Rare Chrysilla volupe spiders discovered at Puttenahalli lake

A Chrysilla volupe male spider perched on garden lizard.

A pair of Chrysilla volupe spiders, a rare species, was recently spotted at Puttenahalli lake by photographer Satish Chandra Karanth. The discovery has residents, members of the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), and wildlife enthusiasts ecstatic. The Chrysilla volupe was believed to be extinct for 150 years, until it was discovered at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) in 2018.

Mr. Karanth, who is a regular visitor to the lake, expressed his surprise when he spotted the spider. In a release by PNLIT, he said, “While I was trying portrait shots of a garden lizard in our Puttenahalli lake bed last week, this colourful rare spider popped up on its head.”

The spider belongs to the family of jumping spiders (Salticidae) and scientifically named Chrysilla volupe. Male spiders are 5.44 mm long including stretched legs and 1.76 mm wide. They have a carapace in reddish orange colour with two iridescent blue stripes, stated PNLIT in the release.

Females measure 2.61 mm long and 0.88 mm wide, and have a greyish carapace with grey eyebrows with all legs yellow in colour.