Spider research yet to pick up pace in India, say experts

Spider research yet to pick up pace in India, say experts

1. A new species of jumping spider has been discovered in Aarey Colony, Mumbai. It has been named Jerzego sunillimaye, in the honour Sunil Limaye, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Wildlife East, Maharashtra forest department. The species was first spotted in 2016.
2. Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family Salticidae. It is the largest and most diverse family of spiders, consisting of 6,126 described species. These spiders are easily recognised by their lager anterior median eyes. In India, there are about 256 species of jumping spiders known till date.
3. Jerzego sunillimaye is the fourth species under genus Jerzego in the world and the second from India. It is also the first species under the genus whose taxonomic details, mating behaviour, and egg development have been documented. The study on Jerzego sunillimaye has been published in the journal Arthropoda Selecta.
4. Arachnologists in India have advocated that a large number of diversities of spiders are yet to be discovered in India as spiders remain much unreasearched in the country. Arachnology is the scientific study of spiders and other arachnids (class of eight-legged arthropods) such as scorpions, harvestmen etc.