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Tiny web-dwelling bug discovered in China is a brand-new species
The new species, Monteithophila hainanensis, lives on spider webs in Hainan and is the first of its genus recorded in China; it measures up to three millimetres.
On air: Brock Thunderson and Dr. Nina Byte on Finally, Some Good NewsPublished
Photo: Michael Gäbler · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0Watch it as it aired: Brock Thunderson and Dr. Nina Byte on this story, from Finally, Some Good News at 11:40 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Bioengineer.org's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by Bioengineer.org: “Tiny web-dwelling bug discovered in China is a brand-new species”, with reporting from PMC (ZooKeys paper) and ScienceDirect.
- Covered on BBN on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 11:40 PM ET on Finally, Some Good News, by Brock Thunderson and Dr. Nina Byte.
- Topics: China.
- BBN covered this story before: Giant 65-million-year-old fungus "D-rex" found in China (October 27).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- Bioengineer.orgTiny web-dwelling bug discovered in China is a brand-new species
- PMC (ZooKeys paper)First record of silk-loving genus Monteithophila (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Plokiophilidae) from Asia, with description of a new species from China February 2, 2026 · facts used on air
- ScienceDirectFirst record of silk-loving genus Monteithophila (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Plokiophilidae) from Asia, with description of a new species from China - ScienceDirec facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Brock Thunderson · Chief MeteorologistIt's eleven-forty Eastern, this is Finally, Some Good News, and tonight a tiny bug in southern China just got a name.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentResearchers at China Agricultural University in Beijing described it in the journal ZooKeys.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt lives on the webs of a spider on Hainan, and it measures one point two to three millimetres.
Brock Thunderson · Chief MeteorologistThree millimetres at most. And he's been sitting on a spider's web, and nobody said hello.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt's also the first record of its genus in China and the whole Oriental Region, so he was overdue.
Brock Thunderson · Chief MeteorologistThey named him after Hainan, where he lives. So his address is now also his last name.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentBrock, he's three millimetres. The last name is bigger than he is.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentRating: a ten. I assume specimens are rare, and so is a taxonomist who gets it right.
Brock Thunderson · Chief MeteorologistMonteithophila hainanensis. Somebody finally said his whole name, and Nina, I'm not crying, you're crying. We're back tomorrow, same time.
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Photo: Official SpaceX Photos · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: NOAA/NASA · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: me ( w:User:Pfctdayelise ) · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: IowaPolitics.com · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0
The story so far
- Prince William on the selfie, Kim in China, a 476,000-year-old log… · BGNES
- Microsoft: China-aligned hackers used AI agents in supply-chain… · Newsmax
- Star flops and slowing investment dent China's festival presence · Variety
- Kim Jong Un Makes Surprise Trip to China, Crosses New Bridge · WSJ
- Mbappé loses China sponsors over Mao meme joke · Yahoo Sports
- Giant 65-million-year-old fungus "D-rex" found in China · ScienceDaily
- Tiny web-dwelling bug discovered in China is a brand-new species (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 · the Weird News archive · all months
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