A NEW species of spider, with the scientific name Guriurius minuano, has just been discovered in South America, bringing the total number of known spider species in the world to 50,000 species. The spider Guriurius minuano was enrolled by the World Spider Catalog, an organization based at the Bern Museum of Natural History in Switzerland, on April 6. Guriurius minuano of the family Salticidae, which lives in southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, is commonly known as the “jumping spider” because of its ability to jump up to 6 times its body length. The spider was discovered by arachnologist Kimberly S. Marta and colleagues in Brazil and named after the ancient indigenous Minuane people. The first scientific description of spiders was made in 1757. After 265 years, the number of identified spider species in the world has increased to 50,000 species. However, with more and more new spider species being discovered, the researchers believe that there are still 50,000 other spider species unknown in the wild and the discovery of these spiders could take maximum 100 years. According to the Bern Museum of Natural History, spiders are the most important predators in Earth’s terrestrial habitats, so their ecological significance needs to be properly appreciated. Spiders eat about 400 to 800 million tons of insects each year, playing an important role in regulating insect populations. Therefore, spiders also have an important role for humans. (SD-Agencies) | 