Jaechanax kuranganiensis

Jaechanax kuranganiensis Latest News

Researchers recently uncovered a previously unknown species of the unique aquatic insect known as the water-penny beetle, named Jaechanax kuranganiensis.

About Jaechanax kuranganiensis

• It is a new species of water-penny beetle.
• It was discovered in the fast-flowing Kurangani stream of the Bodi hills, in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu.
• It marks the first-ever record of its genus in Tamil Nadu. The genus was previously known only from three other species found in various Asian countries.
• The research team identified the new species by examining its distinctive larval form. 
• Water-penny beetle larvae are famous for their flat, disc-like shape, which allows them to cling tightly to rocks in streams, resembling a tiny coin. 
  • Water-penny beetles play a vital role in the stream ecosystem, serving as an important part of the food chain. 
  • Researchers often use their presence and health as a bioindicator, a natural way to check the overall health and quality of the freshwater environment.
• The new species has been named kuranganiensis after the Kurangani stream where it was found.
• It is separated from its closest relatives by several key features on its larval body. 
  • Most notably, it possesses a unique groove, or oblique sulcus, on the shield-like segment behind its head (the pronotum). 
  • Furthermore, the researchers noted that the ninth and final abdominal segment of the larva is subrectangular and approximately 1.2 times wider than it is long, a crucial detail for distinguishing it from other known water-penny beetles.
  • This groove forms a specific triangular structure that is not found in other species of the Jaechanax genus.

Source: RM

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