Left to right: Asemonea dentis (male), Asemonea dentis (female), Colyttus nongwar (male), and Colyttus nongwar (female). | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Two scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have recorded two new species of jumping spiders in Meghalaya. The duo, Puthoor Pattammal Sudhin and Souvik Sen, described the species Asemonea dentis and Colyttus nongwar in their study published in the latest issue of Zootaxa, a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. The study raised the number of jumping spider species known from India’s north-eastern region to 45. The country beyond has 282 more species belonging to Salticidae, the largest family of spiders distinguished by their sharp vision, agility and predatory behaviour that relies on precision leaps rather than web-building. Asemonea dentis is the third known Indian representative of the genus Asemonea. It derives its name from a tooth-like projection on the male’s palpal femur, a unique morphological trait that aids in identification. According to the study, the males of this species have a greenish-brown hue with a pale yellow V-shaped pattern on …