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News: Recently, researchers rediscovered Myiophanes kempi in limestone caves of the Andaman Islands after almost 100 years gap.
About Myiophanes kempi
- It is a rare, thread-legged assassin bug that recently rediscovered in limestone caves in the Andaman Islands, marking its presence after nearly a century.
- Original Discovery (1924): It was first described by British entomologist William Edward China in 1924 from Siju Cave in Meghalaya.
- Classification: It belongs to the subfamily Reduviidae, commonly known as assassin bugs.
- Habitat: It inhabits subterranean cave ecosystems and completes its entire lifecycle in complete darkness.
- Distribution Shift: The rediscovery extends its known range from Siju Cave in Meghalaya to the Andaman Islands, showing a major geographical shift.
- Characteristics:
- Morphology: It has a slender body with long legs adapted to cave life.
- Diet: It is a specialized predator of cave ecosystems that catches small arthropods using its long raptorial forelegs, and it depends on such prey to survive in complete darkness.
About Siju Cave
- Location: It is located in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya near the Simsang River.
- Known as: It is also known as Dobakkol or Bat Cave, one of India’s longest limestone caves stretching over 4.7 km.
