Glossy New Scorpion Found in Similipal, a First for Odisha
By @sharedot · · 8 pages
- Wildlife
- Species Discovery
- Scorpions
- India
- Similipal
Researchers identified Liocheles similipalensis, a glossy bluish-black scorpion — the first of its genus in Odisha and seventh known worldwide.
A shiny surprise in the Similipal leaf litter
Researchers from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, working with officials of Similipal Tiger Reserve, have described a new scorpion species named *Liocheles similipalensis*.
The animal measures just 44–53 mm and stands out for its glossy, bluish-black body, found in rocky habitats within tropical moist deciduous forest at roughly 1,000 metres above sea level.
The find, reported by The New Indian Express and ThePrint, is the first confirmed record of the genus Liocheles in Odisha.
Why this genus has never been seen here before
The surprise is biogeographic: Liocheles was known from six species elsewhere, but had never been documented in Odisha until forest personnel in the reserve collected specimens that ended up under a taxonomist's microscope.
The discovery lifts the number of recognised Liocheles species to seven, and ThePrint notes it adds meaningfully to the known diversity of scorpions in India — a reminder that even well-protected tiger landscapes still hide undocumented lineages.
The evidence: hair-like structures and eye proportions
Researchers confirmed the scorpion's placement in Liocheles by identifying minute hair-like structures, called setae, beneath part of its legs known as tarsomere II.
Comparative examination then separated it from the six previously documented members of the genus through variations in the arrangement of ridges and surface textures across body segments, along with differences in the relative proportions of its median eyes, per The New Indian Express.
Specimens were first collected by forest staff and forwarded to Akshay Khandekar of the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation for detailed taxonomic examination.
Named for the forest that produced it
The species takes its name from Similipal itself, the protected forest landscape where it was first discovered, a choice STR field director Prakash Chand Gogineni explained to The New Indian Express.
The research team comprised Saurabh Kininge, Tejas Thackeray and Akshay Khandekar of the foundation, alongside Gogineni. ThePrint adds that the foundation, founded in June 2019, is an Indian wildlife research organisation focused on scientific research, species discovery and conservation.
One reserve, one known home
The stakes for conservation are immediate: Similipal Tiger Reserve is currently the species' only confirmed habitat, which makes further exploration essential to establish whether it lives beyond the reserve's boundaries.
Neither outlet reports any assessment of its abundance or threats, so its conservation status remains unknown. A species recorded from a single location is inherently vulnerable to habitat change, which is why researchers are pushing for a clearer picture of its range.
What comes next: surveys and DNA
Both The New Indian Express and ThePrint report that researchers have stressed extensive field surveys and further taxonomic investigation to document the distribution of Liocheles across India.
They say detailed morphological assessments — and, according to ThePrint, DNA-based studies — would be crucial to understanding the evolutionary relationships among the genus's seven species and where else they might occur.
For now, Similipal's glossy newcomer stands as proof that India's scorpion census is far from complete.