New genus of jumping spiders ‘Tenkana’ discovered in south India

A team of arachnologists has discovered a new genus of jumping spiders, ‘Tenkana’, found across southern India, encompassing two previously known species. It also introduced a new species, Tenkana jayamangali, from Karnataka.

The name Tenkana comes from the Kannada word for south, reflecting that all the known species are from southern India and northern Sri Lanka. This new group belongs to the Plexippina subtribe of jumping spiders and is different from related groups such as Hyllus and Telamonia. 

The research team included scientists from various institutions in India and Canada, and their findings were published in the journal Zookeys. They used both genetic studies and physical examinations to support their work.

Unlike related species that live in forests, Tenkana spiders prefer drier areas and ground habitats. They have been found in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. 

Kiran Marathe and Wayne Maddison from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and John Caleb T.D. from Saveetha Institute in Chennai established this new genus. The genetic analysis was done with Krushnamegh Kunte from the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru.

Two species that were previously in Colopsus — Tenkana manu (found in south India and Sri Lanka) and Tenkana arkavathi (from Karnataka) — have now been moved to the new genus. Interestingly, the former was named after a retired professor, Dr. Manu Thomas, from Madras Christian College, in 2014.

The team also described Tenkana jayamangali for the first time, named after the Jayamangali river in Karnataka, where it was first seen.