14 DAY TRIAL // The fairyflies family (a.k.a. mymaridae) has recently gained a new member: a species referred to as Tinkerbella nana.
Specimens belonging to this species of fairyflies have recently been discovered in the province of Heredia, Costa Rica by researchers working with the Organization for Tropical Studies.
By the looks of it, their average length was well below 250 μm.
Given their size, it need not come as a surprise that these creatures went unnoticed for several decades. Pensoft explains that, together with other species of fairyflies, the Tinkerbella nana is both minute and delicate. Because of this, they appear to be invisible to the naked eye.
Fairyflies are known to inhabit virtually all regions of the world, except for the Antarctica. The discovery of this new species was documented in a study published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.