Survey Finds Dozens of New Species on Angola's Lisima Plateau
A February 2026 expedition to Angola's remote Lisima plateau recorded previously unknown dragonflies, grasshoppers, moths and butterflies. The findings confirm the Angolan Highlands Water Tower as a major but understudied biodiversity area.
nypost.comA February 2026 survey of Angola's remote Lisima plateau recorded dozens of species new to science, including dragonflies, grasshoppers, moths and butterflies. The work was carried out by 16 African and international specialists under the Cassai Life Atlas project.
The plateau sits within the Angolan Highlands Water Tower in Moxico Province. This upland region of miombo woodlands, wetlands, grasslands and source lakes feeds the Congo, Okavango, Zambezi and Cuanza river systems.
Angola's long civil war, landmines and difficult access kept researchers away for decades. As a result, the headwaters remained largely blank on biological maps while the downstream Okavango Delta gained international attention. The recent expedition was supported by Fundação Lisima and The HALO Trust.
Its goal was to document life in the upper Cassai catchment, one of the least-studied sections of the highlands.
Further surveys are expected to continue cataloguing species in the same area. Data from the project will help map the full extent of biodiversity across the Angolan Highlands Water Tower.
