Panjab University Research Discovers New Genus of Bark Crickets from Indian Subcontinent

Chandigarh, October 24, 2025: A research team led by Panjab University, Chandigarh, Assistant Professor in Department of Zoology, Dr Ranjana Jaiswara has discovered a new genus of bark crickets, Ajareta, from the Indian subcontinent. The study, published in 2025 in the international peer-reviewed journal Insect Systematics and Evolution (Netherlands), identifies three new species under this genus — A. sairandhriensis, A. kervasae, and A. meridionalis.

The discovery is an outcome of a long-term Indo-French CEFIPRA project and Department of Science and Technology, India, carried out in collaboration with Prof. Laure Desutter-Grandcolas, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Paris. The research team comprised Dr Dhaneesh Bhaskar (IUCN Species Survival Commission Grasshopper Specialist Group), Mr Monaal (Department of Zoology, PU), Léo Faberon (MNHN), and Anand Sebastian (Department of Geospatial Science and Technology, Integrated Rural Technology Centre, Palakkad, Kerala).

The Ajareta species are endemic to the Indian subcontinent and lead secretive lives under the bark of trees. Their notably flat bodies enable them to occupy narrow crevices, while their short wings and shiny brown appearance distinguish them from other cricket genera.

One of the newly described species, Ajareta sairandhriensis, was discovered in Silent Valley National Park, Kerala — a region historically associated with the absence of cicada sounds. The discovery challenges this notion, revealing the park’s vibrant acoustic biodiversity. The species name derives from ‘Sairandhri’, the local name for the forest and a reference to Droupadi from the Mahabharata.

The second species, A. kervasae, was named after Kervasae Reserve Forest, Karnataka, where it was discovered as part of the Indo-French CEFIPRA collaboration. The third species, A. meridionalis, traces its origin to a specimen collected in Kerala in 1914 by British entomologist Frederic Henry Gravely, then associated with the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. The species’ name, derived from the Greek word for ‘south’, marks it as the southernmost member of the genus.

According to Dr Ranjana Jaiswara, the genus Ajareta offers valuable insights into how endemic insect lineages adapt to changing climatic conditions, making it crucial for long-term ecological and evolutionary research. She added that the discovery highlights the ecological richness of India’s biodiversity hotspots and the importance of collaborative international research.