Species In News – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

Nelloptodes gretae

• Between 1964 and 1965, an entomologist called William Brock collected samples of soil from around east Africa.
• Inside one of these samples, taken in Kenya and stored in the British Natural History Museum until now, was a tiny species of beetle, pale yellow and gold.
• Measuring just 0.79 millimetres, the beetle has no eyes or wings, with a small pit between where the eyes should have been.

White bellbird- the world’s loudest bird

• Bellbirds have the loudest bird calls yet documented in the world, according to a study.
• The study found that their mating songs pack more decibels than the screams of howler monkeys and the bellows of bisons.
• The male white bellbird’s mating call is about three times louder than screaming phias — the previously loudest bird singer.

7 new species of insects that can walk on water discovered

• Scientists of the Zoological Survey of India have discovered seven species of water treaders, semiaquatic insects that can walk or run on the surface of water.
• Among the new discoveries, Mesovelia andamana is from Andaman Islands, bispinosa and M. isiasi are from Meghalaya, M. occulta and M. tenuia from Tamil Nadu and M. brevia and M. dilatata live both in Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu.

ZSI finds new species of freshwater fish

• Scientists of the Zoological Survey (ZSI) of India have discovered two new species of freshwater fish from the north-eastern and northern parts of the country.
• Glyptothorax gopii
• Garra simbalbaraensis

 Tamil Yeoman declared Tamil Nadu’s state butterfly

• Uniformly orange in colour with a dark brown outer ring, Tamil Yeoman is among the 32 butterfly species found in the Western Ghats.
• This butterfly species moves in groups in large numbers, but only in a few places.
• Also known as Tamil Maravan, which means warrior, these butterflies are found mainly in the hilly areas.
• An expert team was involved in identifying butterfly species to be declared state butterfly.

Great Indian Bustard

• The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is one of the few species that the Government of India has included in its ‘recovery programme for critically endangered species’.
• With less than 200 GIBs remaining in the world, most of them found in Rajasthan’s ‘Desert National Park’.
• We are on the brink of forever losing a majestic bird species, which was once a strong contender to be declared as India’s National Bird.

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