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Rare 'Velvet Spider' species found in Maharashtra's Melghat

The Velvet Spider is often described as a 'Old World Spider' because of its "old world-like looks".

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Velvet spider feeds voraciously on insects, bees and mosquitoes that spread malaria.
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Velvet Spider, a very rare spider species which was believed to be extinct has been found in the jungles of Melghat in Maharashtra's Amravati district. 

"The spider, thought to be extinct from the Indian subcontinent, has been found almost after a gap of 80 years," arachnologist Prof. Dr. Ganesh N. Vankhede of Amravati University said. "This particular arthropod species is known for its woolly black or black and red body structure," he added.

"The spider is very human-friendly in the sense that it feeds voraciously on insects, bees and mosquitoes that spread malaria and other diseases," he said. The spider species was found only last month during the third conference of the Asian Society of Arachnology held in Amravati between November 16 and 19.

"The finding of the Velvet Spider has been credited to Dr. El-Hennawy from Cairo (Egypt) during their excursion in the grasslands of the Muthawa centre in Melghat. The spider was first spotted in the Indian subcontinent way back in 1935 in Khandesh (North Maharashtra)," Dr. Ganesh said.

The same insect has also been found in countries in Jordan and Iran. Besides the role that spiders play in controlling insect population, its 'silk' finds application in the fields of medicine and defence as well.

The Velvet Spider is often described as a 'Old World Spider' because of its "old world-like looks". Known by its scientific name 'Stegodyphus Pacificus', this arachnid is eight-eyed and builds unkempt webs. There are four other species of velvet spiders found in the world. 


 

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