Important Facts For Prelims (30th May 2019)

• 30 May 2019

New Species of Wasp found in Goa

A new species of wasp from the genus Kudakrumia has been recently identified by scientists in Goa.

• The wasp, Kudakrumia rangnekari, was named after Goa-based researcher Parag Rangnekar.
• In India, the wasp is found in Goa and Kerala and outside the country it is also found in neighbouring Sri Lanka.
• In past also researchers have discovered tribe of five wasp species named "adikeshavus" which in Sanskrit means "first one to have long hairs".

Significance of Wasps

• Wasps play a crucial role in ecosystems as pollinators.
• Almost 100 species of orchids are solely reliant on the action of wasps for pollination.
• A chemical found in the venom of the tropical social wasp Polybia paulista, has been shown to selectively destroy various types of cancerous cells.
• Many social wasps are generalist predators too, which means they control populations of a wide range of species,That makes them extremely useful,for minimising the need for toxic pesticides.

Mount Agung volcano erupts in Indonesia

Active volcano Mount Agung erupted on the Indonesian island of Bali.

• Mount Agung, also known as Gunung Agung, is an active volcano located on the island of Bali in Indonesia island arc.
• It is the highest point on the island of Bali.
• Mount Agung is a stratovolcano built by a long history of recurrent eruptions.

About Stratovolcano

• A stratovolcano is a tall, conical volcano composed of one layer of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash.
• These volcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions.
• The lava that flows from them is highly viscous, and cools and hardens before spreading very far.

• Volcanic activity is common to Indonesia, as the country is situated on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide and move often, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
• 75% of volcanoes, or more than 750, are located along the Ring of Fire and 90% of Earth's earthquakes occur along the plates.
• The volcanoes of Java, Bali, and many other Indonesian islands have been formed by interactions between the Australia and Sunda tectonic plates.
• At the Sunda-Java Trench, the Australia Plate subducts beneath the Sunda Plate and begins its descent into the mantle.
• The Australia Plate begins to melt when it reaches a depth of about 100 miles, and hot and molten materials then begin rising towards the surface and erupt to form the volcanoes of the Indonesian volcanic arc.