A team of arachnologists has discovered a new genus of jumping spiders, ‘Tenkana’, found across southern India, encompassing two previously known species.
- It also introduced a new species, Tenkana jayamangali, from Karnataka.
- The name Tenkana comes from the Kannada word for south, reflecting that all the known species are from southern India and northern Sri Lanka.
- This new group belongs to the Plexippina subtribe of jumping spiders and is different from related groups such as Hyllus and Telamonia.
- Unlike related species that live in forests, Tenkana spiders prefer drier areas and ground habitats.
- They have been found in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
- The team also described Tenkana jayamangali for the first time, named after the Jayamangali river in Karnataka, where it was first seen.
