New species of wasp spotted in Western Ghats

Kozhikode: A group of scientists have spotted a new species of wasp in the forests of the Western Ghats.

The new species is named parancistrocerus jaferpaloti after Mohammed Jafer Palot, scientist at the Western Ghat Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India.

The wasp is just 6 mm in size and is non-stinging and builds nests using mud. It is black in colour with yellow and brown marks.

The new wasp species was identified by a team comprising P Girish Kumar and P M Sureshan of the Western Ghats Regional centre of the Zoological Survey of India and Dr. James Carpenter of the American Museum of Natural History.

With the new discovery, the number of wasps belonging to the Parancistrocerus species in Kerala has risen to three.