NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Lesula
Cercopithecus lomamiensis Hart, Detwiler, Gilbert, Burrell, Fuller, Emetshu, Hart, Vosper, Sargis & Tosi, 2012
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The lesula (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) is a species of Old World monkey in the guenon genus Cercopithecus, found in the Lomami Basin of the Congo. Though known to locals, it was unknown to the international scientific community until it was discovered in 2007 and confirmed in a 2012 publication. The lesula is the second new species of African monkey to be discovered since 1984. This monkey is described to have human looking eyes and a blue bottom "...and adult males have a huge bare patch of skin in the buttocks, testicles and perianal area," said John A. Hart, the researcher who described the monkey. "It's a brilliant blue, really pretty spectacular."
The species was listed among the Top 10 New Species 2013 discovered in 2012 as selected by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University out of more than 140 nominated species. Its distinctiveness is its human-like eyes, genital area and booming dawn chorus. The selection was declared on 22 May 2013.
Wikipedia contributors, Lesula; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T01:20:39.492652+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Cercopithecus lomamiensis Hart, Detwiler, Gilbert, Burrell, Fuller, Emetshu, Hart, Vosper, Sargis & Tosi, 2012
- Name authority
- Hart, Detwiler, Gilbert, Burrell, Fuller, Emetshu, Hart, Vosper, Sargis & Tosi, 2012
- Common name
- Lesula
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Cercopithecidae
- Genus
- Cercopithecus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderPrimates Linnaeus, 1758
- suborderHaplorrhini Pocock, 1918
- infraorderSimiiformes Haeckel, 1866
- superfamilyCercopithecoidea Gray, 1821
- familyCercopithecidae Gray, 1821
- subfamilyCercopithecinae Gray, 1821
- tribeCercopithecini
- genusCercopithecus Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesCercopithecus lomamiensis Hart, Detwiler, Gilbert, Burrell, Fuller, Emetshu, Hart, Vosper, Sargis & Tosi, 2012
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Cercopithecus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Red-bellied MonkeyCercopithecus erythrogaster Gray, 1866 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Moustached GuenonCercopithecus cephus (Linnaeus, 1758) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lowe's Mona MonkeyCercopithecus lowei Thomas, 1923 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-eared GuenonCercopithecus erythrotis Waterhouse, 1838 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dent's Mona MonkeyCercopithecus denti Thomas, 1907 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hamlyn's MonkeyCercopithecus hamlyni Pocock, 1907 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-cheeked White-nosed MonkeyCercopithecus ascanius (Audebert, 1799) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mona MonkeyCercopithecus mona (Schreber, 1775) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lesser Spot-nosed MonkeyCercopithecus petaurista (Schreber, 1774) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Crested Mona MonkeyCercopithecus pogonias Bennett, 1833 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sclater's GuenonCercopithecus sclateri Pocock, 1904 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Wolf's Mona MonkeyCercopithecus wolfi Meyer, 1891 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=944225 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:STF9. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.