Two new millipede species discovered in Western Ghats regions of Maharashtra and Kerala
The discovery of the two species — named Polydrepanum xiphosum and Polydrepanum spinatum — by a team of Indian scientists was published in the New Zealand-based journal Zootaxa on May 24 this year.
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The development takes the count of India's millipede species to 270, over 70% of which are endemic.
Both newly found species belong to the genus Polydrepanum in the Paradoxosomatidae family. Now, the genus includes six recognised and extant species — all exclusive to the Western Ghats, which is a biodiversity hotspot.
This discovery highlights the importance of conserving microhabitats within the Western Ghats, which is crucial for sustaining unique and ecologically significant species, said researchers.
The study stated: "The findings highlight the region's status as a global biodiversity hotspot and the importance of its often-overlooked soil-dwelling invertebrates."
Research team member Dr Aparna Sureshchandra Kalawate from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Pune, told TOI, "This discovery took almost five months of rigorous work, from field collection activity in Karad and parts of Kerala to comparing them with existing taxonomic records.
It became evident they didn't match any known species. We believe there may be many more such species awaiting discovery in the Ghats.
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Besides Kalawate, the team comprised Dr Sudhikumar Ambalaparambil, head of the zoology department at Christ College, Irinjalakuda (Kerala), and research scholars Muhsina Musthafa (Christ College) and Pooja Misal (Shivaji University, Kolhapur).
The team is currently collecting more samples and furthering their study to find different species in the Western Ghats.
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Elaborating on the importance of the tiny creatures they are studying, Kalawate shared, "Millipedes, though small and often unseen, play a crucial role in the ecosystem. As decomposers, they feed on decaying plant matter and enhance soil quality by stimulating microbial activity and releasing essential nutrients like nitrogen into the soil."
Millipedes are vital components of the food chain for other invertebrates as well, said the researcher, adding, "Despite their importance, millipedes are under threat due to increasing soil pollution, land-use changes, concrete encroachment, and the overuse of fertilisers and industrial waste."
The research team shared, "Millipedes are the largest macro arthropods and also known as 'indicators of environmental alteration or conditions'. They have an important role in the ecosystem, especially in the food chain, as a 'decomposer'. Although only 10% of total decomposition of plant litter within an ecosystem takes place through millipedes, their feeding enhances microbial activities, resulting in the breakdown of litter up to 90%.
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Millipedes are typically found in moist environments, such as beneath decaying leaves, in the soil, and in damp areas.
The scientists emphasised the need to conserve moist microhabitats in the Western Ghats — leaf litter, decaying logs, and forest soil — that are essential for the survival of these non-venomous, harmless invertebrates.
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