Assam records first Indian sighting of rare jumping spider in Barak Valley

SILCHAR, Feb 6: In a discovery that underscores the hidden biological wealth of Assam’s forests, researchers from Assam University, Silchar, have recorded the first-ever Indian sighting of a tiny jumping spider species, Colyttus bilineatus, previously known to be found only in Southeast Asia.

The finding, made in the forests of the Barak Valley, has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa and marks a significant extension of the species’ known geographical range. Until now, Colyttus bilineatus had been reported only from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The research was carried out by Assam University scholar Monica Chetry under the supervision of Prof Parthankar Choudhury, in collaboration with noted arachnologist John TD Caleb of Saveetha University, Chennai. The spider was spotted in the Loharbond area of Cachar district, located within an Inner Line Reserved Forest–an area recognised for its rich but largely underexplored biodiversity.

According to sources, the discovery strengthens the case for Assam as a critical part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, one of the world’s most species-rich yet least studied ecological regions. “Assam’s forests continue to be a frontier for biological discovery,” said Prof Choudhury, pointing to earlier significant finds from the Barak Valley region, including the Man-face Stink Bug (Catacanthus incarnatus) reported from Pailapool in 2003, and the Walking Leaf Insect discovered in Katlicherra in 2006.

The latest finding, researchers stress, highlights the importance of studying lesser-known life forms. “Assam’s biological richness is not defined only by large mammals and birds,” said Monica Chetry of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University. “It is equally shaped by small, often overlooked microfauna. Though tiny, jumping spiders are active predators and play a crucial role in regulating insect populations and maintaining the health of forest ecosystems,” Prof Choudhary maintained. 

By

Arindam Gupta