Recently, a team of arachnologists has discovered a new genus of jumping spiders, ‘Tenkana’, found across southern India, encompassing two previously known species.
- It also introduced a new species, Tenkana jayamangali, from Karnataka.
Jayamangali River
- Tributary of Pennar River.
- Pennar river: Rises from the Chenna Kesava hills of the Nandi ranges of Karnataka and flows for about 597 km before outfalling into Bay of Bengal.
- Principal tributaries :Jayamangal, the Kunder, the Sagileru, the Chitravati, the Papagni and the Cheyyeru.
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About Tenkana jayamangali
- It is a newly described species named after the Jayamangali river in Karnataka, where it was first identified.
- It has been added in a new genus of Tenkana jumping spiders (Salticidae, Plexippina) from South Asia
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About Tenkana Genus
- New Genus Name: The genus Tenkana is derived from the Kannada word for “south” (Tenkana), reflecting the spiders’ distribution across southern India and northern Sri Lanka.
The new genus encompasses two previously known species: Tenkana manu and Tenkana arkavathi. These species were earlier classified under the genus Colopsus.-
- Colossus is a genus of Asian jumping spiders
- Geographical Distribution: Tenkana spiders have been found in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, and they thrive in drier habitats and ground areas, unlike their forest-dwelling relatives.
- Scientific Contributions: The team involved scientists from both India and Canada, University of British Columbia, Canada and Saveetha Institute, Chennai.
- Genetic analysis was conducted with Krushnamegh Kunte from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru.
- Taxonomic Significance:Tenkana belongs to the Plexippina subtribe of jumping spiders. It is distinct from other related groups, such as Hyllus and Telamonia.
23 Oct 2024
