New species of jumping spider discovered from Western Ghats

The genus has been named Kelawakaju, meaning ‘tree-dwelling’ in the Berawan language of Malaysia

Researchers from the Department of Zoology, Christ College, Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, have discovered a new genus of spider from the Western Ghats, one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world.

The new genus has been named Kelawakaju, meaning ‘tree-dwelling’ in the Berawan language of Malaysia.

The team of researchers was led by Sudhikumar A.V., Head of the Department of Zoology, Christ College. Wayne P. Maddison, Professor at the University of British Columbia; Paul N.G. of Singapore Academy of Science; Gustavo Ruiz of Brazilian Biological Institute; and Vishnudas E.H., research student from the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE), Christ College, Irinjalakuda, were part of the joint exploration.

”The name Kelawakaju is given after its peculiar habitat. The combined explorative study that was conducted in India, Malaysia, China, and Singapore paved the way for the discovery of five new species of spiders under this new genus, including the one from the Western Ghats, Kelawakaju sahyadri. ‘Sahyadri’ means the Western Ghats in Sanskrit,” pointed out Dr. Sudhikumar.

These spiders are usually found on the loose bark of large trees. They differ from other jumping spiders with their flat and elongated body. Brown markings on the black abdomen and the row of white hairs below the eyes are other unique characteristics of the species. The brownish-black and horizontally elongated body help them blend in perfectly with the tree bark, helping them escape from predators and catch their prey through ambush, he said.

Male spiders are usually smaller than females. Males grow up to 6 mm to 7 mm in length and females are around 8 mm to 9 mm long.

The study was funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi. The discovery has been published in the latest volume of the international scientific journal ZooKeys, published from Bulgaria.