Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 18 February 2026
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovers new Diplura hexapod species Lepidocampa sikkimensis in eastern Himalayas
Exam-focused facts from the 18 February 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) identified the new Diplura species Lepidocampa sikkimensis near Ravangla in Sikkim.
- Additional specimens of Lepidocampa sikkimensis were later found in Kurseong in Bengal.
- The findings were published on 7 January 2026 in the international taxonomic journal Zootaxa.
- The study provides the first DNA barcode data for an Indian Lepidodcampa species.
- The research team rediscovered the rare sub-species Lepidocampa juradii bengalensis after nearly five decades.