TUMAKURU: A new species of spider, discovered at the origin of Jayamangali river at Devarayanadurga reserve forest near here, has now been recognised as a new genus by arachnologists.
‘Tenkana jayamangali’ has been added as a new genus of Tenkana jumping spiders (Salticidae, Plexippina) from South Asia, claimed researchers Kiran Marathe, John TD Caleb and Wayne P Maddison. In a scientific paper, prepared along with environmental enthusiasts Krushnamegh Kunte, BG Nisha and Chinmay C Maliye, the last two also being software engineers, and YT Lohit, working with WWF, they claimed that the ‘Tenkana’ is a new genus to contain two species of ‘manu’ group currently places with ‘colopsus’.
Nisha, Chinmay and Lohit had discovered the male and female jumping spiders and sent the specimen to study their DNA which did not match with any other species that led to the discovery of the new genus ‘Tenkana’. The paper published in the journal ‘Zookeys’ on October 11, details the new genus as the phylogenies recover Tenkana jayamangali as a sister species to T arkavathi and T manu.
The males of T jayamangali, pale hairs occupy most of carapace surface area leaving small bald patch posteriorly, while in T arkavathi and T manu, pale hairs are gentler on carapace forming narrower bands on carapace laterally, tapering posteriorly. Ocular area of T jayamangali is covered with white hairs uniformly, while T arkavathi has distinctive V-shaped bands and T manu has bald ocular area.