Rajasthan

• 03 May 2024

Green Lynx Spider

Why in News?

Recently, Green Lynx Spider was discovered in Tal Chhapar, Rajasthan. The spider species has been named Peucetia chhaparajnirvin.

Key Points

• The spider was found in Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary in Churu district during fieldwork by Nirmala Kumari.
• The specimens have been deposited in the entomology lab at the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.
• The species was identified and described in the Spider Research Lab at JD Patil Sangludkar Mahavidyalaya, Daryapur, in the Amravati district.
• This spider is found on the green leaves of the Vachellia nilotica (babul) tree. Their green hue aids in blending within surroundings and ambushing prey, while their long legs allow them to move quickly.
  • This spider is nocturnal and feeds on small insects. The climatic conditions in the sanctuary area are extreme, with very hot summers and very cool winters.
  • They are significant insect predators in low shrubs and herbaceous plants, being crucial for controlling plant-damaging insects and forest ecosystem pests.
  • The spiders prey on various types of moths and their young, such as bollworm moth, leafworm moth, and looper moth.

The Tal Chhapar Sanctuary

• It is situated on the border of the Great Indian Thar Desert.
• Tal Chhapar is a distinctive shelter of the most graceful Antelope seen in India, “the Blackbuck”.
• It was given the status of a sanctuary in 1966.
  • Tal Chhapar was a hunting reserve of the erstwhile royal family of Bikaner.
• The “Tal” word is a Rajasthani word meaning plane land.
• This Sanctuary has nearly flat territory and a combined thin low-lying region. It has open and wide grasslands with spread Acacia and Prosopis plants that offer it a look of a characteristic Savanna.