In June 2025, the researchers from Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) discovered a new species of jumping spider named ‘Spartaeus karigiri’, belonging to the Spartaeinae subfamily of the Salticidae (jumping spider) family, in the rocky terrain of Karigiri (Elephant Hill), Devarayanadurga, Karnataka.
- The study, published in the European Journal of Taxonomy, was led by John Caleb T.D. of Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, TN, in collaboration with researchers from the Kolkata (West Bengal, WB) based Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Tumkur (Karnataka) based Wildlife Aware Nature Club.
Key Findings:
i.Species Name: Spartaeus karigiri, named after its discovery site in Karigiri, Karnataka.
ii.Genus Expansion: This is the first time the genera Spartaeus and Sonoita, previously known only from Southeast Asia and Africa, have been recorded in India.
iii.Additional Habitat: Specimens were also collected from Villupuram district, TN.
iv.Behavioural Traits: These spiders are noted for intelligent hunting techniques such as web-invasion and mimicry to deceive prey, along with excellent visual capabilities.
v.Taxonomic Significance: The study resolved that Marpissa gangasagarensis (described in 2005) is a junior synonym of Phaeacius fimbriatus (identified in 1900)
vi.Expanded Biodiversity: The discovery of Sonoita cf. lightfooti in Karnataka, previously known only from Africa, brings India’s Spartaeinae spider diversity to 15 species across 10 genera.
New Flowering Plant Species ‘Portulaca bharat’ Discovered in Rajasthan
In June 2025, Nishant Chauhan, a committee member of the Satpura Biodiversity Conservation Society (SBCS), discovered a new flowering plant species, ‘Portulaca bharat’, belonging to the genus Portulaca (subgenus Portulaca, section Neossia), in the rocky, semi-arid slopes of the Aravali hills near Galtaji temple in Jaipur, Rajasthan, adding to India’s list of endemic flora.
- Following comparative studies and herbarium verification at the Kolkata, (West Bengal, WB) based Botanical Survey of India (BSI), the new species was officially published in the international journal Phytotaxa.
Key Features:
i.Field surveys recorded the presence of only 10 individual plants in the Galtaji hills , indicating the species’ highly restricted population and distribution range.
ii.The species is characterized by opposite, slightly concave leaves and pale-yellow flowers that turn creamish-white at the apex.
iii.Notable distinguishing features include glandular hairs on the stamen filaments and thick roots.
iv.The genus Portulaca comprises around 153 species globally, of which 11 are reported from India, including 4 that are endemic.
v.Conservation Status: Provisionally assessed as “Data Deficient” under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List guidelines due to limited distribution.
About the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI):
Director- Dhriti Banerjee
Headquarters- Kolkata, West Bengal(WB)
Established – 1916
