If there’s one thing that easily gets overlooked in the vast kingdom of biodiversity, it’s arguably the commonplace creatures we see every day. However, two distinctive types of spiders, previously unseen in the Indian subcontinent, have been discovered in Kerala. With unique characteristics that separate them from their peers, these tiny arachnids have sparked quite an interest in the scientific community.
Discovering Money Spiders in India
Named after their commonplace habitat, Money Spiders have been identified for the first time in India. Dwelling within the Muthanga range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, researchers from Christ College in Kerala have made this groundbreaking discovery.
Money spiders fall under the family of dwarf spiders (Linyphiidae) with the genus Prosoponoides. Until now, only six species of spiders belonging to this genus have been recognized globally. The newly discovered spider has been dubbed as Prosoponoides biflectogynus.
These spiders usually grow up to 3mm in males and 4mm in females. Their dark brown bodies carry irregular silver patches and black spots on the abdomen. Olive-green legs bearing fine black spines and eight dark eyes arranged in two rows add to their distinct appearance.
Female money spiders build triangular webs in between dry tree twigs, serving as traps for small insects. Males, on the other hand, prefer hiding beneath dry leaves. It’s also common to spot multiple male spiders in a single female’s web.
The Intriguing Ant-mimicking Spiders
The second find by the researchers, named Toxeus alboclavus, better known as ant-mimicking spiders, belong to the family of jumping spiders, Salticidae.
These unique spiders can grow up to 4mm in males and 6mm in females. Females can be distinguished by a pair of white stripes on their dark brown abdomen. Males have a brown cephalic region and a black thorax adorned with white hairs. Furthermore, their forward-projecting fangs take the shape of an antler.
These spiders also have long spines at the base of each leg. As their name suggests, these spiders mimic ants, a tactic commonly found in the arachnid world used to ward off predators.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary: A Treasure Trove of Biodiversity
Located in Kerala, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) is where these groundbreaking discoveries were made. WWS boasts an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and came into existence in 1973.
It gained global recognition when it became the first Indian reserve to be included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2012. Other wildlife parks within the Reserve include Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Mukurthi National Park, and Silent Valley.
WWS covers an expansive area of 344.44 sq km and shares its boundaries with the tiger reserves of Nagerhole and Bandipur in Karnataka and Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu. It hosts a vast array of flora and fauna, from South Indian Moist Deciduous forests to West coast semi-evergreen forests and plantations of teak, eucalyptus and Grewelia.
As for animal life, the sanctuary is home to a diverse collection of mammals like the Elephant, Gaur, Tiger, Panther, Sambar, Spotted deer, Barking deer, Wild boar, Sloth bear, Nilgiri langur, Bonnet macaque, Common langur, Wild dog, common otter, and Malabar giant squirrel.
Discoveries of these unique spider species in this sanctuary don’t just enrich our understanding of India’s biodiversity but also testify to the vital role of such reserves in preserving it.