Puttenahalli Lake Update: A rare spider spotted at our lake!

[Usha Rajagopalan]

Dear friends,

We are delighted to tell you that a rare spider called Chrysilla volupe was recently spotted at the lake. The lucky (most observant?) photographer, Mr. Satish Chandra Karanth, CCed, from Arekere Mico Layout, is a regular visitor to the lake who literally spends hours peering through his lens. Read about how he came across this unique little spider, a serendipitous experience in itself which gave him a classic photograph as well! : 

While I was trying portrait shots of a garden lizard in our Puttenahalli lake bed last week this colourful rare spider popped up on its head!

This spider species was considered extinct for 150 years until it was found in Wayanad, Kerala in 2018!

Male spiders measure 5.44 millimeter long including stretched legs and 1.76 millimeter wide!

Females measure 2.61 millimeter long and 0.88 millimeter wide!

Males have a carapace in reddish orange color with two iridescent blue stripes. Legs have iridescent scales that make them appear golden and purple shades. Females have greyish carapace with grey eyebrows with all legs yellow in color. The female was described 139 years after the species was first described by Karsch in 1879. Until 2018, only males had been identified and described, based on the male type specimen described by Karsch.

Photographed by

Satishchandra Karanth 

Entrepreneur, Nature & Wildlife photography hobbyist. 

More strength to Mr. Karanth and all the naturalists who are helping us map the biodiversity at our little Puttenahalli lake!

Best regards

PNLIT team

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PNLIT: Breathing Life into a Lake

Puttenahalli Lake from June 2010

PNLIT Newsletter 

[SK Srinivas - Analysys]

Wow! Great capture.

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[Gopal Rao]

Wow! What fantastic photos. Were they taken in Puttenahalli Lake? Compliments to the photographer. They can be submitted for photography competition.

Gopal 

[Prasanna Vynatheya]

This is really fantastic, goes to show that the original character & nativity of our place is regenerating locally.  

  Congratulations to one & all working on the lake.

Prasanna 

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[Usha Rajagopalan]

Dear Friends, 

Thank you all for sharing our enthusiasm about the sighting of the Chrysilla volupe spiders at Puttenahalli Lake last week.  Here are two reports on the sighting. The second article has also covered our Bioblitz event that was held last Sunday. 

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/rare-chrysilla-volupe-spiders-discovered-at-puttenahalli-lake/article35456761.ece

https://sustainabilityzero.com/birds-butterflies-fungi-and-a-rare-spider-at-puttenhalli-bioblitz/

We hope these Bioblitz events, undertaken individually or in a group, will continue to reveal more surprises at the Puttakere!

Best regards

PNLIT team