The first study resulting from CollembolICE activities outside the European Alps has been published, focusing on the glacial biodiversity of the Karakoram and Himalaya. The research describes Desoria passui, a new species of “glacier flea” discovered on Passu Glacier (Pakistan) in Karakoram, and also provides the first data on other invertebrates associated with glacial habitats in the area. Before this study, only one paper dating back to 1966 had described a single species of “glacier fleas” from the Karakoram.

This work represents a first step towards understanding Himalayan glacial biodiversity, which is still almost completely unknown despite the high vulnerability of these ecosystems to climate change and despite Himalaya is considered the “Third Pole” for ice extension. The study confirms that glacier fleas are dominant components of mountain glacier ecosystems worldwide.