Tigidia Singhal
Why in News?
Tigidia singhal is in the news because researchers recently discovered it as a new-to-science species of trapdoor spider. It is the first time the genus Tigidia has been found in a semi-arid open natural grassland ecosystem.
Key Characteristics & Information
- The breakthrough was published in the scientific journal Arachnology by scientists from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and the Wildlife Institute of India.
- Taxonomy: It belongs to the family Barychelidae (brush-footed spiders) under the infraorder Mygalomorphae, making it a relative of tarantulas.
- Physical Profile: The identified female holotype specimen measures 15 millimetres in length. It features black legs covered in greyish bristle-like hairs and a lighter abdomen marked with unique chevron shapes.
- Geographic Range: Discovered near the Nandeshwar Mahadev Temple in Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, India.
- Global Context: This discovery marks the eighth Tigidia species found in India. Globally, this ancient genus is entirely restricted to just three regions: India, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
- Burrow Architecture: It resides in 4 to 10-centimetre deep, silk-lined vertical burrows-built underneath rocks where the soil retains moisture. The burrow features two distinct openings and ends in a bulb-shaped underground chamber.
- Behavior: Like all trapdoor spiders, it is a long-living, sedentary predator that stays heavily camouflaged inside its burrow and springs out to ambush passing insects.
- Conservation Threats: The species faces ecological pressure from local land-use changes, soil extraction, and plastic pollution generated by tourism.
