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ZSI Describes Two New Jumping Spider Species From Meghalaya

A Zootaxa paper underscores the region’s underdocumented biodiversity, prompting calls for deeper surveys.

Overview

  • The species, Asemonea dentis and Colyttus nongwar, were formally described by Zoological Survey of India scientists following fieldwork in Meghalaya.
  • Asemonea dentis is only the third Indian representative of its genus, distinguished by a tooth-like projection on the male palpal femur.
  • Colyttus nongwar is the second Indian record for its genus and takes its name from Nongwar village where specimens were found.
  • Males of Asemonea dentis are greenish-brown with a pale V-shaped abdominal marking, while females are creamy white with black patterns.
  • Both sexes of Colyttus nongwar have an oval reddish-brown carapace and a light-brown abdomen with a creamy band and five chevron-shaped patches, with full descriptions published in Zootaxa.