Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) scientists discover two new species of jumping spiders in Meghalaya

Key facts

• Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered two new species of jumping spiders in Meghalaya.
• The species are named Asemonea dentis and Colyttus nongwar.
• Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) are known for their exceptional vision, agile movement, and web-free predatory behaviour.
• Asemonea dentis is only the third species from its little-known genus to be reported in India, with its name deriving from dentis, Latin for 'tooth', referring to a distinctive tooth-like projection on the male's palpal femur.
• Colyttus nongwar represents just the second Indian species of the Oriental genus Colyttus, named after Nongwar village in Meghalaya.
• Meghalaya is one of the world's richest ecological frontiers, and the northeast is a vital component of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.