Gangtok: Researchers at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of wingless, soil-dwelling micro-arthropod, marking the first time an Indian team has described this primitive group of hexapods.
According to a ZSI spokesperson, the newly discovered species has been named Lepidocampa sikkimensis.
The discovery was published on January 7, 2026, in the international taxonomic journal Zootaxa, bringing to an end nearly five decades of limited domestic research on Indian Diplura. Although 17 Diplura species had earlier been recorded from India, all of them were described by foreign scientists.
Highlighting the importance of the find, ZSI Director Dhriti Banerjee said the identification of Lepidocampa sikkimensis significantly strengthens documentation of India’s soil biodiversity. She noted that studying lesser-known and evolutionarily important groups such as Diplura is crucial to understanding how ecosystems function, and emphasised the need for continued taxonomic research in biodiversity-rich regions like the Himalayas.
The research was led by senior scientist Surajit Kar, along with team members Souvik Mazumdar, Pritha Mandal, Guru Pada Mandal and Kusumendra Kumar Suman. The species was first identified from specimens collected near Ravangla in Sikkim.
Further surveys in Kurseong, West Bengal, indicated that the species may have a wider presence across the Eastern Himalayan region.
Researchers said the new species can be distinguished by the distinctive arrangement of its body scales, specific bristle patterns (chaetotaxy), and specialised structures of its appendages.
Diplurans, commonly known as two-pronged bristletails, are primitive and blind hexapods that play an important role in maintaining soil health. They contribute to nutrient recycling and help preserve soil structure.
In addition to describing a new species, the study also updated records of Indian soil fauna by rediscovering a rare subspecies, Lepidocampa juradii bengalensis, which had not been documented for nearly 50 years.
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Notably, the research also generated the first-ever DNA barcode data for an Indian Lepidocampa species, helping bridge the gap between traditional morphological classification and modern molecular phylogenetic analysis.
