India to add 709 new species to its fauna database, 353 taxa to its flora in 2025

Myotis himalaicus, a new species of Himalayan bat. Photo: Special arrangement

India added 709 new species to its fauna in 2025, which includes 483 species new to science and 226 species recorded for the first time in India. The country also added 353 taxa to its flora, 14 of which are intraspecific taxa.

Details of the new discoveries and new records made by the Zoological Survey of India and the Botanical Survey of India were released by Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav in Kolkata on June 30. “The total biodiversity of fauna in India now stands at 1,05,953 species, confirming its status as one of the world’s leading media in the ZSI press.

A nationwide analysis of new animal discoveries points out that Kerala recorded the most 98 new animal species, followed by West Bengal with 76 species, Karnataka with 67 species and Arunachal Pradesh with 65 species of fauna. Among the animal groups added to the country’s fauna, Hymenoptera (106) contributed the highest number of additions, followed by Lepidoptera (65), Diptera (64), Arachnida (64), Coleoptera (55) and Fish (50), reflecting the remarkable diversity and continued discovery of India’s invertebrate fauna.

Key fauna discovered in 2025 include Myotis himalaicus, a new species of Himalayan bat. Ptyctolaemus mamdaphaensis and Ptyctolaemu siangensis are two newly discovered species of green lizard and Lycodon irwini, a species commonly known as Irwin’s wolf snake.

Of the 353 plant taxa added to the country’s floral database, 221 taxa have been described as new to science, while 132 taxa represent new distribution records for India, expanding the known geographical range of several plant groups and enriching the country’s floristic inventory.

Statistical analysis of plant discoveries shows that Arunachal Pradesh emerged as the top contributor with 49 discoveries, followed by Uttarakhand (39) and Kerala (37).

The Plant Discoveries, 2025 documents 154 angiosperms, three pteridophytes, 13 bryophytes, 62 lichens, 93 fungi, 22 algae, and six microbes. Among the most notable discoveries are several wild relatives of economically and ecologically important plant groups, including Begonias, Impatiens (balsams), legumes and orchids.

“Approximately 43% of the newly described taxa belong to vascular plants, while the remaining discoveries include a wide range of non-vascular organisms, highlighting the growing scientific attention being paid to these ecologically important groups,” said a BSI press release.

Among the plants discovered are Polystichum siangense, a recently discovered species of fern belonging to the Dryopteridaceae family found in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, Miliusa beddomei and a new wild member of the custard apple family discovered from the Western Ghats and Hericium indicum is a recently discovered species of wild edible tooth fungus.

Published – 30 Jun 2026 23:05 IST