Enviroment

Question 1

13. Apis karinjodian, a new species of endemic __________ has been recently (in Nov ‘22) discovered in the Western Ghats after a 200-year gap.
    1) Honeybee
    2) Grasshopper
    3) Butterfly
    4) Spider
    5) Frog

Answer 1

Honeybee.

Apis karinjodian, a new species of endemic honeybee has been discovered in the Western Ghats after a 200-year gap, and given the common name “Indian black honey bee.”

i. The discovery brings the world’s total number of honey bee species to 11. Apis indica, identified in 1798 by Fabricius, was the honey bee that was last discovered in India.
ii. Apis karinjodian evolved from Apis cerana morphotypes that adapted to the hot, humid climate of the Western Ghats.
iii. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Categories and Criteria, the species has been categorised as “Near Threatened” (NT).

Question 2

19. In November 2022, Researchers discovered a new species of estuarine crab named ‘Pseudohelice annamalai’ near the Vellar River estuary in___________.
    1) Kozhikode, Kerala
    2) Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

3) Warangal, Telangana
4) Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
5) Vijayapura, Karnataka

Answer 2

Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

Researchers have discovered a new species of estuarine crab named ‘Pseudohelice annamalai’ at the mangroves of Parangipettai near the Vellar River estuary in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu.
i. The species has been named in recognition of Annamalai University for its contribution towards research and education for over 100 years.
ii. Pseudohelice annamalai is small and has a maximum width of up to 20 mm. It is distinguished by dark purple to dark grey colouring, with irregular light brown, yellowish brown, or white patches on the posterior carapace with light brown chelipeds.