Discovering New Species

The light glares against the sheet, highlighting its white color against the dark jungle night. As the bright light flickers, moths begin to flutter towards it. You study them carefully, noting their shapes and patterns. By the end of the night, you’ve discovered a species totally unknown to science. Now, you get to name it yourself!

As part of our Wired Amazon Citizen Science program, we give guests the opportunity to study jungle insects with our researchers. You can help us reveal nature’s wonders, become Citizen scientists, and even get the chance to discover a brand new species!

How exactly does this work? You’ll meet our research team at the lodge, where they’ll explain what types of insects we’re looking for, and how to identify them. Then, you’ll get collecting tools and head to our “light trap,” a brightly lit sheet that attracts an amazing variety of insects. You will look for and collect certain types of insects in the trap. Finally, if you’re lucky, you may even discover and name a new species!

Why You’ll Love Discovering a New Species

• Marvel at the Amazon’s Diversity: Most of the world’s species still haven’t been discovered. In fact, the Amazon Rainforest is home to the most undiscovered species of all, especially insects! Because of its remarkable biodiversity, the Tambopata jungle is one of the best places in the world to find new species, especially insects.


• Go Down in Science History: Unless you’re an intrepid scientist or you find a new planet, you might never get another chance to discover a species for yourself. As a result, you have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to discover a new species — You even get to name the species yourself, leaving a lasting scientific legacy.


• Almost 30 new species have been discovered by our guests under this project.