Carrhotus Piperus

The Palani Hills

●The Palani Hills are a mountain range in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

●They are an eastward extension of the Western Ghats ranges, which run parallel to the west coast of India.

●The Hills adjoin the high Anamalai range on the west and extend east into the plains of Tamil Nadu.

●It is also home to the main temple of Murugan, who is worshipped as a major deity in Tamil Nadu.

●The Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park is a proposed protected area in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement is not intended.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Consider the following statements about “Carrhotus Piperus” recently seen in the news:

1.It is a new butterfly species recently discovered in the Western Ghats.

2.More than hundreds of Carrhotus Piperus are found across India.

3.It has a unique prolateral protrusion and beak-shaped embolism.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

A. Only one

B. Only two

C. All three

D. None

Ans: A

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect:

●Carrhotus Piperus is a new jumping spider species recently discovered on pepper (Piper nigrum) plants.

●The name Piperus is derived from the plant Piper nigrum, which reflects its habitat.

●The species was taxonomically described and illustrated in detail by scientists from the ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru. 

Statement 2 is incorrect:

●This discovery is significant because it adds to the rich biodiversity of the region by bringing the Carrhotus species’ total count in India to 10, and globally to 37.

Statement 3 is correct:

●The spider’s uniqueness lies in its prolateral protrusion and beak-shaped embolus. This sets it apart from other species.