Ballista spider

♦ A new spider species nicknamed the ballista spider has been discovered in the rainforests of far north Queensland, Australia.

♦ The spider belongs to the genus Propostira in the cobweb spider family Theridiidae, and it has not yet received a formal scientific name.

♦ The ballista spider is placed in the family Theridiidae, which is commonly known as the cobweb spider family.

♦ The genus Propostira includes spiders that build irregular webs and use silk-based prey capture methods.

♦ The spider uses a spring-loaded web trap to launch green tree ants, Oecophylla smaragdina, into its web.

♦ The trap is triggered when the ant bites a silk cone, and the stored elastic energy in the silk is released rapidly.

♦ The ants have been recorded with accelerations of up to 1,367 metres per second squared, which is about 140 times the force of gravity.

♦ This acceleration is also about 15 times greater than the force experienced by fighter pilots.

Odishas Mayurbhanj district

♦ A 15-million-year-old fossil discovered in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district. This discovery has shed light on the ancient marine ecosystem of the region, with researchers suggesting that present-day Baripada and surrounding areas were once submerged under a shallow sea.

♦ The fossils were unearthed from the Baripada Fossil Bed, which stretches from Dera in the Kuliana block to Pratappur in the Badasahi block. Researchers have dated the remains to the Miocene epoch, a period marked by significant biodiversity and climatic changes.

♦ According to scientists, the findings indicate that large parts of present-day Baripada and nearby regions were once part of a shallow marine environment.

Chicago

♦ India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, unveiled a life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda at the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Chicago.

♦ The event was organised by the Consulate General of India in Chicago in collaboration with the US Indian Community Foundation.Vivekananda, a prominent philosopher-thinker who spread the teachings of Vedanta and Yoga across the world, is best known in the US for his landmark speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893.

♦ In April 2026, the first-ever life-size bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda was unveiled in Seattle, in Washington state.

♦ The monument was the first installation of Swami Vivekananda to be hosted by a city government anywhere in the US.

Assam

♦ The Geographical Indications (GI) Registry of the Government of India has granted GI status to four traditional products from Assam. The newly recognised products are Karbi Anglong Handloom Products, Assam Bihu Pepa, Assam Bamboo Crafts and Deuri Handloom Products, reflecting the state’s rich tribal heritage, traditional craftsmanship and cultural traditions. The certification process was supported and facilitated by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), which has been actively promoting GI registration for several unique products from Assam.

♦ Assam is known for its rich cultural heritage, reflected in its traditional handloom products, handicrafts and indigenous art forms. Many of these products are closely linked to the socio-economic fabric of rural communities and embody generations of traditional knowledge and craftsmanship. The GI certification is expected to provide legal protection, enhance market recognition and improve commercial prospects for artisans and weavers associated with these traditional products.

♦ The latest recognition takes the number of GI-certified products supported by NABARD in Assam to 12, further strengthening efforts to promote heritage-based enterprises and rural livelihoods in the state.

Countrys 100th Ramsar Site

♦ Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh designated as the country’s 100th Ramsar Site on 5 June 2026.

♦ This wetland is rich in avifaunal biodiversity, attracting several migratory and resident birds.

♦ The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

♦ India’s growing network of Ramsar Sites reflects the country’s increasing focus on environmental protection and sustainable ecosystem management.