From Assam, a new underground spider

What is the News?

Researchers have discovered two new species of spiders, namely Gravelyia boro and Dexippus kleini from Jharbari range of western Assam’s Chirang Reserve Forest.

About Gravelyia boro:

• The Gravelyia boro is a burrow spider. It belongs to the Nemesiidae family which comprises 184 species worldwide.
• Features: The burrow spider lives underground, about 10-15 cm below the sandy-loam surface.
• The name “Gravelyia boro” has been derived from the Bodo community, one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in Assam.

About Dexippus kleini:

• Dexippus kleini is an oriental jumping spider. It belongs to the Salticidae, the largest family of all spiders on earth.
• This spider has been recorded for the first time since its original description 129 years ago by Swedish arachnologist in Sumatra, Indonesia.
• Features: The jumping spider is a slow mover, but capable of jumping up to 25 mm in length to hunt its prey.

Other Discoveries:

Stoliczkia vanhnuailianai:

• Stoliczkia vanhnuailianai is a non-venomous snake discovered in a dried-up area of Tuinghaleng river bed in Mizoram.
• The snake belongs to the Stoliczkia genus and is only the third species of Stoliczkia from India.
• Named after: The snake has been named as Stoliczkia vanhnuailianai, in honour of Vanhnuailiana, a famous Mizo warrior.
• Features: The snake is about 50 cm in length and has a dark brown shade above with a few dorsal scale rows bright yellow in colour. Though the head scales are uniformly dark brown, it has bright pinkish sutures.

Significance: The researchers have also named the snake as ‘Lushai hills dragon snake’. In the local Mizo language, it is called rulphusin, meaning ‘snake with small scales’