It is so tiny that some single-celled organisms, such as the proteobacterium Thiomargarita namibiensis , can double in size. This has been revealed by research led by entomologist Alexey Polilov, from MV Lomonosov Moscow State University.
The animal is part of a group of specimens discovered earlier this year in the Chicaque Natural Park, in Colombia. Now, in an article published in the magazine ZooKeys , this expert indicates that to determine their length with the maximum precision he used digital micrographs of the specimens, obtained with a scanning electron microscope, and a computer program specially developed to perform measurements .
The first Scydosella musawasensis , found in Nicaragua, were described in 1999; even today, this species constitutes the only representative of its genus . Its most distinctive morphological characteristics are its oval body, with yellow and brownish tones, and its striking antennae, divided into ten segments.
