Every year May 22 is observed as The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase awareness on various biodiversity issues such as habitat destruction, marine pollution and climate change.
It was first observed in 1993 by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly.
In 2000, May 22 was chosen as the The International Day for Biological Diversity to commemorate the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is an international legal agreement ratified by 196 nations for “the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources”.
The theme for 2018 is “Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity.”
Marking this day, here is a list of new species discovered in the last year in India.
Nasikabatrachus bhupathi inhabits the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, near the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. The discovery is significant as it constitutes additional evidence in favour of the theory of continental drift.
Drypetes kalamii: Named after Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the plant was discovered in West Bengal. It is found in the wet, shaded areas of subtropical, moist semi-evergreen forests, at heights of 50-100 metres.
A new species of water strider, Ptilomera nagalanda, was found in the river Intanki, in Nagaland. So far, only five species of water striders under the subgenus Ptilomera were known in India.
An adult (left) and a juvenile Aquatic Rhabdops were discovered from the northern Western Ghats. They usually inhabit freshwater streams.
Two new ginger species were discovered. Hedychium chingmeianum, from Nagaland is an epiphytic plant and grows on tall trees, while Caulokaempferia dinabandhuensis from Manipur was found growing in rock crevices, boulders and humus rich soil in the Shirui Hills.
Hemidactylus kangerensis, an 8-inch lizard was discovered from Chhattisgarh’s Kanger Ghati National Park. The discovery highlights the need for dedicated surveys across the Eastern Ghats, where biodiversity has not been quantified too well.
Four new balsam plants were discovered in Arunachal Pradesh during an expedition to the Eastern Himalayas. India is home to more than 230 balsam species.
Three new species of eels were discovered along the northern Bay of Bengal coast. With these new discoveries, the Bay of Bengal coast has yielded at least five new species of eels.
Cycas pschannae and, right, Cycas dharmrajii were discovered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This discovery takes the number of Cycas species found in the country to 14.