A striking metallic-blue tarantula discovered in the forests of Meghalaya’s Khasi and Garo Hills has been identified as a species new to science, underlining the state’s status as one of India’s richest biodiversity hotspots.

The species, named Selenocosmia meghalayensis after the state where it was found, is currently known only from Meghalaya and may be endemic to the region. The discovery has been published in the latest issue of the international taxonomic journal Faunitaxys.