Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has achieved captive breeding of the mangrove clam Geloina erosa. Mangrove clams, also called mud clams or ‘Kandal Kakka’ in northern Kerala, belong to the genus Polymesoda or Geloina. They live in muddy, brackish, and near-freshwater areas of mangrove swamps across the Indo-Pacific region. As a filter feeder, it recycles nutrients, stabilises sediments, supports mangrove health, and provides coastal livelihoods.

Notes:
Researchers have cautioned that the increasing presence of lion-tailed macaques in human-dominated landscapes is largely driven by easy access to food associated with human settlements. The lion-tailed macaque is an Old World monkey and is also known as the “beard ape” due to its distinctive silver-white mane around the face. It is one of the smallest species of macaques in the world and is endemic to the evergreen rainforests of the southern Western Ghats. According to its conservation status, the lion-tailed macaque is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List

Notes:
The Himalayan Tahr is facing a growing threat from garbage in the Himalayas. It is a large hoofed mammal with the scientific name Hemitragus jemlahicus. Its habitat spans southern Tibet, northern India, western Bhutan, and Nepal, mostly on alpine slopes between 2,500–5,000 meters. Male Himalayan Tahr weigh around 73 kg, females about 36 kg. They have a small head, pointed ears, large eyes, and backward-curving horns (males up to 46 cm, smaller in females) used in mating fights. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.

Notes:
An Right to Information (RTI) activist filed an online petition to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking criminal, departmental and regulatory action over pollution of the Bhavani River. Bhavani River is a major tributary of the Cauvery River. It flows through Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is the second largest river of Tamil Nadu. It originates in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats. It passes through Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, then re-enters Tamil Nadu. It merges with the Cauvery at Bhavani near Bhavani Sangameshwarar Temple.

Notes:
Scientists from the ICAR-Directorate of Floricultural Research have discovered a new species of blossom midge named Contarinia icardiflores. Contarinia icardiflores is a newly identified species belonging to the genus Contarinia, whose members are small insects recognized as serious pests of ornamental and food crops worldwide. The larvae of this species feed inside flower buds or blossoms, often leading to severe yield losses in agricultural and horticultural crops. The species has been named in honour of ICAR-DFR to acknowledge the institute’s significant contributions to floriculture research.

Notes:
A new groundwater fish species, Gitchak nakana, has been discovered in Assam. It belongs to a newly described genus under the family Cobitidae (loaches). The name comes from the Garo language: “Gitchak” means red, referring to its blood-red colour, and “na-tok” and “kana” mean blind fish. It shows subterranean adaptations like absence of visible eyes, translucent pigmentless body, and extreme miniaturisation. It completely lacks a skull roof, with the brain covered only by skin. It lives in groundwater aquifers, which are difficult to access.

Notes:
In March 2026, two new moniligastrid earthworm species named Moniligaster girishi and Drawida reynoldsi were discovered in Silent Valley National Park in the Western Ghats and published in Zootaxa. Moniligaster girishi was found in tropical wet evergreen forest near Chembotti and has a unique undivided spermathecal atrial gland and distinct prostatic capsule. It is named after P Girish Kumar of Zoological Survey of India. Drawida reynoldsi was collected from montane grasslands between Sispara and Anginda and has a sausage like prostatic capsule and large spermathecal atrium. It is named after Canadian expert John Warren Reynolds.

Notes:
Karnataka High Court directed the state government to stop all ground activities inside the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary and its Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ – Eco-Sensitive Zone). The sanctuary is located in Karnataka and forms part of the Western Ghats. It was created by merging Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Aghanashini Lion-Tailed Macaque Conservation Reserve, and nearby reserve forest areas. It shares its southwestern boundary with Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary. The terrain is highly undulating, with altitude ranging from 94 m to 1102 m.

Notes:
A new parasitic wasp species Chelonus (Carinichelonus) mahadeb has been recently recorded from Nahortoli Tea Estate in Assam. It belongs to the genus Chelonus, whose members are very tiny parasitic wasps but play an important ecological role in insect population control. The discovery is significant because the subgenus Carinichelonus is extremely rare and poorly documented worldwide. This species is only the second newly described species of the subgenus Carinichelonus from India in recent times, making the finding scientifically important.

Notes:
The Western Tragopan has drawn attention due to declining populations in the western Himalayas. It is a rare pheasant species endemic to the Western Himalayas. It is the state bird of Himachal Pradesh and locally called Jujurana meaning “King of Birds.” The bird lives in temperate and subalpine forests with dense undergrowth. It usually occurs at elevations of about 2,400–3,600 metres. Its range includes Uttarakhand, Kashmir, and parts of Pakistan.