What’s the News?

A new species of jumping spider named ‘Hasarius Mumbai’ was recently discovered

Key Points

• This new species of Jumping spider was discovered in the rocks lying in close proximity to natural, seasonal streams at the Bombay Natural History Society’s (BNHS) conservation education centre (CEC) in Goregaon East.
• The species is named after Mumbai city – Hasarius Mumbai.
• This finding adds to the growing knowledge of spider diversity in the region.

Hasarius Mumbai

• It is a newly discovered species of jumping spider belongs to the Salticidae family, also known as jumping spiders
• The Salticidae family is incredibly diverse, with over 600 different genera and over 6,000 described species of spiders. Many of these , and new ones are still species can be found across Indiabeing discovered.
• It is mainly found in tropical forestHowever they also have mainly found in tropical forestspresence in Temperate forests, Scrubland, Deserts and Intertidal zones

NOTE–

• The word ‘— of Hasarius’ refers to a genus that ranks the species ‘jumping spiders’ in the ‘salticidae’ family.
• In India, there are which have only two other Hasarius species been documented, namely H. Adansoni, which is found across the country, including in urban areas, and kjellerupi, which was documented from the Nicobar Islands.

Features

• Unlike other spiders that build webs to trap their prey, jumping spiders rely on agility and quick reflexes. They stalk and pounce on their prey, making them highly skilled hunters.
• It has multiple eyes that give a 360-degree view of its surroundings and a bulbous body covered in hair.

Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)

• The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is in one of the largest non-governmental organisations India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.
•  It is headquartered in the specially constructed ‘Hornbill House’ in southern Mumbai.
• BNHS is the partner of BirdLife International in India. BirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity. It is headquartered in Cambridge, UK.
• It supports many research efforts through grants and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.
• Department of Science and Technology has designated it as a ‘Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’.