Why in News?
India added 709 new species to its faunal database and 353 plant taxa in 2025, reaffirming its status as one of the world’s mega-diverse countries.
Faunal Discoveries
- 709 additions: 483 species new to science. 226 species recorded for the first time in India.
- Total recorded fauna: 1,05,953 species.
- Top States: Kerala (98), West Bengal (76), Karnataka (67), and Arunachal Pradesh (65)
- Major Groups: Hymenoptera (106), Lepidoptera (65), Diptera (64), Arachnida (64), Coleoptera (55), and Pisces (50)
- Notable Discoveries
- Myotis himalaicus (Himalayan bat)
- Ptyctolaemus mamdaphaensis & P. siangensis (green fan-throated lizards)
- Lycodon irwini (Irwin’s wolf snake)
Floral Discoveries
- 353 plant taxa added: 221 new to science. 132 new distributional records.
- Top States: Arunachal Pradesh (49), Uttarakhand (39), and Kerala (37)
- Composition: Angiosperms: 154, Pteridophytes: 3, Bryophytes: 13, Lichens: 62, Fungi: 93, Algae: 22, Microbes: 6
- Notable Discoveries
- Polystichum siangense (fern)
- Miliusa beddomei (custard apple relative)
- Hericium indicum (edible tooth fungus)
[2022] With reference to “Gucchi” sometimes mentioned in the news, consider the following statements:
1. It is a fungus.
2. It grows in some Himalayan Forest areas.
3. It is commercially cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of north-eastern India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] 1 only
[B] 3 only
[C] 1 and 2
[D] 2 and 3
