A team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata, has recently discovered four spider species from Northeast India—two of which are new to science, and two reported for the first time from the country. These discoveries unveil the region’s rich yet underexplored arachnid diversity and highlight the importance of continued biodiversity research in one of the world’s most critical ecological hotspots.
The newly described species include Psechrus chizami, discovered in Nagaland, and Psechrus nathanael, found in both Nagaland and Meghalaya. Psechrus chizami is named after its type locality, Chizami, while Psechrus nathanael is named in honour of Nathanael PA Newmai for his steadfast support during fieldwork.
With these additions, the number of known Psechrus species in India now stands at seven. Spiders of this genus are known for building slightly dome-shaped sheet webs with tube-like retreats, usually in crevices, rock gaps, or under tree roots. These newly identified species can be distinguished from others in the genus based on their unique genital morphology. The discovery has been detailed in the latest issue of the journal Zootaxa.
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