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New spiders named after ‘Village in the Jungle’ characters
View(s):By Malaka Rodrigo
Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity has once again proven to be a treasure trove for science with the discovery of six new palp-footed spiders by Prof. Suresh Benjamin, the country’s leading arachnologist. In a marriage of science and literature, three of these new spiders have been named after key characters from Village in the Jungle, the classic novel by Leonard Woolf, and another named after the author himself.
Among the newly described species, Palpimanus silindu pays tribute to the novel’s protagonist, Silindu—a farmer who survives by hunting in the jungle. Just as resilient as Silindu’s character, this spider thrives in the dense undergrowth, hidden from view, yet crucial to the ecosystem.
The novel explores the harsh realities of poverty, disease, superstition, and corruption of the British colonial system. Silindu’s daughters, Punchimenika and Hinnihami, who fall victim to society’s evils, are also remembered by the scientific names of the new spiders, Steriphopus punchimenikae and Steriphopus hinnihamiae, respectively.
The Village in the Jungle was published in 1931 and translated to Sinhala as ‘Baddegama’ by A. P. Gunaratne. In 1980, Sir Lester James Peries adapted the story into a film by the same name.
“Woolf’s writing vividly brings the jungle to life, and his deep understanding of the struggles faced by poverty-stricken villagers lends authenticity to his novel, so I wanted to honour his work by naming these spiders after its characters,” Prof. Benjamin told the Sunday Times. The fourth spider, Steriphopus woolfi, was named as a tribute to the author himself.
The other two new palp-footed spiders were named Steriphopus ritigalensis, named after Ritigala, where they were found, and the sixth was named S. spiralus, named after its characteristic spiral-like longer front-facing (anterior) side of a leg or appendage, according to the research paper published in the ZooNova journal last December.
Prof. Benjamin, a scientist at the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), has made an extraordinary contribution to arachnology, having described 139 new spider species with his team. His meticulous work has helped document Sri Lanka’s little-known arthropod diversity, bringing global attention to the island’s fascinating spider fauna.
In some of his discoveries, Prof. Benjamin has also paid homage to culture, naming some in honour of literary characters and historical figures. In 2018, Prof. Benjamin and his colleague Sasanka Ranasinghe described nine new species of goblin spiders from Sri Lanka, six of which were named after characters from Enid Blyton’s stories.
The enigmatic palp-footed spiders (family of Palpimanidae), the subject of Prof. Benjamin’s latest research, belong to an elusive spider group known for their peculiar hunting techniques and unique morphological traits.
The palp-footed spiders are a small, specialised group of arachnids found mostly in leaf litter and tree bark. What makes them particularly fascinating is their hunting strategy. Unlike web-building spiders, these arachnids are active hunters, using their disproportionately large forelegs and specialised hairs to ambush prey. Their name comes from their modified pedipalps, which function as sensory and gripping appendages, aiding in their stealthy attacks, says Dr. Benjamin.
Their cryptic nature makes them difficult to study, so the recent discoveries in Sri Lanka suggest that many more may be waiting to be uncovered. Unfortunately, many palp-footed spiders face threats due to deforestation, climate change, and human encroachments.
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