lisima sits in Angola’s Highlands Water Tower, feeding the Okavango, Zambezi, Congo and Cuanza systems, so the new records provide a baseline for land-use and conservation decisions far beyond Moxico Province.
That urgency is rising as road expansion and mine clearance open the area to diamond mining, farming, timber harvesting and settlement, increasing habitat loss, erosion and fragmentation in carbon-rich wetlands and forests.
As scientists unveil Angola's 'Source of Life,' are they also exposing it to new, greater threats?
If foundations fund nature's discovery, why do their other investments often fund its destruction?
Over 70 New Species Discovered: The Lisima Plateau’s Biodiversity Jackpot and the Urgent Race to Protect Angola’s Water Tower
Overview
In February 2026, a scientific expedition explored Angola's remote Lisima Plateau, an area long considered a biodiversity 'blank spot' due to its isolation and history of conflict. This journey, part of the Cassai Life Atlas survey, aimed to uncover the region's hidden ecological treasures. The team discovered a remarkable array of life previously unknown to science, confirming the Lisima Plateau as a significant biodiversity hotspot. These findings highlight the importance of exploring previously inaccessible regions, as they can reveal critical new species and inform future conservation efforts.