ZSI Discovers New Parasitic Wasp Species
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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BEFORE: The specific parasitic micro-wasps in Nagaland and the Western Ghats were entirely undocumented and unknown to science. NOW: They are formally classified as 'Ceraphron initium' and four new 'Calotelea' species, expanding India's taxonomic records.
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BEFORE: 'Dark taxa' in these Indian regions remained largely ignored due to the difficulty of studying microscopic morphological traits. NOW: Specialized taxonomic efforts by ZSI have successfully identified and cataloged five distinct species within this challenging biological group.
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BEFORE: The natural pest-regulating role of these specific micro-wasps in their native Indian habitats was unrecognized. NOW: Their discovery offers a documented biological resource for potential natural biocontrol applications in sustainable agriculture.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
With Reference ToWith reference to the recent discoveries of parasitic wasps by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), consider the following statements: 1. 'Ceraphron initium' was discovered in the Western Ghats, while the new 'Calotelea' species were found in Nagaland. 2. These wasps belong to 'dark taxa', which refers to groups of organisms that are highly diverse but poorly understood due to their minute size and complex morphology. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?