Biodiversity

Researchers produced the first comprehensive molecular and functional profile of the venom gland of Stegodyphus sarasinorum, a colonial spider found across the Indian subcontinent. Published in Scientific Reports, the study identified bioactive compounds with anti-cancer potential that could serve as leads for drug discovery.

A study estimated the total economic value of the Pichavaram mangrove ecosystem in Tamil Nadu at ₹2,485.38 crore, or ₹1.83 crore a hectare, counting its ecological, economic and social benefits. Pichavaram is among India’s most significant coastal wetland ecosystems.

Darbhanga had more than 350 ponds in 1969 according to the district gazetteer and has fewer than 100 today. The citizens’ group Talab Bachao Abhiyan has challenged BUIDCO’s ₹70.34-crore beautification plan for the Harahi, Dighi and Gangasagar ponds. The Supreme Court recorded the State’s undertaking that no further soil would be dumped and fixed 7 September as the next date of hearing.

The Spoon-tailed Duskhawker (Gynacantha basiguttata) has been confirmed from the Namdapha landscape in Arunachal Pradesh, the first photographic record of the species in India. Previously known mainly from Southeast Asia, it is a crepuscular dragonfly of the Aeshnidae family and adds to the country’s Odonata checklist.