North East

New Springtail Species Discovered in Sikkim’s High-Altitude Regions

• 24 Dec 2025

Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of tiny soil-dwelling arthropod, or springtail, in the high-altitude areas of Sikkim. Named Neelus sikkimensis, it is the first record of the genus Neelus in India, bringing the global count of species in this genus to eight.

The research, led by Gurupada Mandal with team member Kusumendra Kumar Suman, was published in the Journal of the Entomological Research Society. The team studied soil and moss samples from Sikkim’s mountainous landscapes, which often host life forms invisible to the naked eye.

ZSI Director Dhriti Banerjee highlighted the ecological importance of springtails, noting that they help decompose organic matter and cycle nutrients, sustaining plant life and maintaining ecosystem balance. The discovery also underscores the Eastern Himalayas as a key biodiversity hotspot and adds a previously unrecorded genus to India’s wildlife records.