(TibetanReview.net, Dec26’25) – A previously unknown beetle species presents potential risks to the Potala palace’s infrastructure due to its wood-boring larvae, reported China’s official chinadaily.com.cn Dec 25, citing the regional party mouthpiece Tibet Daily (officially Xizang Daily).
Researchers recently identified a new genus and species of insect within the iconic wooden structures of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the report said.
The discovery, published in an international zoological taxonomy journal, is stated to advance research on Coleoptera diversity, particularly in the context of cultural heritage conservation.
Named Lhasella potala, the insect is stated to be a small reddish-brown beetle measuring 4.8 to 6.9 millimetres. It was confirmed as a new genus and species through morphological analysis, anatomical study, and DNA barcoding, Zhou Xuan, a PhD student and member of the research team, has said.
The report continued that since its discovery, the beetle has been found in other historic sites in Lhasa as well.
The discovery was stated to be a joint effort by Peking University, the Tibet (Xizang) Plateau Institute of Biology, and the Potala Palace Management Office.
The Potala has been the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas since mid-17th century. China has turned it into a tourist attraction visited by millions each year. It has officially capped the numbers to 2,300 to 5,000 visitors per day during peak season, apart from Tibetan pilgrims. The Potala was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 as a cultural heritage site, officially recognizing its outstanding universal value.