Tura, June 28: Residents of the remote village of Baladinggre in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya have no idea about new spider species found in their area.
” I showed them a book on spiders and everyone from headman’s house was very curiously watching all the photos in that book and were trying to identify what we saw or it is found here or not” Gautam Kadam, a PhD student from the Division of Arachnology at Sacred Heart College in Kerala who was on a survey of spiders in 2022.
Baladinggre is a medium-sized village located in the Betasing Block of West Garo Hills district, Meghalaya with a total of 55 families residing. The Baladinggre village has a population of 314 of which 160 are males while 154 are females as per Population Census 2011. It is situated 14km away from sub-district headquarters Dalu (tehsildar office) and 65km away from district headquarters Tura.
” I have had no contact since then but they must be happy now that it has been proved it is a new species” he says.
Kadam says he was there for five days. ” They are very supportive.. the nokma’s son was with me” he says.
Gautam Kadam, a PhD student from the Division of Arachnology at Sacred Heart College in Kerala, had stumbled upon a spider that immediately piqued his interest.
“The moment I saw the spider, I thought it was something interesting,” Kadam says. “Sometimes, I don’t focus on ground-dwelling families of spiders such as Palpimanidae and Gnaphosidae, but this one caught my attention. Its reddish-brown colour and powerful front legs attracted me, so I collected it for further examination.”
This particular spider, found near a human settlement in Baladinggre, belonged to the Palp-Footed Spider family, known for their disproportionately powerful and heavily sclerotized first pair of legs—a distinctive feature useful for field identification.
Following detailed lab analysis, Kadam and his team confirmed that the spider belonged to the Steriphopus genus of the Palpimanidae family. By comparing it with previously described species of this genus, they concluded that it was a new species, which they named Steriphopus wangala.
The discovery was not only a scientific milestone but also a cultural tribute. The new species was dedicated to the Garo community’s harvest festival, the 100 Drums Festival. “We dedicate this new species to the Garo community’s harvest festival, the 100 Drums Festival, which honours Saljong, the Sun God of fertility, marking the end of a period of toil and indicating the beginning of the winter season,” Kadam explained.
Kadam was part of a team of scientists from the P.A. Sebastian Centre for Arachnology Research (PASCAR), Sacred Heart College, and the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE) at Christ College in Kerala. This team, including Dr Pradeep Sankaran and Rishikesh Tripathi, played a crucial role in the discovery.
Dr. Pradeep Sankaran, a specialist in ground-dwelling spiders, identified the species as belonging to the Steriphopus genus. With expertise in the families Zodariidae, Gnaphosidae, and Lycosidae, he has described 37 new species and four new genera of spiders from India. “Jhum cultivation and road constructions are potential threats to the species,” Kadam added, highlighting the conservation challenges faced by this newly discovered spider.
The Wangala Festival, to which the spider’s name pays homage, is a significant event for the Garo community. It is a time when tribals offer sacrifices to please their main deity, Saljong, the Sun God.
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