Deekshith D V
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Photo Courtesy: Indian Journal of Arachnology
Mangaluru, Aug 2: A team of researchers, including a native of Moodbidri, has discovered two new species of spider, namely 'Dictis mumbaiensis' and 'Peucetia phantasma', at Aarey Milk Colony in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The spider species have been discovered by the enthusiastic team of researchers comprising Dr Krishna Mohan of Moodbidri, who is a surgeon, environmentalist, ornithologist and wildlife photographer all rolled into one, Rajashree Khalap, a natural historian, wetland birds enthusiast and expert on native aboriginal dog breeds, Yogendra Satam who is associated with the Mumbai police, and Javed Ahmed, a naturalist and arachnologist who heads the team.
'Dictis mumbaiensis'
'Peucetia phantasma'
Deinopis spider
'Dictis' is a spitting spider and the new species has been named 'Dictis mumbaiensis' as it was discovered in Mumbai. 'Peucetia phantasma' belong to the family of Lynx spider and is largely a free-living ambush hunting plant dweller. It is learnt that in India there are 1,500 different types of species of spider.
Speaking to the daijiworld, Dr Krishna Mohan said, "India, more specifically Mumbai, has got two new species of spiders, along with several additional regional records. They are 'Dictis mumbaiensis', a new species of spitting spider named in honour of the maximum city Mumbai, and 'Peucetia phantasma', a new species of Lynx spider, which exclusively inhabits the ghost tree 'Sterculia urens', from which it derives its specific name ('phantasma' is an alternate Latin word for 'ghost').
"Beside these new species, the Ogre faced spider genus, 'Deinopis' was officially recorded from Mumbai for the first time, along with 'Hyllus semicupreus', a species of jumping spider, popularly known as 'Semi-Coppered Heavy Jumper', or 'Heavy Bodied Jumper', which was also reported from the region, along with a description of the utilization of silk constructs in the species, a behavior which has never been documented before," said Dr Mohan.
'Dictis mumbaiensis' hunt their prey by spitting a fluid as soon they sense their prey. But 'Peucetia phantasma' which will belongs to the family of Lynx spider,inhabits the ghost tree(Sterculia urens) most of them also spins web. It is also learnt that life span of spiders as per the scientific studies spider lives approximately from 1 year to 25 years.
The team has published the discoveries in the latest issue of Indian Society of Arachnology's 'Indian Journal of Arachnology', the country's only premier scientific journal focused exclusively on the subject of Arachnology.