Six new spider species discovered from across the country

Subject: Environment

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 in 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.
Jumping spiders
- Two new species of spiders coming under the family of jumping spiders ( Salticidae) were discovered in the Thar desert of Rajasthan and the Kurichiyad forest ranges of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
Spiny-legged spiders
- Two new species of spiders belonging to the family of spiny-legged spiders (Oxyopidae) have been discovered in the Thumboormuzhi butterfly garden, near the Athirappilly waterfalls, and on the Calicut University campus.
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.