Arachnologists from the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE), Christ College, Irinjalakuda, have discovered six new species of spiders from across the country.
The new species of spiders were found from the Garo hills in Meghalaya, the Thar desert of Rajasthan, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kottappara hills near Kothamangalam, Thumboormuzhi butterfly garden near Athirappilly, and the University of Calicut campus, according to Sudhikumar A.V., Head, Department of Zoology, Christ College, who led the team. The other members of the team are Rishikesh Balkrishna Thripathi, Sudhin P.P., Shilpa K.R. and Amulya Baji, who are research scholars of CATE, Christ College.
“Studies conducted on the Garo hills of Meghalaya resulted in the first spotting of the genus Siamspinops from India with a new species Siamspinops garoensis. This belongs to the family of flat spiders, Selenopidae. This spider lives in the crevices of rocks on hills and its flat body is suitable for this mode of life. The yellowish brown spider measures about 10 mm in length. There is a black circle around its eyes and black patches on the abdomen. After mating, females lay eggs and incubate them in an egg sac,” says Dr. Sudhikumar.
Jumping spiders
Two new species of spiders coming under the family of jumping spiders (Salticidae) were discovered from the Thar desert of Rajasthan and the Kurichiyad forest ranges of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Afraflacilla miajlarensis, the Thar species, is characterised by white fine hairs on a black head and black horizontal lines on the abdomen. This spider stays among dry leaf blades. Afraflacilla kurichiadensis, the Wayanad species, is characterised by red patches around the eyes and white hairs on the abdomen. The bulged first pair of legs are also a special feature of this species. This spider lives in the moist deciduous forest of Kurichiyad.
The next spider species lacks a venom gland and belongs to the family of feather- legged spiders (Uloboridae). This new species has been named as Philoponella rostralis, due to the presence of a beak like structure on the male reproductive organ. This spider makes a special type of web under the leaves and it can subdue the prey with the help of woolly silk produced from their cribellum (additional silk producing organ in front of the spinnerets).
Spiny-legged spiders
Two new species of spiders belonging to the family of spiny-legged spiders (Oxyopidae) have been discovered from the Thumboormuzhi butterfly garden, near the Athirappilly waterfalls, and on the Calicut University campus. The former one is characterised by a yellowish body and is named as Oxyopes peetham. The latter one has been named as Oxyopes thumboormuzhiensis, to signify the locality where the spiders were spotted. The members of this family are commonly known as lynx spiders because of their lynx-like feeding behaviour.
Studies were conducted with financial assistance from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), University Grants Commission (UGC), and the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE).
These findings have been published in the latest volume of Zootaxa (New Zealand), Arthropoda Selecta (Russia), British Journal of Arachnology (England), Acata Arachnologica (Japan) and Serket (Egypt), international journals that deal with spider study.
