About Mimetus spinatus and Mimetus parvulus:
- They are two new species of spiders discovered in the southern Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot.
- Mimetus spinatus and Mimetus parvulus were collected from the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka and Ernakulam district of Kerala, respectively.
- Features:
- Both species belong to the spider family Mimetidae, commonly known as pirate or cannibal spiders due to their unique predatory behaviour.
- These spiders infiltrate the webs of other spiders, mimicking the vibrations of prey or mates to deceive and kill the host spider.
- Mimetus spinatus is characterised by its medium size, pale yellow head, and dull grey-white abdomen, with scattered light green mottling. It possesses long, black, flattened spine-like hairs on the dorsal head, which inspired its name.
- In contrast, Mimetus parvulus is distinguished by its pale creamy-rose head with dense grey-black mottling and a triangular-shaped, dull grey-white abdomen.
- The discovery marks the report of the genus Mimetus after 118 years of the discovery of the last Mimetus species (i.e. Mimetus indicus) from India.
- The addition of two new species brings the number of Mimetus species in India to three, all of which were spotted from the southern part of the country.
