A giant black wasp has been identified as a new species, recently discovered in the Mekongga Mountains of Southeast Sulawesi. (The report at the link below mistakenly describes the mountain range as being in Southwest Sulawesi).
One of the problems faced by this mammoth hymenoptera larrimae is the prospect that Rio Tinto will mine huge tonnages of nickel from its habitat.
The UK-Australian mega-miner will doubtless propose establishing a biosphere reserve in the area, to mitigate any damage its mining will cause. However, the warrior wasp is far from being the only endemic species threatened by mining in Sulawesi. Nor is this the only region where non-human creatures are potentially affected by Rio Tinto’s plans. The company may also soon be locking pincers with crabs close to its Weipa bauxite mine in the Australian state of Queensland. Or, at any rate, having to take on environmentalists who are siding with the crustaceans.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/11180.