JoTT 4(5): 2553-2616 26 May 2012 by ZOO-WILD

May 2012 | Vol. 4 | No. 5 | Pages 2553â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2616 Date of Publication 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print)

Polypedates taeniatus

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Herpetofauna of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India Abhijit Das 1, Dhruvajyoti Basu 2, Laurel Converse 3 & Suresh C. Choudhury 4 Division of Herpetology, Aaranyak, Samanwoy Path, Beltola, Guwahati, Assam 781028, India Katerniaghat Foundation, India C-421, Sector-B, Mahanagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226006, India 3 Laurel Converse, 14 Eton Overlook, Rockville, MD 20850, USA Email: 1 abhijit@aaranyak.org (corresponding author), 3 ghariallaurel@gmail.com, 4 wildcraft20@gmail.com 1

2, 4

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: Indraneil Das Manuscript details: Ms # o2587 Received 27 September 2010 Final received 07 March 2012 Finally accepted 18 March 2012 Citation: Das, A., D. Basu, L. Converse & S.C. Choudhury (2012). Herpetofauna of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2553–2568. Copyright: © Abhijit Das, Dhruvajyoti Basu, Laurel Converse & Suresh C. Choudhury 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. For Author Details, Author Contribution and Acknowledgements see end of this article.

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Abstract: A herpetofaunal inventory based on field surveys, literature records and photographic records is presented for Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and its environs, situated in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, India. We list a total of 10 species of amphibians and 42 species of reptiles from the area. Compiled observations presented here include biological notes on the Critically Endangered Gavialis gangeticus and new locality records and natural history information of poorly known species including Polypedates taeniatus and Sibynophis sagittarius. Besides recording members of currently recognized species complexes, the study also documents species that were either conferred to closely related species (e.g., Fejervarya cf. teraiensis) or their identity remains to be ascertained (e.g., Kaloula sp.). The present study indicates that species count at Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary is likely to increase with additional surveys and systematic work. Keywords: Herpetofauna, India, inventory, Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Terai.

INTRODUCTION Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (27055’–28025’N & 810–81025’E), is located in Bahraich District of Uttar Pradesh. This typical Terai ecosystem is spread over an area of 400km2 and is characterized by extensive alluvial plains, wetlands, grasslands, woodlands and moist forests. The vegetation of the study area can be categorized into riverine forests, mixed Sal forest, teak Tectona grandis plantation, woodlands and alluvial grasslands. Except riverine forests which are characterised by the dominance of moist evergreen species, all other categories are deciduous in nature (Tripathi & Singh 2009). The riverine habitat (Girwa River) of the Sanctuary (18km length) is bounded upstream by the Nepalese border and downstream by the Girijapuri Barrage. The sanctuary is home to large animals such as tiger, elephant, leopard and Gangetic dolphin, and is regarded as an important habitat of the Critically Endangered Gavialis gangeticus. The Sanctuary also holds a key population of Crocodilus palustris and several freshwater turtle species. Past studies on herpetofauna include those of Hallermann et al. (2001), Basu (1989) and Talukdar & Dasgupta (1977). However, general information on diversity and distribution of herpetofaunal species is scanty.

Abbreviations: BMNH - The Natural History Museum, London; ZSIC - Zoological Survey of India Kolkata; ZMH - Zoologisches Institut und Zoologisches Museum von Hamburg. SCL - Straight carapace length; CCL - Curve carapace length; PL - Plastral length; SVL - Snout to vent length, TL - Tail length.

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Study Area The field investigations were conducted in the following localities: Base Camp (28020.243’N & 81007.855’E): Human habitation surrounded by degraded grasslands, secondary growth and abandoned constructions; Boat point (28020.310’N & 81007.858’E): Open grassland area and river; Girjapuri Barrage road (28016.557’N & 81006.140’E): Forest road surrounded by thick woodland and waterbodies; Vaisalot, Nishangada (28014.155’N & 81012.919’E): Deciduous forest, teak plantation and swampy areas; Mayla Nullah (28020.396’N & 81006.876’E): small channel of Girwa River having thick forest and cane brakes along two sides; Kauriala (28018.401’N & 81005.586’E): large riverine habitat with dense riverside grasslands; Bhabanipur Village (28019.968’N & 81008.738’E): Human habitation and grazing lands, scrub and open forest; Amba (28019.142’N, 81009.851’E): riverside habitat with grazing lands and deciduous forest; Amba Ghat (28018.924’N & 81010.869’E): riverside open area with human habitation and plantation areas; Watch Tower Point (28019.968’N & 81008.738’E): Riverside extensive riverside moist grassland; Madhab Nullah (28020.277’N & 81006.135’E): channel of Girwa River with extensive grassland and woodland on both side; Gharial Nesting Island (28020.146’N & 81008.824’E): Sandy river island with grassy patches, the mass gharial nesting spot; Mahadeva Taal: 28018.401’N & 81005.586’E: Large wetland with extensive macrophytic growth (Image 1).

MATERIALS AND METHODS Field records for the study comes from observations of AD and LC from 11 to 30 June 2008; 4 to 22 December 2008 and 28 February to 08 March 2009. However, the study also incorporates other literature records and reliable photographic records. Field observations were made opportunistically. Data have been supplemented with the earlier observations of DB and SC from in and around the Sanctuary. Active searches involving turning rocks and logs, peeling bark and digging through leaf litter. During the day, besides active search, basking reptiles were also searched along forest trails, forest edges and along 2554

river banks. Crocodiles were observed from motor boats, river shore transects and from watch tower. For frogs, observations were sometimes made on the basis of calls heard along forest trail, forest edges and along streams between 1800–2200 h, aided by flashlights. Records of road kills and dead specimens in fishing nets were studied and incorporated in this paper. Individuals of the species were captured by hand and released at the point of capture after examination or were observed using a binocular. A Canon Digital S3IS was used for photography. Data on locality, habitat and microhabitat, sex, reproductive data, syntopic species (if any) were recorded. Behavioural observations were recorded in a field data sheet. Morphometric data on specimens were used for identification. Frogs, lizards and snakes were released at their respective capture site once their specific identity and photography was over. Geographic coordinates for survey sites were recorded with a Garmin 12 receiver GPS. Interactions with local residents were held to make them aware of the local herpetofauna and to supplement field observations. Species were identified using the keys of Smith (1935, 1943); Schleich & Kästle (2002); Das (1995); and Dutta (1997). Nomenclature and taxonomic arrangement in the text follows Frost (2009) for amphibian, Das (2003) and Uetz (2007) for reptiles. Species account Amphibians Bufonidae Gray, 1825 Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799): Recorded from Base camp, Girjapuri Barrage, Bhabanipur and near staff quarters. Frequently encountered in and around human habitations, plantations, river banks, under rocks, wood piles and roadside areas. Duttaphrynus stomaticus (Lütken, 1862): Recorded from near Base camp during June 2008. The individual was feeding on insects on a forest trail surrounded by human habitation and degraded grassland at around 2000h. Dicroglossidae Anderson, 1871 Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Daudin, 1803): Calling aggregation was observed during June. Individuals found to inhabit temporary water pool, mud bank and

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Image 1. Map of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, India

open grassy space. Calling males are yellowish in colour dorsally. This colouration is reported to be an indicator of good general physiological condition and sexual activity in males (Abdulali 1985). Juveniles observed in the month of June along the river bank. The species frequently observed as road-kill on the segment between Katerniaghat to Bicchia. Fejervarya cf. teraiensis (Dubois, 1984): Recorded from Boat point. Individuals had a broad cream coloured mid dorsal line; dorsum with longitudinal skin folds, light in colour, whitish patches along side of body, forelimb and hind limb not very distinctly barred. Observed in moist grass near river. Fejervarya

teraiensis was reported from Uttar Pradesh by Hegde et al. (2009) and eastward up to Nagaland (Ao et al. 2003). However, the species is reported to be present in the entire Terai zone of Nepal inhibiting 71–400 m elevation (Schleich & Kästle 2002). Fejervarya sp.: Recorded from Boat point and base camp. Individuals of the species are characterised by absence of a mid-dorsal line; dorsum with dark brown blotches, longitudinal skin fold absent, limbs barred throughout. It inhabits areas with moist grass near seasonal and perennial water bodies. The species differs from Fejervarya nepalensis in not having a mid dorsal line, from Fejervarya pierrei

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in absence of middorsal line and long longitudinal skin folds, from F. teraiensis in having a small size (F. teraiensis, SVL 43–51). However, the species showed close resemblance with Fejervarya syhadrensis (absence of mid-dorsal line, absence of dorsal longitudinal skin folds and small SVL 33mm) but only differs in absence of reddish or orange patches which considered to be an important character for F. syhadrensis (sensu Schleich & Kastle 2002). Further investigation with good sample size might help in specific identity of this species. Euphylectis cyanophlyctis (Schneider, 1799): Frequently encountered in lentic and lotic habitats in and around the sanctuary. The species is used as fishing bait in the fringe areas. Microhylidae Günther, 1858 Kaloula sp. (Image 2): The first individual of this interesting microhylid was observed on 12 June 2008. It fell from a Cassia tree from a height of 6–7 m as it was dislodged from tree hole by a Varanus bengalensis. The second individual was recorded on 21 June at 1900h. Its head was protruding from a hole in a standing dead tree ca. 1.2m above ground. Both frogs were found near base camp close to grassland forest edge. The two individuals showed colouration similar to K. assamensis and morphometrical similarity to K. taprobanica however with different web formula (I½–1II½–2III2–2IV2½–½V). A similar animal is depicted in the Schleich & Kästle (2002) where it is

treated under the nomen Kaloula taprobanica. Due to paucity of sample, we could not ascertain its specific status and suggest further study of the Katerniaghat population. Microhyla ornata (Duméril & Bibron, 1841): Large calling aggregation was recorded around base camp and boat point during June. Individuals call from moist grass and leaf litter of open grassland especially after rains. Rhacophoridae Hoffman, 1932 Polypedates taeniatus (Boulenger, 1906) (Image 3): Calling aggregation was observed during 16–21 June 2008 near boat point. Calling males were observed on moist grass blades, bushes and on ferns and were located ca. 70cm–1.5m above the ground. Ray (1991) reported the species as Rhacophorus tanieatus from Dudhwa National Park and recorded the habitat of the species as tall grassy patches near dense Sal Shorea robusta forest with considerable undergrowth of herbaceous plants. However, during this study individuals were only recorded from open grassland. Type locality of the species is Purnia (Bihar). We observed a colour photograph of the species from

Image 2. Kaloula sp. 2556

Image 3. Polypedates taeniatus Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | May 2012 | 4(5): 2553–2568

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Image 4. Chiromantis dudhwaensis Image 5.Hemidactylus flaviviridis

Behala area of West Bengal. Eastward, the species is recorded from north bank alluvial grasslands of Assam (Ahmed & Dutta 2000). Elsewhere, it was recorded from Nepal and Bangladesh (Anders et al. 1998). Chiromantis dudhwaensis (Ray, 1992) (Image 4): Calling aggregation of the species was recorded near Base Camp and Ferry Ghat during June 2008. Calling individuals were photographed from waterlogged and marshy areas inhabiting shrubs, grass blades and Ipomea sp. at 50cm–1.5m above substrate. A detail note on the breeding habit of the species appears in Biswas (2000). Reptiles Gekkonidae Gray, 1825 Hemidactylus flaviviridis Rüpell, 1835 (Image 5): Base Camp, Watch Tower; Individuals also observed on Ficus tree bark at 170cm height and under woodpiles near houses. This is the common house gecko of the study area. Earlier records of the species is from Nishangada (15km from the base camp) by Hallermann et al. (2001). Hemidactylus brookii Gray, 1845: Individuals were found inhibiting house walls up to 3m from the ground. However, majority of the encounters are from low walls, culverts and on the ground. Gravid females observed in the month of June. Employing a molecular systematic approach Bauer et al. (2010) recovered two distinct clad what has long been considered a single, but polytypic, Hemidactylus

brookii. One consisting of specimens from Borneo (Sarawak), Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia and Karnataka, southwestern India, and another specimen from Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Kerala, southwestern India. The name H. brookii is restricted to the species occurring in East Asia and in parts of India (including Karnataka, but probably most of the subcontinent). The available name H. parvimaculatus was applied to population of southern India and Sri Lanka and is found to be restricted to that zone. Bauer et al. (2010) also indicated towards further hidden species within Indian H. brookii population. Keeping the taxonomic uncertainty in mind and lacking detail in morphological and molecular data, we keep our Katerniaghat taxa confer to Hemidactylus brookii pending further studies. Hemidactylus frenatus Schlegel, 1836: One individual of the species was photographed from Vaisalot of Nishangada. It was located under an information board of a teak plantation area by day. Agamidae Gray, 1827 Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802): Recorded from Base Camp, Nishangada, Bhabanipur Village. Inhabit grassland, scrub, plantation and human habitation. Majority of the individuals were sighted in arboreal situations 30cm–4m above ground. Males in breeding colouration were observed during June. In northern India, they are known to lay eggs during summer (Das

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Image 7. Python bivittatus

Image 6. Lygosoma punctata

2002). We observed juveniles during the month of December. Scincidae Gray, 1825 Eutropis carinata (Schneider, 1801): Observed from Bhawanipur Village during June. A single individual was foraging among leaf-litter of a teak plantation area close to human habitations. Earlier, the species had been recorded from Nishangada (Hallermann et al. 2001). Lygosoma punctata (Gmelin, 1799) (Image 6): Recorded from near the base camp during March 2009. The individual was found among accumulated leaf-litter near degraded grassland and plantation area at around 1100h. Varanidae Merrem, 1820 Varanus bengalensis (Daudin, 1802): Individuals were sighted in the backyard of human habitation, along the river bank, grassland, teak plantation, agriculture fields and even seen crossing paved roads. Individuals were observed in arboreal situations ca. at 2–5 m above ground. A juvenile was observed during the month of June. Varanus flavescens (Hardwicke & Gray, 1827): Photographed by SC on metalled forest road in the buffer area of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary on 06 June 2010. The area was surrounded by teak plantation area. Typhlopidae Merrem, 1820 Ramphotyphlops brahminus (Daudin, 1803): Found inside a cracked floor of the base camp at 2558

around 2130h.

Boidae Gray, 1825 Eryx conicus (Schneider, 1801): The record of the species is based on Hallermann et al. (2001) from Nishangada. Pythonidae Fitzinger, 1826 Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820 (Image 7): Recorded from near the base camp. During June, one individual was observed while it was crossing paved road at around 1840h. surrounded by grassland and plantation area. Two basking individuals were observed under thick Ipomea growth during February 2009 near abandoned Katerniaghat railway station. This area is a known nesting site for pythons in the area (Romulus Whitaker, pers. comm. June 2008). We observed remains of eggshells, suggesting earlier nesting activity. Python bivittatus is recently been re-assessed as a distinct species by Jacobs et al. (2009). The westernmost distributional limit of this species is represented by three disjunct wild populations known from Royal Chitwan National Park, Royal Bardia National Park of Nepal and Corbett Tiger Reserve of India (Barker & Barker 2008). SC also photographed the same subspecies from the nearby (90km to the west of Katerniaghat WLS) Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh. Thus, report of Python bivittatus from Katerniaghat and Dudhwa further fill in the distributional gap in India. Colubridae Oppel, 1811 Amphiesma stolatum (Linnaeus 1758): First

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Image 8. Dendrelaphis tristis

sighting is from the Katerniaghat Forest Range Office while it was moving among leaflitter of a teak plantation area during June 2008. Subsequently, on 14 June 2008, one dead female was observed on a forest trail surrounded by Terai grasslands. Boiga forsteni (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854): Hallermann et al. (2001) recorded the species from Nishangada area of the sanctuary. The photograph of an individual female (SVL 1680mm, TL 376mm) provided in that paper corresponds to the variety 1 as described in Mohapatra et al. (2009). Chrysopelia ornata (Shaw, 1802): Record of the species is based on Basu (1989) who reported a specimen with pholidosis: ventral 214, subcaudals: 115, scale row 18: 16. Dendrelaphis tristis (Daudin, 1803) (Image 8): One male (SVL 670mm, TL: 315mm) from human habitation and plantation forest edge near the base camp during March 2009. It was occupying a hole within the entrance gate to a house. The individual was reported to be regularly using the hole from more than 20 days. The nearby areas include extensive lemon plantation and grassland. Pholidosis: supralabials 9/9, 5 and 6 touches eye, infralabials 10/10, first five touches anterior genial, sixth touches posterior genial, preocular: 1, postocular: 2, temporals: 2+2; ventral: 195, anal: 2; subcaudals: 110, dorsal scale rows: 15:15:11. Enhydris sieboldii (Schlegel, 1837): A female individual (SVL 645mm, TL 93mm) reported from Nishangada by Hallermann et al. (2001).

Image 9. Lycodon aulicus

Lycodon aulicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Image 9): First individual was found in a crevice of a wooden window frame ca. 2.5m above ground at around 1900h during June 2008. Another individual was obtained from a wall crack of the same building during June. One individual was killed by a Rattus sp. All the individuals had small yellowish bars that broaden laterally and dissolve into yellowish edged lateral scales. Thus, corresponds to the variety forma typica. Lycodon jara (Shaw, 1802): Talukdar & Dasgupta (1977) reported a specimen of Lycodon jara from Katerniaghat and was the first record of the species from Uttar Pradesh. Further western record of the species is from Dehradun and Rajaji National Park (Hussain & Roy 1992). Although the species was repeatedly collected from Orissa, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh (Boulenger 1913; Whitaker & Captain 2004; Abhijit Das pers. obs. 2007) Assam (Sclater 1891; Das et al. 2009) Meghalaya (Sclater 1891), Manipur (Singh 1995) and Mizoram (Abhijit Das pers. obs. 2009). It is also known from Nepal and Bangladesh. Ptyas mucosa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Image 10): Single individual was rescued from human habitation close to extensive Terai grassland during June. Locally known as “Dhamin”. Psammodynastes pulverulentus (Boie, 1827): The record of the species is from Nishangada (ZMH R 04825), 5km south of the Nepal border by Hallermann et al. (2001). In India, the southernmost distributional limit of the species is Mahendragiri (18.560N &

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Image 11. Sibynophis sagittarius

Image 10. Ptyas mucosa

84.21 E; elev.1093m) Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh (Mohapatra et al. 2010), northern West Bengal (Ahmed & Dasgupta 1992), northeastern India (Ahmed et al. 2009). The Katerniaghat record appears to be the westernmost distributional limit of the species. Also found in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines (Schleich & Kästle 2002; Das 2002). Sibynophis sagittarius (Cantor, 1839) (Image 11): A specimen was observed and photographed by DB in the area lying between Bhabanipur Village and Amba in March. It was found below leaf-litter beneath riverine forest undergrowth adjoining a cattle trail. Sibynophis sagittarius is often considered as junior synonym of Sibynophis subpunctatus (Wall 1907 & Morgan 1973). Captain et al. (2004) showed that S. sagittarius and S. subpunctatus are morphologically distinct and geographically disjunct in their distribution. S. sagittarius is currently known from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal (Wall 1923; BMNH 1930.5.8. 161 dried skull; Sclater 1891; Ahmed & Dasgupta 1992; Das 2002; Saikia et al. 2007; Dutta et al. 2009). Record of the species from northeastern India, Assam, Nicobars, Myanmar and Malaysia (Sclater 1891; Boulenger 1893; Das 2002; Schleich & Kästle 2002; Captain et al. 2004) are doubtful or erroneous (Wall 1923; Ahmed & Dasgupta 1992; Ahmed et al. 2009; www.calacademy. org/research/herpetology/myanmar). Elsewhere it is known from Nepal (Schleich & Kästle 2002) and Bangladesh (Kabir et al. 2009). 0

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Xenochrophis piscator (Schneider, 1799): One juvenile was caught from the boat point while it was moving through moist grass near the river during June. One individual (SVL 40cm, TL 10cm) was found in shallow water near a sand bar of the Girwa River during December. Largest individual (SVL 80cm and TL: 30cm) was found dead on a fishing hook near KorialaGirwa confluence. The individual had pholidosis: 145 ventrals, 83 subcaudals, anal: 2, 19:19:17 rows of scales, 9 supralabial of which 4 and 5 touch eye, 9 infralabial, first 5 touch anterior genial, postocular 2, preocular 1, temporal 2+2. The postocular streak not distinct and neck is without distinct crossband. Only the outer edges of the ventral scales were black. Xenochrophis schnurrenbergeri Kramer, 1977: Specimen number ZMH R04814 collected from Nishangada, Uttar Pradesh was reported by Hallermann et al. (2001) as Xenochrophis piscator piscator. This specimen was later identified as Xenochrophis schnurrenbergeri by Vogel & David (2006), and reported as a first record of the species for northern India. Of late, X. schnurrenbergeri is reported from Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam (Ahmed et al. 2009, Purkayastha et al. 2010, Mohapatra et al. 2010). Also found in Nepal (Kramer 1977). Elapidae Boie, 1827 Bungarus caeruleus (Schneider, 1801): One individual was observed near Katerniaghat bus stop at night. The area is surrounded by human habitation. Bungarus fasciatus (Schneider, 1801) (Image 12): One individual was photographed during December 2007 near Katerniaghat forest range office. It was

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Image 12. Bungarus fasciatus

active on a forest trail at night (Ramesh Pandey, pers. comm. June 2008). Naja naja (Linnaeus, 1758) (Image 13): Recorded from Nishangada while it was crossing a paved road surrounded by teak plantation area at 1030hr during June. The second individual was killed when it entered human habitation near Base Camp. This venomous species is locally known as “Phitara”. Viperidae Boie, 1827 Daboia russelii (Shaw & Nodder, 1797): Observed in the Amba-Bhawanipur Village watch tower point area in riverside habitat close to grassland-forest edge. Juvenile observed basking in riverside grass patch close to forest trail. During summer, one adult was seen in a tree hole at the base of the trunk. Trionychidae Fitzinger, 1826 Chitra indica (Gray, 1831): Single individual was recorded basking on a flat, sandy riverbank of Amba ghat at around 1030h during December 2008. Two individuals of Nilssonia gangeticus were also observed at the same spot in December 2008. Local people narrated that the species start nesting from July and continue up to October. Das (1995) reported that in the Chambal region, the species nests from end August up to mid- September. It is not conclusively known if double clutching occurs in the species in which case the first clutch could be laid at the beginning of the rainy season in July or

Image 13. Naja naja

even earlier in June when the monsoon start, while the second clutch could follow about a month and half later in August–September. Ashutosh Tripathi, studying the reproductive biology of the species confirms its earliest nesting on 17 July in the Ganga River in Farrukhabad District in Uttar Pradesh. Nilssonia gangeticus (Cuvier, 1825): Recorded at various points along the 4km Girwa River stretch from boat point to Amba Ghat. Frequently observed on newly emerged sandbars where they bask with gharials. Individuals often spotted while surfacing for breathing. One individual was seen feeding on submerged vegetation during February 2009. In northern India (Chambal River), Vasudevan (1998) recorded the nesting season from late July to end of October with peak activity during late August. We presume that similar nesting season prevail in Katerniaghat also. Nilssonia hurum (Gray, 1831): Reported as Aspideretes hurum by Hallerman et al. (2001) from Nishangada area of the sanctuary. N. hurum has been reported from other parts of the Terai by Das et al. (2010). Lissemys punctata andersoni Webb, 1980 (Image 14): During August 2006, one individual was photographed in a grazing ground next to the Girwa River (Ramesh Pandey, pers. comm. June 2008).

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Image 15. Melanochelys trijuga

Image 14. Lissemys punctata andersoni

Earlier, specimens (ZMH R00856-59) were reported from Monem River, Nishangada by Hallermann et al. (2001). Geoemydidae Theobald, 1868 Cyclemys gemeli Fritz, Guicking, Auer, Sommer, Wink & Hundsdörfer, 2008: Fritz et al. (2008) showed that sub adult female ZMH R00288 collected from Nishangada, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, India, approximately 5km S. Nepali border, leg. G.A. von Maydell during German India Expedition 1955/1957 represents the newly described Cyclemys gemeli thus making the record as the westernmost distributional limit of the species in India. Elsewhere, the species is reported from localities in northeastern India and northern West Bengal (Das et al. 2009; Praschag et al. 2009). Geoclemys hamiltonii (Gray, 1831): One shell (SCL 31cm) was observed near a seasonal water pool at the grassland-deciduous forest edge. Forest staff narrated that the turtle was presumably killed and eaten by local ‘Tharu’ people. Hardella thurjii (Gray, 1831): Observed by SC in streams and rivulets leading to Mahadeva Tal. Earlier, Das (1995) reported the species from the Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. H. thurjii is apparently less frequently encountered in large rivers and more frequently in smaller slow flowing streams and wetlands such as beels in Assam. Similar suitable 2562

Image 16. Melanochelys tricarinata

habitats also available in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. Thus we presume that, further survey will record new distributional localities for the species from the study area. Melanochelys trijuga (Schweigger, 1914) (Image 15): An individual male (CCL 12cm, PL 8cm.) encountered while it was crossing Barrage road at around 1730hr during June 2008. The area is surrounded by thick forest and water bodies. Based on subspecific characters provided in Das (1995), we refer our individual to the subspecies Melanochelys trijuga indopeninsularis. Melanochelys tricarinata (Blyth, 1856) (Image 16): First male (CCL: 190mm, PL: 120mm. carapace width: 97mm) was recorded from Watch tower road on 21 June 2008 at 1620hr. It was crossing the forest

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Image 17. Morenia petersi

trail surrounded by extensive terai grassland. The males carry a distinct plastral concavity. One female (PL 115mm, SCL 135mm) was recorded during March 2009 while it was crossing grassland trail at 0850h. Morenia petersi (Anderson, 1879) (Image 17): Recorded from near Mahadeva Tal in the month of December 2008. Mahadeva Tal is a large wetland/ Marsh area with extensive macrophytic growth. In Uttar Pradesh, the species was reported from Dudhwa National Park (Javed & Hanfee 1995). In India, Morenia petersi is known from Uttarakhand (Bahuguna 2010), Bihar and West Bengal (Das 1995), Assam (Ahmed et al. 2009). Also found in Bangladesh and Nepal. Pangshura tectum (Gray, 1831) (Image 18): Two basking individuals were observed from Maila Nullah during June. The individuals were observed on logs close to thick cane brake of Maila Nullah. During February, one complete shell (SCL 82mm, PL 74.25mm) was obtained from near a temporary water pool of grassland-deciduous forest edge. During October 2009, SC photographed an individual on the left efflux embankment of Girwa Barrage while it was crossing the road in the evening. This species appears to avoid open large rivers unlike the closely related P. tentoria and P. smithii which were recorded from Girwa river. Pangshura tentoria (Gray, 1834) (Image 19): Most frequently observed turtle species during the study period. Sighting records are from Boat point, watch tower, Amba and Bhabanipur. Individuals frequently observed while basking on river-side logs as well as in mid river. Individuals also observed on

Image 18. Pangshura tectum

Image 19. Pangshura tentoria flaviventer

accumulated vegetation on a log sharing the basking space with juvenile Gharial. Egg lying was observed during December 2008. A total of nine nests were traced from flat sandbank of Amba Ghat. The nests are located at a distance of 15– 32m from water and are close to grassy patches. The clutch size observed as 7–9 elongated eggs measuring 44.40 x 25.15 mm. One female (CCL 230mm, SCL 215mm, PL 225mm) found while it was digging the sand at around 1300h. Urinates when captured. Hallermann (2001) reported the subspecies P. tentoria tentoria from Nishangada, however, our individuals correspond to the subspecies Pangshura tentoria flaviventer in having an unpatterned yellowish plastron, a yellowish stripe on first three vertebrae, head brownish with a pink patch behind the eyes. Schleich & Kästle (2002) regarded P. tentoria flaviventer as distinct species without detail description. However,

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we maintain the P. tentoria flaviventer following Fritz & Havas (2007). Pangshura smithii (Gray, 1863): Single individual was photographed while it was basking on a log close to watch tower river bank at around 0930hr during March 2009. Two individuals of P. tentoria were also basking on the same log. We are unable to comment on the subspecific status of the individual encountered. The nominate subspecies Pangshura smithii smithii characterised by a blotched plastron is known from Katerniaghat (Das 1995). Crocodylidae Cuvier, 1807 Crocodylus palustris Lesson, 1831 (Image 20): Recorded from Boat point, Nesting Island, Madhab Nullah, Mayla Nullah, Bhabanipur, Barrage, Amba and Occur syntopically with Gharial. However, from the observed comparative abundance of the two species it would seem that the Gharial is more abundant in the open river which is avoided by Mugger, the latter preferring stagnant and semi stagnant habitats of wetlands and smaller streams. Basking individuals were observed on sandbanks, sandbars, vegetated river bank as well as mudbank. Large individuals found inhabiting small rivulets ca. 2–3 km away from the main channel. Capable of climbing ca. >600 riverbank and utilise riverbanks with grassy ledges for resting. Muggers were also found inhabiting small to large wetlands with extensive macrophytic growth. An individual feeding on a bovine carcass was observed during July. During August, one individual was recorded to feed on a Gharial hatchling. In Katerniaghat, nesting season coincides with that of the Gharial and a nest was located in July on the same river Island where communal nesting of Gharial occurred. The nest was 24cm deep, clutch size is 18 eggs and each egg measured 77.20 x 49.74 mm. Gavialidae Gmelin, 1789 Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin, 1789) (Image 21): Basking individuals were observed on sand banks and sand bars. Newly created sand bars are frequently used and those in the mid river or which are remotely placed sand bars are preferred for basking. Besides using sand banks, juveniles also bask on mud banks and on emergent logs or vegetation lodged into the river bed. Basking places sometimes shared with Crocodilus 2564

Image 20. Crocodilus palustris

Female

Subadult

Image 21. Gavialis gangeticus

palustris, Nilssonia gangeticus, Pangshura tentoria, Dendrocygna javanica and Tadorna ferruginea. The highest count for a single day was 105 individuals on 09 December 2008 of which 35 were recognized as adults. Largest number of adult males with “gharas” were eight on 20 December 2008. During high water in June–July, large individuals were observed inside small sub channels, 1–2 km from main river channels. Communal nesting was observed on a 40m long and 6–7 m wide sandy island with grassy patches. Nesting began in March. Nests were observed as 32–40 cm deep. One nest had 46 eggs. Average size of the eggs measured 82.21 x 60.07. Hatchlings measuring SVL 132–150 mm, TL 180–190 mm (N = 5) observed on 16 June 2008. Five to six hatchlings were seen taking refuge near grassy roots or in depressions along the

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river bank. The first Gharial population survey in Katerniaghat was in 1975–1976, and previous to our work, the last study of Gharial was done in 2001–2002 (Singh 1978; Srivastava 1981; Singh 2003). From 2008–09, we found 27 nests; a 7% increase since 2001 and 96% increase since 1975. Nests were found in seven sites. Additionally, one clutch was found in shallow water and five eggs were deposited in the open on a sand bar (not in a nest). Two nests were destroyed by flooding/ erosion. The island on which most Gharial had nested since 1988 was completely destroyed by floods during July 2008, and most nests were lost. The concentration of nests in such small areas makes the population vulnerable. A detailed paper on gharial population and habitat study in Katerniaghat WS is in preparation.

Discussion Based on field and literature records, the study documents 42 species of reptiles belonging to 14 families and 32 genera and 10 species of amphibians belonging to four families and eight genera. The family Colubridae is the most speciose genus with 12 species; Geoemydidae with nine species; Trionychidae and Dicroglossidae with four species; Gekkonidae three species; families Bufonidae, Microhylidae, Rhacophoridae, Varanidae, Scincidae, Elapidae each with two species; Agamidae, Typhlopidae, Boidae, Pythonidae, Viperidae, Crocodilidae, and Gavialidae with a single species each. The record of Calotes maria, a Khasi Hill endemic agamid by Hallermann et al. (2001) from Nishangada, Uttar Pradesh, needs to be verified. As the collection in that paper also includes specimens collected from northeastern India and northern West Bengal, so we presume that record s of C. maria, E. multifasciata and H. platyurus might have been collected from eastern India and the collection localities are mistakenly recorded as “Nishangada”. During the present survey, few herpetofaunal species were recorded, the identity of which are either unknown or conferred to closely related species (e,g, Kaloula sp., Fejervarya sp. Fejervarya cf. teraiensis). These provisionally identified species may represent previously unknown species, or are members of cryptic species complexes.

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According to Bain et al. (2003), most of the species complexes are widespread, although the member species can have only limited ranges within this broad range. Members of the species complexes encountered are Calotes versicolor (Zug et al. 2006), Lycodon aulicus, Xenochrophis piscator (Vogel & David 2006). Sankaran (1989) reported Dendrelaphis pictus from Dudhwa National Park which appears to be the westernmost distributional limit for the species and also indicates its possible occurrence in Katerniaghat. However, D. pictus is regarded as a species complex and several populations from south-east Asia and Sundaland have been recently described as new with the taxonomy of the group in the subcontinent remaining unresolved (Rooijen & Vogel 2008; Vogel & Rooijen 2008). Boiga trigonata, reported as fairly common in the Terai and Duns of Nepal (Fleming & Fleming 1974), might also occur in Katerniaghat. Similarly, we predict the occurrence of Coelognathus helena helena, Lycodon striatus, Psammophis condanarus, Oligodon arnensis and even rare species like Oligodon kheriensis and Elachistodon westermanni. The Girwa River is recorded within the natural distribution of Batagur dhongoka and Batagur kachuga (Fritz & Havas 2007) and recorded from nearby areas of Terai (Mitchell & Rhodin 1996) in southern Nepal. DB collected secondary information on occurrence of both the species from Katerniaghat Sanctuary. However, subsequent field surveys failed to record the two species from the Sanctuary. Thus, it has been hypothesized that the two species are either locally extirpated from their habitats in the Girwa or have become extremely rare because of ecological changes as a result of storage of water after the construction of barrage at Kailashpuri. Thus, while considering the reptilian diversity of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary the possibility of local extirpations of several species as a result of deforesteation in Nepal and modification of river courses and discharge should also be given cognizance. The Sanctuary is one of the last remaining habitats of the Critically Endangered Gharial (Choudhury et al. 2011). Among the threatened species, Gravialis gangeticus, Crocodilus palustris, Chitra indica, Nilssonia hurum, Nilssonia gangeticus, Melanochelys tricarinata, Pangshura tecta, Geoclemys hamiltoni, Python bivittatus, Varanus bengalensis and Varanus

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flavescens have been accorded the highest legal protection status, under Schedule I of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Naja naja, Ptyas mucosa and Xenochrophis piscator are listed in Schedule II; all other snake species are listed under Schedule IV of the Act. The reptilian fauna of Katerniaghat Sanctuary predominantly composed of Indo-Malayan genera (Amphiesma, Chrysopelea, Crocodylus, Cyclemys, Enhydris, Lygosoma, Naja, Psammodynastes, Python, Ramphotyphlops, Varanus and Xenochrophis), followed by genera of Indian radiations (Bungarus, Gavialis, Hemidactylus, Lissemys, Pangshura and Melanochelys) and transitional elements (Boiga, Chitra, Dendrelaphis, Lycodon, Morenia and Sibynophis) (sensu Das 1996). Originally, the Terai was almost entirely covered by dense tropical forest, with grasslands or scrub (Schleich & Kaestle 2002). This might have provided in colonization of wet zone species (Cyclemys gemeli, Chrysopelea ornata, Python bivittatus and Psammodynastes pulverulentus) in the Katerniaghat. Basu (1989) also opined that the humid and well-forested areas of Terai and bhabar provide an exclusive corridor of suitable habitat for the spread of reptiles from afforested areas in the east, deep into the Gangetic plain areas. Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary represents one of the last remaining Terai ecosystems and hence it is of tremendous conservation concern. Considering the dearth of knowledge on diversity, distribution and natural history of the herpetofauna of the region, the present study assumes significance. However, the field observation of the study is limited to a single peak monsoon month (June–July) and subsequent two visits are during winter month where herpetofaunal activity is limited due to low temperature. Thus it is almost certain that the present inventory only represents a fraction of the actual herpetofaunal assemblage and additional survey will reveal hitherto unrecorded species.

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Sankaran, R. (1989). Range extension of Painted Bronzeback Tree Snake Dendrelaphis pictus (Gmelin). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 255. Schleich, H.H. & W. Kästle (eds). (2002). Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag K. G., Ruggell, Liechtenstein, x+1201pp. Sclater, W.L. (1891). Notes on the snakes in the Indian Museum with description of several new species. Journal of Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta 60: 230–250. Singh, S. (1995). On a collection of reptiles and amphibians of Manipur. Geobios New Report 14(2): 135–145. Singh, V.B. (1978). Status of the gharial in Uttar Pradesh and its rehabilitation. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 75(3): 668–683. Singh, V.P. (2003). Evaluation of Gharial Rehabilitation U.P. Forestry Project: Report Prepared for Biodiversity Research, Terai Nature Conservation Society, 63pp. Smith, M.A. (1935). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma: Amphibia and Reptilia, Vol. II—Sauria. Taylor and Francis Ltd., London, xii+445pp. Smith, M.A. (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, including the whole of the Indo-Chinese region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III—Serpentes. Taylor and Francis, London, xii+583pp+1 folding map. Srivastava, A.K. (1981). Biology of Indian Gharial Gavialis gangeticus, with special reference to its behaviour. PhD Thesis. Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, 217pp. Talukdar, S.K & G. Dasgupta (1977). Natural distribution of the wolf Snake Lycodon Jara (Shaw) (Serpentes: Colubridae) in Northern India. Newsletter of the Zoological Survey of India 3(5): 276–277. Tripathi, K.P. & B. Singh (2009). Species diversity and vegetation structure across various strata in natural and plantation forests in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, north India. Tropical Ecology 50(1): 191–200. Uetz, P. (2007). The reptile database. <http://www. reptile-database.org>. On-line version dated 18 January 2009. Vasudevan, K. (1998). Reproductive ecology of the Indian Softshell Turtle Aspideretes gangeticus, in northern India. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 3(1): 96–99. Vogel, G. & P. David (2006). On the taxonomy of the Xenochrophis piscator complex (Serpentes, Natricidae), pp. 241–246. In: Vences, M. & J. Köhler, T. Ziegler & W. Böhme (eds.). Herpetologia Bonnensis II. Proceedings of the 13th Congress of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica. Societas Europaea Herpetologica, Bonn. Vogel, G. & J.V. Rooijen (2008). Contributions to a review of the Dendrelaphis pictus (Gmelin 1789) complex-2. The eastern forms (Serpentes: Colubridae). Herpetozoa 21(1/2): 3–29. Wall, F. (1907). Reduction in the species of the genus Polydontophis. Suppression of P. subpunctatus. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 17: 823–824. Wall, F. (1923). A hand-list of the snakes of the Indian Empire. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 29: 598–632. Whitaker, R. & A. Captain (2004). Snakes of India - The Field Guide. Draco Books, Chennai, xiv+481pp. Zug, G.R., H.H.K. Brown, J.A. Schulte & J.V. Vindum (2006). Systematics of the garden lizards, Calotes versicolor Group (Reptilia, Squamata, Agamidae), in Myanmar: central dry zone populations. Proceedings of the California Academy of Science 57(2): 35–68.

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Author Details and Contribution: Abhijit Das is currently working with the division of Herpetology, Aaranyak, a research organization based in Guwahati. He is an avid herpetologist primary interested is the taxonomy, biogeography and conservation initiatives of the herpetofauna of northeastern India. He conducted the field surveys, identified the specimens and wrote the mss. Dhruvajyoti Basu was associated with Katerniaghat Foundation and was one of the pioneers in crocodile conservation and research in India. He extensively worked on the distribution and status of Gharial throughout India and also closely associated with the U.P. Forest Department Crocodile Breeding Programme, MCBT, WWF etc. He passed away while conducting a Gharial survey in Assam in April, 2011. This paper is dedicated to the memory of his indomitable spirit!! He shared past herpetological observation from the area and guided the team during the survey Laurel Converse was with the Gharial Conservation Alliance, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Tamil Nadu, India. Her primary research interest is captive breeding and ex-situ conservation of crocodiles. She carried out the field surveys for along with AD. Suresh S Chaudhury is associated with the Katerniaghat Foundation, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, an organization involved in conservation activities in the Terai landscape of India. He is also a wildlife photographer. He was a member of the survey team and also provided past information on the herpetofauna of the region. Acknowledgements: We are thankful to the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department for granting permission to conduct the study. Thanks to Katerniaghat Wildlife Division for logistic support. Special thanks to Mr. Ramesh K. Pandey, IFS, and Mr. Shukla for providing logistic support. The work is financially supported by Conservation Leadership Programme. AD was supported by Rufford Small Grant, UK and Aaranyak, Guwahati. Special thanks to Raja Chandramani Kant Singh, Babbu of Katerniaghat foundation, Puja Chourasia, Subir Choufin for providing logistic supports and being Field Company. Thanks to Indraneil Das, Romulus Whitaker, S.U. Shravanakumar, Udayan Borthakur, Uttam Saikia, Sailendra Singh, Ashutosh for sharing knowledge. We thank Ramrup, Shubai, Vinod, Santosh for assistance in the field.

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An overview of fish fauna of Raigad District, northern Western Ghats, India Unmesh Katwate 1, Rupesh Raut 2 & Sahir Advani 3 Bombay Natural History Society Hornbill House, Opp. Lion Gate, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India Department of Zoology, Elphinstone College, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400032, India 3 Department of Zoology, The Institute Of Science, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400032, India Email: 1 theunmesh@gmail.com, 2 rupesh.raut@gmail.com (corresponding author), 3 advani.sahir@gmail.com 1 2

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: Anonimity requested Manuscript details: Ms # o2760 Received 12 April 2011 Final received 10 April 2012 Finally accepted 27 April 2012 Citation: Katwate, U., R. Raut & S. Advani (2012). An overview of fish fauna of Raigad District, northern Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2569–2577. Copyright: © Unmesh Katwate, Rupesh Raut & Sahir Advani 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. For Author Details and Author Contribution see end of this article. Acknowledgments: We are thankful to Neelesh Dahanukar IISER, Pune for constant encouragement and extensive taxonomic help as well as critical reading of the manuscript and suggesting necessary changes. Authors are thankful to members of Wild Explorers (WE) formerly known as WRRACC, India especially Aditya Sawant, Abhijit Gharat for their unstinted help in the field. We thank to Ganesh Mehandale and his team for on field helps in Roha. We also thank Principal, Elphinstone College, Mumbai for constant encouragement. We are also thankful to authorities of the Bombay Natural History Society for providing library facilities. Lastly we thank anonymous referee for reviewing earlier draft of the manuscript.

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Abstract: We studied the fish fauna of Raigad District for two years from August 2008 to August 2010. Sixty six freshwater and secondary freshwater fish species belonging to 31 families and 53 genera were collected from various sampling sites and local markets along the banks of Patalganga, Bhogawati, Amba, Kundalika, Mandad and Savitri river systems present in Raigad District, Maharashtra, northern Western Ghats. Cyprinids were the most dominant group represented by 22 fish species belonging to 13 genera followed by the loaches, croakers and gobies belonging to the family Balitoridae, Sciaenidae and Gobiidae respectively (three species from each family). Of the 66 fish species, five belong to the Vulnerable (VU), four to Near Threatened (NT), 37 to the Least Concern (LC) category and 20 were found to be not evaluated for IUCN Red List criteria. Raigad District is under severe threat of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Further, introduced exotic fish species are becoming a major threat to the indigenous fish fauna of Raigad District. Implementation of ecosystem based adaptation plans and conservation measures are necessary to protect the diverse, endemic and threatened fish fauna of Raigad District. Keywords: Fish fauna, Raigad District, species composition, species diversity, threat status, Western Ghats.

The Western Ghats of India harbor rich biodiversity and are aptly classified as one of the 34 Biodiversity Hotspots of the world owing to the concentration of endemism (Mittermeier et al. 2005). The biodiversity of the Western Ghats is under severe threat of deforestation (Myers 1990). Holding only 12,450km2 (i.e. 6.8%) primary vegetation out of an original extent of 182,500km2 primary vegetation, Western Ghats awaits major conservation priorities (Myers et al. 2000). The most important impact is the massive degradation of habitat and extinction of species taking place in a catastrophically short time scale (Novacek 2001), resulting in the modification of both the identities and numbers of species in ecosystems (Tilman 1997). The literature till date records 288 freshwater fish species from the Western Ghats with 41% fish species endemic to this region (Dahanukar et al. 2004). The fish fauna of northern Western Ghats have been well studied but most of the studies are limited to the east flowing rivers of the Western Ghats while the west flowing rivers have had limited attention (Dahanukar et al. 2011). These west flowing rivers of the northern Western Ghats flow in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, a narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Raigad District forms the middle part of Konkan in the northern Western Ghats. While very few studies are available on fishes of the Konkan region (Annandale 1919; Kulkarni 1947; Bal & Mohmed, 1957; Singh & Yazdani 1988), the Raigad District is even less explored with only three studies (Singh

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& Yazdani 1993; Arunachalam 2000, 2002) to our knowledge. In our present study we have carried out a more extensive survey to document the diversity of fish fauna of Raigad District and associated threats to the fish fauna. Raigad District (Image 1) (17051’–19o80’N & 72051’–73040’E) forms a major part of northern Konkan and has the Western Ghats on its eastern and southern border (Singh & Yazdani 1993); the eastern and southern part of the district lies in the high rain shadow of the Sahyadri mountains; the altitude ranges from 500 to 1000 m. The annual rainfall ranges from 3000 to 5500 mm in high altitude regions like Matheran. Rainfall decreases in the range of 2000 to 2500 mm as we go from south to north (Chaudhari 1993). Six major west flowing rivers, namely Patalganga, Bhogawati, Amba, Kundalika, Mandad and Savitri with their tributaries, originate from the eastern boundaries of Raigad District and drain into the Arabian Sea (Image 1). These six major rivers with undulating terrains

have tropical semi deciduous, semievergreen and some evergreen forest patches in their catchments. In the last few decades, urbanization, industrialization and increasing organic waste load in Raigad District threaten the icthyofauna of these rivers. During the present survey six sampling sites (Image 1) namely Kharpada (18050’42”N & 73007’20”E), Pen (18044’03”N & 73006’49”E), Wadkhal (18035’41”N & 73006’10”E), Roha (18026’03”N & 73010’36”E), Mandad (18020’37”N & 73007’52”E) and Mahad (18005’20”N & 73026’46”E) situated on the course of Patalganga, Bhogawati, Amba, Kundalika, Mandad and Savitri rivers respectively were selected for experimental fishing. Samples were also collected from local markets and landing centers. For the present study samplings were carried out at all six sampling sites on a monthly basis from August 2008 to July 2011. Experimental fishing was carried out both by members of the survey team as well as by using the expertise of local fisher folk. Different types of

River District boundary Sampling site

Image 1. Study site showing sampling locations: I - Kharpada; II - Pen; III - Wadkhal; IV - Roha; V - Mandad; VI - Mahad. Rivers: A - Patalganga; B - Bhogawati; C - Amba; D - Kundalika, E - Mandad, F - Savitri 2570

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gear including cast nets, gill nets, scoop nets (all with varying mesh sizes), traps and other local contrivances were used for collecting the fishes allowing us to sample a range of fish sizes and minimize the bias due to specific gear. At each sampling site different microhabitats like water pools, riffles, cascade, falls, run and plunge were assessed for sampling. Representative specimens of all fish species were fixed in 4% formaldehyde and transferred to the laboratory and stored in glass bottles. We also visited local fish markets and landing centers situated nearer to the sampling sites to monitor and look for the presence of any species which were not available during our experimental fishing. Samples were subsequently identified by following standard literature (Jayaram 1991; 1999; 2010; Talwar & Jhingran 1991). The threat status of the fish species is adapted from IUCN. Red List of Threatened Species-Version 2011.1 (IUCN 2011). Relative abundance was recorded for each species in each river as rare, common and very common. If a species contributed < 5% or 5% of the total catch in a sample it was considered as rare, if < 50% or 50% it was considered as common and if the species contributed > 50% it was considered as very common. A total number of 66 fish species belonging to 31 families and 53 genera (Table 1) were collected from the six sampling sites located along the course of monitored rivers. Some of the fishes collected from various rivers are shown in Image 2. Cyprinids were the most dominant group represented by 22 species belonging to 13 genera, followed by the loaches, croakers and gobies of the family Balitoridae, Sciaenidae and Gobiidae respectively (3 species from each family). Kundalika River showed the maximum species number (66 species) followed by Savitri River (64 species) and Amba (61 species). Patalganga River showed the least number of species (45 species) (Fig. 1). Singh & Yazdani (1993) have reported 106 freshwater and marine fish species in the entire Konkan region of northern Western Ghats of which 41 fish species were recorded from Raigad District. Arunachalam (2000) and Arunachalam et al. (2002) studied Kundalika, Savitri River and Kal River a major tributary of Savitri River as well as Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary area. Arunachalam (2000) recorded 20 fish species, while Arunachalam et al. (2002) reported

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a total of 22 fish species. Even though we could not record five species recorded by the earlier workers we recorded 18 species for the first time from this area. A cumulative number of species based on previous studies and the current study suggest that there could be at least 71 species of freshwater and secondary freshwater fishes in this region. In our present study we recorded two bagrids Mystus bleekeri and M. malabaricus. There are earlier records of occurrence of M. seenghala (now Sperata seenghala), M. vittatus and M. keletius in Raigad District (Singh & Yazdani 1993) but during the present study these species were not recorded. Arunachalam (2002) has reported the occurrence of juveniles of Tor khudree from Khandala Falls, an origin of Patalganga River. During the field study, issues of occurrence of Tor khudree with local fishermen were discussed. As per their knowledge this species is very rarely seen in the wild in this area but is known to be cultivated in farms in some areas of Raigad District. We could not record the presence of Tor khudree in our study. Nevertheless, even in the absence of species like M. seenghala, M. vittatus, M. keletius, Gonoproktopterus curmuca and Tor khudree recorded earlier (Singh & Yazdani 1993; Arunachalam 2002), we have reported 18 new records of fish species to Raigad District, namely Anguilla bengalensis, Cirrhinus cirrhosus, Crossocheilus latius, Esomus danrica, Garra gotyla stenorhynchus, Labeo calbasu, Puntius chola, Parapsilorhynchus discophorus, Ompok bimaculatus, Heteropneustes fossilis, Xenentodon cancila, Monopterus indicus, Etroplus maculatus, Eleotris fusca, Channa punctata, C. gachua, Chanda nama and Mastacembalus armatus. Our study also reported eight new records of introduced fish species to this region like Catla catla, Cirrhinus mrigala, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo rohita, Clarias gariepinus, Gambusia affinis and Poecilia reticulata. Puntius cf. amphibius collection reported in the present study has ambiguous taxonomic status. Pethiyagoda & Kottelat (2005, p.151) considered Puntius amphibius from its lectotype which was preserved some two centuries ago from Bombay Presidency, a rather ill defined type locality as it points to a very large region. Our Puntius cf. amphibius specimens do not match with the lectotype of Puntius amphibius sensu stricto because of the presence of a dark oval blotch on caudal peduncle, which is absent in lectotype studied by Pethiyagoda

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Table 1. Fish species recorded from Raigad District. Abundance in study area b Family/species a

Global status d

+++

Remarks e

Notopteridae Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769) Anguillidae Anguilla bengalensis (Gray, 1831) f

Clupeidae Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822)

Cyprinidae Catla catla (Hamilton, 1822)

Cirrhinus cirrhosus (Bloch, 1795)

Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton, 1822)

Crossocheilus latius (Hamilton, 1822)

Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes, 1844) Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758)

Devario aequipinnatus (McClelland, 1839) Devario fraseri (Hora, 1935) Esomus danrica (Hamilton, 1822)

Garra gotyla stenorhynchus (Jerdon, 1849)

Garra mullya (Sykes, 1839) Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822) Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822)

I VU

+++

LC LC

+++

Puntius cf. amphibius (Valenciennes, 1842)

+++

Puntius bimaculatus (Bleeker, 1863)

Puntius chola (Hamilton, 1822)

+++

Puntius sarana subnasutus (Valenciennes, 1842)

+++

Puntius sophore (Hamilton, 1822)

+++

Puntius ticto (Hamilton, 1822)

Laubuca laubuca (Hamilton, 1822)

+++

Rasbora daniconius (Hamilton, 1822)

+++

Salmophasia ballokee (sykes, 1839)

Parapsilorhynchidae Parapsilorhynchus discophorus (Hora, 1921)

Parapsilorhynchus tentaculatus (Annandale, 1919)

Balitoridae Indoreonectes evezardi (Day, 1872)

+++

Nemachilichthys rueppelli (Sykes, 1839)

Schistura denisoni (Day, 1867)

+++

Mystus bleekeri (Day, 1877)

+++

Mystus malabaricus (Jerdon, 1849)

Cobitidae Lepidocephalichthys thermalis (Valenciennes, 1846) Bagridae

Siluridae Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794)

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Abundance in study area b Family/species a A

Global status d

Remarks e

Arius sona (Hamilton, 1822)

+++

Hexanematichthys sagor (Hamilton, 1822)

+++

Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Shaw, 1804)

+++

Leptomelanosoma indicum (Shaw, 1804)

+++

Dendrophysa russelli (Cuvier, 1829)

+++

Johnius belangerii (Cuvier, 1830)

+++

Otolithoides biauritus (Cantor, 1849)

+++

Wallago attu (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Ariidae

Clariidae Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Heteropneustidae Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794)

Hemiramphidae Hyporhamphus limbatus (Valenciennes, 1847)

Belonidae Xenentodon cancila (Hamilton, 1822)

Horaichthyidae Horaichthys setnai Kulkarni, 1940 Aplocheilidae Aplocheilus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1846)

Poecillidae Gambusia affinis (Baird & Girard, 1853) Poecilia reticulata (Peters, 1859)

Synbranchidae Monopterus indicus (Silas & Dawson, 1961)

Lutjanidae Lutjanus johni (Bloch, 1792) Polynemidae

Sciaenidae

Scatophagidae Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766) Cichlidae +

+++

Boleophthalmus boddarti (Pallas, 1770)

+++

Boleophthalmus dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1837)

+++

Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton, 1822)

+++

Etroplus maculatus (Bloch, 1795)

Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852)

S I

Mugilidae Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758

Gobiidae

Eleotridae Eleotris fusca (Forster, 1801)

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Abundance in study area b Family/species a A

Global status d

+++

Remarks e

Channidae Channa punctata (Bloch, 1793)

Channa gachua (Hamilton, 1822)

Centropomidae Lates calcarifer (Bloch, 1790)

Anabantidae Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792)

Ambassidae Chanda nama (Hamilton, 1822)

Mastacembelidae Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepède, 1800) f

a - Taxonomic status adapted from Jayaram 1991, 1999, 2010; Talwar & Jhingran 1991. b - Abundance categories: - not found, + rare, ++ common, +++ very common. c - Collection sites: A: Patalganga River; B: Bhogawati River; C: Amba River; D: Kundalika River; E: Mandad River; F: Savitri River. d - Global Status adapted IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 August 2011. LC Least Concern, DD - Data Deficient, NT - Near Threatened, VU - Vulnerable. IUCN Status of introduced species and unassessed species are not provided. e - Remarks: E - endemic to Western Ghats; S - secondary freshwater; I - introduced to this region. f - New record to Raigad District based on previous literature surveys.

70 Number of fish species

60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Figure 1. Species richness of rivers in Raigad District. Rivers abbreviations as per Image 1.

& Kottelat (2005, p.150). Pethiyagoda & Kottelat (2005, p.150) distinguished Puntius amphibius from Puntius mahecola by having a smaller eye diameter (61.6% of snout length, vs. 68.4–100.0 %). Eye diameter of our Puntius cf. amphibius collection ranges between 71–98 % of snout length, which falls closer to P. mahecola, a species restricted to southern Western Ghats (Pethiyagoda & Kottelat 2005). Such variations between our Puntius cf. amphibius collection and lectotype of Puntius amphibius studied by Pethiyagoda & Kottelat (2005) suggest that there is a need to reinvestigate Puntius amphibius from its type locality with a fresh collection. 2574

Out of the recorded 66 fish species, five species are categorized as vulnerable globally. These species are Cirhinus cirrhosus, Cyprinus carpio, Devario fraseri, Parapsilorhynchus discophorus and Monopterus indicus (IUCN 2011). Western Ghats endemics like Devario fraseri, Garra gotyla stenorhynchus, Puntius sarana subnasutus, Parapsilorhynchus discophorus, Nemachilichthys rueppelli, Mystus malabaricus and Monopterus indicus constitute 10% to the total fish species of the study area. The global threat status of the studied fish species shows that 7.5% belong to Vulnerable (VU), 6% to Near Threatened (NT), 56% to Least Concern (LC) while 3% has Data Deficient (DD). The status of around 26% species was not available (Fig. 2). Kundalika, Savitri and Amba show maximum contribution (6–7.5 %) of globally vulnerable species in their species assemblages (Table 2). Raigad District is showing rapid industrialization. The fish fauna of Raigad District is threatened mainly due to pollution, industrial sewage disposal in river systems, habitat alteration due to construction of dams, indiscriminate deforestation on a large scale, and overexploitation of present fish stock and introduction of exotic fish species. Nine introduced fish species like Catla catla, Cirrhinus mrigala, Ctenopharyngodon

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Image 1. Some fishes of Raigad District. a - Esomus danrica; b - Puntius cf. amphibius; c - Parapsilorhynchus discophorus; d - Puntius ticto; e - Mystus malabaricus.

idella, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo rohita, Clarias gariepinus, Gambusia affinis, Poecilia reticulata and Oreochromis mossambicus were collected from the different sampling sites which constituted about 13% of the total fish fauna. Fishes like Catla catla,

Cirrhinus mrigala and Labeo rohita were native to the Ganges River systems and introduced in greater numbers for mass aquaculture practices. Studies suggest that native fish fauna of the Western Ghats are severely threatened by the introduction of alien fish

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Table 2. Percentage composition of threatened species in each river system of Raigad District.

Figure 2. Threat status of fishes collected from Raigad District. LC - Least Concern; DD - Data Deficient; NT - Near Threatened; VU - Vulnerable; NA - Not Available; # - Status of these species was not available.

species with regard to predation, competition for food and other resources, and also with the introduction of new pathogens (Daniels 2006; Raghavan et al. 2008; Krishnakumar et al. 2009; Knight 2010). These exotic populations have the status of potential pests and hence pose a serious threat to the fish fauna of Raigad District, especially to the endemic and threatened species having a low population size. It is recommended that further long term intensive monitoring studies are needed to trace the impact of anthropogenic activities on the freshwater fish fauna of Raigad District. Implementation of conservation measures are also necessary to protect the locally, as well as globally threatened freshwater fish species from this area. References Annandale, N. (1919). Bombay streams fauna: notes on fresh water fish mostly from the Satara and Poona Districts. Records of the Indian Museum 16: 125–138. Arunachalam, M. (2000). Assemblage structure of stream fishes in the Western Ghats (India). Hydrobiologia 430(1– 3): 1–31. Arunachalam, M., A. Sankaranarayanan, A. Manimekalan, R. Soranam & J.A. Johnson (2002). Fish fauna of some streams and rivers in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 99(2): 337341. Bal, D.V. & Mohmed (1957). A systematic account of the eels of Bombay. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 2576

Rivers: A - Patalganga; B - Bhogawati; C - Amba; D - Kundalika; E - Mandad; F - Savitri. Global Status adapted IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 August 2011. LC - Least Concern; DD - Data Deficient; NT - Near Threatened; VU - Vulnerable; NA - Not Available. # Status of these species was not available.

54(3): 732–740. Chaudhari, K.K. (1993). Gazetteer of the Raigad District. Maharashtra State Gazetteers Department, Govt. of Maharashtra, 30–42pp. Dahanukar, N., R. Raut & A. Bhat (2004). Distribution, endemism and threat status of freshwater fishes in the Western Ghats of India. Journal of Biogeography 3(1): 123–136. Dahanukar, N., R. Raghavan, A. Ali, R. Abraham & C.P. Shaji (2011). The status and distribution of freshwater fishes of the Western Ghats, pp. 21–48. In: Molur, S., K.G. Smith, B.A. Daniel & W.R.T. Darwall (compilers). The Status of Freshwater Biodiversity in The Western Ghats, India. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Gland, Switzerland & Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO) Coimbatore, India, 116pp. Daniels, R.J.R. (2006). Introduced fishes: a potential threat to the native freshwater fishes of peninsular India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 103(2–3): 346–348. IUCN (2011). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 August 2011. Jayaram, K.C. (1991). Revision of the Genus Puntius Hamilton from the Indian Region (Pisces: Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae, Cyprininae). Occasional Paper No. 135. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 178pp. Jayaram, K.C. (1999). The Freshwater Fishes of the Indian Region. Narendra Publishing House, New Delhi, 551pp. Jayaram, K.C. (2010). The Freshwater Fishes of The Indian Region. Second Edition. Narendra Publishing House, Delhi, 616pp. Knight, J.D.M. (2010). Invasive ornamental fish: a potential threat to aquatic biodiversity in peninsular India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 2(2): 700–704. Krishnakumar, K., R. Raghavan, G. Prasad, A. Bijukumar, M. Sekharan, B. Pereira & A. Ali (2009). When pets become pests - exotic aquarium fishes and biological invasions in Kerala, India. Current Science 97(4): 474–

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Fishes of Raigad District

476. Kulkarni, C.V. (1947). Notes on freshwater fishes of Bombay and Salsette Islands. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 47(2): 319–326. Mittermeier, R.A., P.R. Gil, M. Hoffman, J. Pilgrim, T. Brooks, C.G. Mittermeier, J. Lamoreux, & G.A.B. da Fonseca (2005). Hotspots Revisited: Earth’s Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions. Cemex, Mexico, 392pp. Myers, N. (1990). The biodiversity challenge: expanded hotspots analysis. The Environmentalist 10: 243–256. Myers, N., R.A. Mittermeier, C.G. Mittermeier, G.A.B. Da Fonseka & J. Kents (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853-858. Pethiyagoda, R. & M. Kottelat (2005). The identity of the South Indian Barb Puntius mahecola (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (Supplement No.) 12: 145–152. Raghavan, R., G. Prasad, P.H. Anvar-Ali & B. Pereira (2008). Exotic fish species in a global biodiversity hotspot: observations from river Chalakudy, part of Western Ghats, Kerala, India. Biological Invasions 10(1): 37–40. Singh, D.F. & G.M. Yazdani (1988). A note on the ichthyofauna of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivli, Bombay. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 85: 631–633. Singh, D.F. & G.M. Yazdani (1993) Ichthyofauna of Konkan Region of Maharashtra (India). Occasional paper no. 145, Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 46pp. Talwar, P.K. & A.G. Jhingran (1991). Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent Countries. Oxford-IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1158pp. Tilman, D., J. Knops, D. Wedin, P. Reich, M. Ritchie & E. Siemann (1997). The influences of functional diversity and composition on ecosystem processes. Science 277: 1300–1302.

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U. Katwate et al. Author Details: Unmesh Katwate is a zoology postgraduate currently working as Research Scientist in Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). He is studying ecology and conservation aspects of freshwater fishes and amphibians in northern Western Ghats. Currently he is working on costal plateaus of Konkan in Western Ghats. Rupesh Raut is a head of Department of Zoology, Elphinstone College. He works on ecology, systematic biology and molecular phylogeny of freshwater fishes, amphibians and bats of Western Ghats. Sahir Advani is currently a Research Associate at Dakshin Foundation, Bangalore, a marine conservation NGO. His research interests lie in the field of marine protected areas and coral reef associated fisheries. He is presently working on a project profiling the fisheries of the Andaman Islands in order to establish critical areas for research and conservation. Author contribution: UK, RR and SA all have contributed their efforts in extensive field work. RR systematically designed this study. UK, RR and SA performed systematic taxonomic identification, morphometric data analysis of different fish species and manuscript preparation.

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JoTT Short Communication

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The genus Cyrtoptyx Delucchi (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) from India, with a description of a new species from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala P.M. Sureshan Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, Jafferkhan Colony, Eranhipalam P.O., Kozhikode, Kerala 673006, India Email: pmsuresh43@yahoo.com

Abstract: A taxonomic account on Cyrtoptyx Delucchi (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is given and a new species, C. wayanadensis, is described from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India. The affinities of the new species with the related species are discussed. Keywords: Cyrtoptyx, Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae, new species, Kerala, India.

Chalcidoidea,

The genus Cyrtoptyx Delucchi (1956) belongs to the pteromalid subfamily Pteromalinae. Noyes (2011) lists a total of nine described species from the world, but from India (Tamil Nadu) and Pakistan, only one species, C. latipes (Rondani), was recorded by Bouček et al. (1979). During the faunal exploration Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: Mohammad Hayat Manuscript details: Ms # o3040 Received 19 December 2011 Final received 15 March 2012 Finally accepted 27 April 2012 Citation: Sureshan, P.M. (2012). The genus Cyrtoptyx Delucchi (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) from India, with a description of a new species from the South Western Ghats of Kerala. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2578–2581. Copyright: © P.M. Sureshan 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: I am grateful to Dr. K. Venkataraman, Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and C. Radhakrishnan, Officer-incharge, Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode for providing all the facilities for the work and constant encouragement. I am also grateful to Dr. Jhon S. Noyes, The Natural History Museum, UK, and Dr. Xiao Hui, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Zoology, Beijing for providing relevant literature for my work. I am also thankful to Mr. C. Bijoy and Ms. Dhanya Balan, junior research fellows, ZSI, Kozhikode for helping to prepare the photographs and the electron scan pictures of the specimens. Thanks are also due to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Kerala and the forest officials of Waynad forest division for granting the permission to conduct faunisitic surveys and make collections and as well for the various help rendered during the field work. OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD

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surveys conducted in the forested tracts of the southern Western Ghats of Wayanad District, Kerala, interesting specimens of Cyrtoptyx were collected by sweeping over vegetations from a patch of moist deciduous forest located at the foothills of Banasura peak. The specimens were identified as belonging to an undescribed species and are described hereunder. The morphological terminology used in the paper follows that of Bouček (1988). The type material of the new species is deposited in the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, Kozhikode, Kerala (ZSIK). Cyrtoptyx Delucchi, 1956 Cyrtoptyx Delucchi, 1956: 240, 252. Type species Dinarmus robustus Masi, 1907, by original designation. Diagnosis: Body stout, metallic, generally bluish black, dark metallic green or bronze tinged; anterior margin of clypeus shallowly emarginate; antennal formula 11353 in female and 11263 in male; clava with sutures straight, area of micropilosity restricted to the third segment; mesosoma convex; pronotal collar almost as broad as mesoscutum, not margined anteriorly or at the most with a weak carina in the middle; mesoscutum with notauli incomplete; propodeum without nucha, with distinct median carina; forewing with PMV longer than STV (at least 1.8x); metasoma sessile, lanceolate; hind margin of T1 produced. Hosts: Cyrtoptyx species are mainly parasitoids of Dacus flies (Diptera: Tephritidae), Curculionidae, Anthribidae (Coleoptera), Gelechiidae, Coleophoridae,

Abbreviations: F1–F6 - funicular segments 1–6; MV - marginal vein; OOL - minimum distance between a posterior ocellus and the corresponding eye margin; PMV - postmarginal vein; POL - minimum distance between the two posterior ocelli; SMV submarginal vein; STV - stigmal vein; T1–T5 - gastral tergites 1–5.

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A new species of Cyrtoptyx

Tortricidae, Pyralidae (Lepidoptera), Cynipidae and some Hymenoptera (Noyes 2011). Species and distribution: World species nine (Noyes 2011). These are: Cyrtoptyx bruchi (Blanchard 1940) from Argentina; C. flavida Xiao, Chen & Huang, 2003, from Beijing, China; C. gallicola Dzhanokmen, 1976, from Kazakhstan; C. gilloni Rasplus, 1989, from the Ivory Coast; C. latipes (Rondani, 1874) from the holarctic, oriental and afrotropical regions; C. lichtensteini (Masi, 1922) from the Holarctic and Afrotropical regions; C. pistaciae (Nikol’skaya 1935) from the palaearctic region; and C. robustus (Masi, 1907) from the palaearctic region. Delucchi (1956) considered C. cynipidis (Masi, 1922) as a probable synonym of C. robustus, and this was followed by Graham (1969). Comments: Cyrtoptyx closely resembles the genera Oxysychus Delucchi and Ischyroptyx Delucchi in general morphology. It differs from Oxysychus in having pronotal collar only weakly carinate in the middle, clava with the area of micropilosity limited to its apical segment and propodeum not much flat (in Oxysychus, pronotal collar with a complete fine carina, clava with area of micropilosity extending all along its length and propodeum between spiracles almost flat or weakly carinate). Cyrtoptyx differs from Ischyroptyx in having MV not thickened and at least 1.8x as long as STV, forewing hyaline or subhyaline, hairs on thorax thin and not conspicuous (in Ischyroptyx, MV slightly thickened from base, at most about 1.4x as long as STV, forewing often with slight broad infumation and hairs on mesosoma curved and broad, usually white and conspicuous). Cyrtoptyx wayanadensis sp. nov. (Images 1-7) Material examined: Holotype: Female, 19.xi.2011, 11067.7’40”N & 75093.5’06’’E, altitude 834m, foot hills of Banasura peak, south Wayanad forest Division, Wayanad District, Kerala, India, coll. P.M. Sureshan (ZSI/WGRS/IR-INV-2145) Paratypes: Three females, one male, data same as holotype except Reg. Nos.: Females: ZSI/WGRS/ IR-INV-2146, 2233, 2234; Male: ZSI/WGRS/IRINV-2235) (one female paratype used for SEM, ZSI/ WGRS/IR-INV-2146). Etymology: The species name is derived from the

P.M. Sureshan

name of the district (Wayanad) where the specimens were collected. Description: Female: Length 3.0–3.9 mm (holotype 3.9mm). Colour: Head metallic blue; eyes cupreous; ocelli yellow; antennae yellowish-brown with scape, pedicel and anelli more yellowish; mandibles yellow with apical half brown; mesosoma metallic blue; tegulae pale yellowish-brown; wings hyaline; veins pale yellowish-brown; stigmal knob dark brown; discal pubescence brown; coxae concolorous with mesosoma except middle coxae brown; femora yellowish-brown except fore femora brown; rest of legs yellowish-white with tips of tarsi brown; gaster blackish-brown with metallic blue bands laterally in the middle of tergites and base of T1 dorsally; Head (Images 2, 5) distinctly reticulate with moderately dense white pubescence; in dorsal view head width 1.9x length; temple narrow, 0.2x eye length; POL 1.62x OOL; occiput not margined. In front view head width 1.3x height; scrobe deep, not reaching median ocellus; clypeus radiately striated, anterior margin very slightly emarginate; malar grooves indicated; malar space 0.6x as long as eye in profile; eye length 1.3x width in profile; eyes separated 1.4x their length at level of toruli; both mandibles with 3 teeth. Antennae (Images 3, 4 ) inserted above middle of face, distinctly above lower ocular line; toruli separated 0.32x their individual diameter; scape exceeding well above median ocellus, little shorter than eye and 4.9x as long as pedicel; pedicel plus flagellum 1.3x as long as head width; pedicel 1.6x as long as broad; third anellus little longer than second; anelli together 0.62x as long as pedicel; funicular segments slender, elongated, with uniform thickness, decreasing in length; F1 longest, F2 0.9x F1, F5 shortest, 0.64x F1; F1 and F2 with five irregular rows of sensillae, other segments with four rows of sensillae, clava little wider than funicle, 2.7x as long as broad and 1.51x as long as F5; area of micropilosity restricted to tip of clava; sutures almost straight ; pubescence moderately long. Mesosoma: (Image 6) In dorsal view 1.52x as long as broad, uniformly reticulate punctate with moderately dense white curved hairs, reticulation closer on sides. Pronotum not carinate anteriorly, sharp edged in the middle. Mesoscutum 1.7x as broad as long, notauli incomplete. Scutellum as long as broad, frenum not separated. Dorsellum distinctly reticulate, little elevated. Propodeum finely reticulate, median area

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A new species of Cyrtoptyx

P.M. Sureshan 4

5 1

2 6

Images 1–7. 1 - Cyrtoptyx wayanadensis sp. nov., male body in profile; 2–7: Female: 2 - body in profile; 3 - antenna; 4 - antennal clava; 5 - Head in front view; 6 - Mesosoma in dorsal view; 7 - propodeum and metasoma dorsal view. Photo credit: WGRC, ZSI, Calicut. 7

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more polished, nucha absent, posterior margin deeply emarginate, median carina complete, anterior margin of propodeum with a transverse depression, traversed by rugae; plicae indicated posteriorly; spiracle elongate ovate, almost touching hind margin of metanotum; callus with long white hairs. Prepectus short, finely reticulate, almost equal to length of tegula. Mesopleuron almost completely reticulate except for a narrow triangular smooth area beneath wings. Metapleuron reticulate punctate. Forewing length 2.5x width, basal part almost bare, basal vein represented by few hairs in the upper end; speculum open below; costal cell hairy on upper half and distal end; stigma moderately capitate. Relative lengths of SMV, 18; MV, 12; STV, 5; PMV, 10. Fore and hind coxae distinctly reticulate; mid coxae finely reticulate; hind coxae with tuft of white hairs on the anterior-lateral margin, 1.5x as long as broad; hind femora 3.3x as long as broad; hind tibiae with two unequal spurs. Metasoma: (Image 7) Gaster lanceolate, 1.4x as long as head plus mesosoma combined in profile; in dorsal view 2.9x as long as broad, slightly collapsing dorsally, posterior margin of T1 slightly produced; T2 almost straight, T3-T5 concave; surface of T2 onwards finely transversely striate reticulate; ovipositor sheath slightly protruded; tergites moderately and densely pubescent on dorso-lateral areas; hypopygium reaching middle of T4. Male: (Image 1) Length 2.6mm. Colour metallic greenish-blue. Differs from female in having antennae with two anelli and five long funicular segments with dense pubescence; gaster compressed, with an elongated brownish-yellow spot in the base dorsally and completely yellow ventrally. Remarks: This species is unique in having long slender antennae in both the sexes. In the nature of gaster, forewing venation and general morphology it resembles C. latipes (Rondani) but differs from it in the nature of antennae which are long and slender, combined length of pedicel plus flagellum 1.3x as long as head width, F1 and F2 with five irregular rows of sensillae, other segments with four rows of sensillae, gaster with hind margin of T1 only slightly produced. (in C. latipes, antennae not long and slender combined length of pedicel plus flagellum slightly shorter than head width, F1–F3 with three rows of sensillae and F4 and F5 with two rows of sensillae, hind margin of T1 moderately produced.). It also resembles C. flavida

P.M. Sureshan

Xiao et al. 2003, but differs from it in having antennae inserted above middle of face, funicular segments with more than two rows of sensillae, gaster 2.9–3.1x as long as broad with hind margin of T1 slightly produced, and body metallic blue (in C. flavida, antennae inserted middle of face, each funicular segments with two rows of sensillae, hind margin of T1 moderately produced, body black with metallic gloss).

REFERENCES Blanchard, E.E. (1940). Description de dos Himenópteros (Chalcid.) parasitos de larvas de Strobelia baccharidis Rond. Revista del Museo de La Plata (Nueva Serie) (Zoologia) 2: 95 Bouček, Z. (1988). Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). A biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, U.K., 832pp. Bouček, Z., B.R.S. Rao & S.I. Farooqi (1979). A preliminary review of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera) of India and adjacent countries. Oriental Insects 12(4): 433–467. Delucchi, V. (1956). Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Pteromalidae (Hym., Chalcidoidea). II (Fortsetzung). Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie 39: 229–257. Dzhanokmen, K.A. (1976). New pteromalids (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae) from Kazakhstan and central Asia. Trudy Zoologicheskogo Instituta. Akademiya Nauk SSSR. Leningrad 64: 82–88 Masi, L. (1907). Contribuzioni all conoscenza dei Calcididi Italiani. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della R. Scuola Superiore d’Agricoltura, Portici. 1: 284, 288. Masi, L. (1922). Le specie del genere Dinarmus (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae). Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della R. Scuola Superiore d’Agricoltura, Portici 15 : 268–278 Nikol’skaya, M.N. (1935). Fista’skove semeedy iich parazity (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae). Zashchita Rasteniy, Leningrad 1935(1): 86. Noyes, J.S. (2011). Universal Chalcidoidea database. http://www. nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/ chalcidoids. (accessed in November 2011) Rasplus, J.Y. (1989). Nouvelles espèces afrotropicales de Pteromalidae et notes sur leur biologie (Hymenoptera).Revue Française d’Entomologie (nouvelle série) 11(2): 69–78. Rondani, C. (1874). Nuove osservazioni sugli Insetti fitofagi e sui loro parassiti fatte nel 1873. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 6(2): 130–136. Xiao, H., Y. Chen & D.W. Huang (2003). Taxonomy of the genus Cyrtoptyx Delucchi (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 28(3): 535–537.

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JoTT Note

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Report of two medicinal and aromatic gingers from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India M. Venkat Ramana 1, Johny Kumar Tagore 2 & Avishek Bhattacharjee 3 Botanical Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Haddo, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 744102, India 3 Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, A.J.C.B. Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, West Bengal 711103, India Email: 1 venkat.botany@gmail.com, 2 jktagore@gmail.com, 3 aviorch@gmail.com (corresponding author) 1,2

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the largest archipelago situated 1200km off the southeastern coast of India in the Bay of Bengal stretching from Myanmar in the north to Sumatra in the south. These islands, forming an arc, are situated between 06045’– 13041’N and 92012’–93057’E with a total geographical area of 8,249km2. The islands have developed a luxuriant tropical lowland vegetation, owing to the tropical hot, humid, and wet conditions, facilitating the formation of luxuriant tropical evergreen forests, wetland forests, tidal swamp forests, mangroves and sandy beach vegetation. The phytodiversity of these

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: N.P. Balakrishnan Manuscript details: Ms # o2983 Received 31 October 2011 Final received 06 March 2012 Finally accepted 27 April 2012 Citation: Ramana, M.V., J.K. Tagore & A. Bhattacharjee (2012). Report of two medicinal and aromatic gingers from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2582–2586. Copyright: © M. Venkat Ramana, Johny Kumar Tagore & Avishek Bhattacharjee 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: The authors (MVR & JKT) are grateful to the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, New Delhi, India, for the fellowship under the project entitled ‘Mapping of Plant Resources of Andaman and Nicobar Islands’. They are also thankful to the Project Coordinator, Prof. K.N. Ganeshaiah, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore; Principal Investigator, Dr. M. Sanjappa, former Director, Botanical Survey of India and Dr. P. Singh, Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata for facilities. OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD

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islands is unique and is one of the richest in the country in terms of endemics with a remarkable degree of genetic variations. While working on ‘Quantitative Assessment and Mapping of Plant Resources of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands’, some specimens belonging to the family Zingiberaceae were collected from Mayabundar forest division of North Andaman Islands. On critical study and detailed examination of these specimens, they were identified as Alpinia conchigera Griff. and Etlingera linguiformis (Roxb.) R.M. Sm. Consultation of literature (Srivastava 1998; Sinha 1999; Pandey & Diwakar 2008; Gingers of India 2011) reveals that these two species have not been reported so far from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Therefore, the present finding constitutes a new distributional record of A. conchigera and E. linguiformis for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Alpinia conchigera Griff. in Not. Pl. Asiat. 3: 424. 1851; Baker in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 253. 1893. (Image 1) Rhizomatous herbs, 1–1.5 m tall; rhizomes aromatic; basal portion of aerial stems pinkish. Leaves simple, distichous; lamina oblong to lanceolate, 15–20 × 1–3 cm, obtuse at base, acute to acuminate at apex, dark green above, pale beneath, glabrous on upper and lower surfaces; ligule entire, ca. 5mm long, glabrous; petiole 5–10 mm long. Panicles 1- or 2-branched, 15– 30 cm long; peduncle pubescent with sterile bracts; bracts ca. 5mm long; bracteoles funnel-shaped, 3–4 mm long, obliquely truncate at apex; pedicels ca. 5 mm long. Calyx cupular, 3–4 mm long, 3-cleft at apex, pale green. Corolla tube as long as calyx; lobes 5–8 mm long, central one rounded at apex, pale green. Lateral staminodes quadrate, ca. 1.5mm long, red. Labellum orbicular, concave, ca. 5×5 mm, pale yellow with pinkish and reddish streaks, base with a purple callosity covering corolla throat. Filaments slender, ca. 5mm long, pinkish to yellow. Anther ca. 2mm long. Ovary pyriform, glabrous. Capsule globose, ca. 10mm in dia., with persistent calyx, bluish-black when ripe; seeds 3–5, strongly aromatic. Specimens examined: 28.viii.2011, 12049’40.4”N & 92054’58.9”E, 12m, Karmatang 10, Mayabunder, North Andaman, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India,

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Two gingers from Andaman and Nicobar Islands

M.V. Ramana et al.

Image 1. Alpinia conchigera Griff. A - Habit; B - rhizome; C - Inflorescence; D - flower; E - capsules.

M.V. Ramana & J.K. Tagore 0424 (PBL, CAL) (Image 2). Flowering & Fruiting: Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;October. Habitat: The species was found growing in damp marshy localities along forest edges and water canals in evergreen forests; not common. Distribution: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India (northeastern India and now from Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Local use: Young leaves and shoots are used as leafy vegetables; rhizomes are used as medicine to cure jaundice by the Karen people (of Burmese origin) in the Mayabundar forest range, North Andaman Islands. Active principles: The slender rhizomes of A. conchigera are a stimulating, diaphoretic, and regulatory in uterine haemorrhage and used to treat bronchitis, jaundice, headache, vertigo, metritis (inflammation of the endometrium of the

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Two gingers from Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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Image 2. Herbarium specimen of Alpinia conchigera Griff.

uterus). It is also used externally for treatment of rheumatism and arthritis (Holttum 1950). It showed antimicrobial activities (Wasuwat et al. 1986), and anti-inflamatory activities (Lee et al. 2006). The major components in the essential oil extracted from the rhizomes, according to Sirat et al. (1995), are β-sesquiphellandrene (20.5%), β-bisabolene (12.1%) and 1,8-cineole (11.6%). Anita et al. (2000) reported that the essential oil contains bi-cyclo 4,1,11-trimethyl8-methlene-undec-4-ene and β-bisabolene and Wong et al. (2005) reported the presence of terpenoids with β-bisabolene (28.9%), 1,8-cineole (15.3 %) and β-caryophyllene (10.0%). The rhizomes are also found to be rich in β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, cardamomin, chalconaringenin 2-O-methyl ether, alpinetin and naringenin 5-O-methyle ether (Le et al. 2007). 2584

Etlingera linguiformis (Roxb.) R.M. Sm. in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 43(2): 246. 1986. Alpinia linguiformis Roxb., Fl. Ind. 1: 73. 1820. (Image 3) Rhizomatous perennial herbs, up to 2m tall; rhizomes stoloniferous, strongly aromatic; aerial stems robust, yellowish, shining. Leaves simple, distichous, lamina oblong to lanceolate, 20–35 × 4–6 cm, glabrous, shining above, rounded to acute at base, acute to acuminate at apex; ligules entire, ca. 5mm long, glabrous, ciliate at apex; petioles ca. 2cm long. Spikes few-flowered, arising from rhizomes, oblong, narrowed at both ends, 6–8 cm long, red, flowers arranged in 3–4 concentric circles; peduncles short, 1.5 to 2 cm long, raised above the ground level with sterile bracts; bracts orbicular, concave, ca. 2×2 cm, pinkish green; bracteoles oblong, ca. 3.5×1.5 cm, acute at apex. Calyx tubular, ca. 3cm long, split on one side, 2-toothed at apex. Corolla tube as long as calyx, 3-lobed, lobes shorter than tube. Lateral staminodes absent. Lip oblong, tongue-shaped, ca. 5cm long, bright yellow with reddish tinge, deflexed, folded below the middle, 2-lobed or entire at apex. Stamens as long as style; anthers ca. 8mm long. Ovary oblong, ca. 4mm long, silky hairy, 3-loculed; ovules numerous per locule; style ca. 6cm long; stigma capitate. Specimens examined: 27.viii.2011, 12049’04.9”N & 92055’48.4”E, 30m, Karmatang 11, Mayabunder forest division, North Andaman, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, M.V. Ramana & J.K. Tagore 0402 (PBL, CAL) (Image 4). Flowering & Fruiting: August–November. Habitat: The species was found growing in damp marshy places in forest edges and along water canals in evergreen forests; planted near houses for its aromatic stolons and rhizomes that are used as local medicine; not common. Distribution: India (northeastern India and now from Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Myanmar Local use: The stoloniferous rhizomes give an aroma similar to that of Foeniculum vulgare (Apiaceae). The rhizomes are crushed and the extract, mixed with water, is consumed to treat fever chiefly by the Karen people of the Mayabundar forest range, North Andaman Islands. Active principles: The stoloniferous rhizomes of E. linguiformis are strongly aromatic. Fresh rhizomes contain about 0.4% essential oil with a fennel like smell,

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Two gingers from Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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Image 3. Etlingera linguiformis Roxb. - R.M. Sm. A - Habit; B - Inflorescence; C - Spike; D - Lip.

composed of about 19 components, a few of them are methyl chevicol (49.93%), methyl eugenol (32.3%), β-pinene, asarone, eucalyptol and α-pinene. The fresh leaves contain 0.15% essential oils, composed of about 39 components; a few are eucalyptol (39.69%), β-pinene (13.34%), α-pinene (7.80%), linalool (7.39%), β-elemene, α-selinene, β-terpinyl acetate, α-phellandrene and juniper camphor (MPB 2011).

References Anita, H., A.M. Mustafa & I. Halijah (2000). Studies on

essential oils of Alpinia conchigera Griff. from Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Science 9(1): 1–5. Gingers of India (2011). <http://www.gingersofindia.com>. Online version dated 23 September 2011. Holttum, R.E. (1950). The Zingiberaceae of the Malay Peninsula. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 13: 147. Le, H.T., M.G. Phan & T.S. Phan (2007). Further study on chemical constituents and biological activities of Alpinia conchigera Griff. (Zingiberaceae). Tap Chi Hoa Hoc 45(2): 260–264. Lee, J., S.J. Haeng, M.G. Phan, J. Xuejun, S. Lee, T.S. Phan, D. Lee, Y. Hong, K. Lee & J.L. Jung (2006). Blockade of nuclear factor-κB signalling pathway and anti-inflammatory activity of cardamomin, a chalcone analog from Alpinia conchigera. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental

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Therapeutics 316(1): 271–278. Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh [MPB] (2011). Etlingera linguiformis. <http://www.mpbd.info/plants/etlingeralinguiformis.php>. Online version dated 23 September 2011. Pandey, R.P. & P.G. Diwakar (2008). An Integrated Checklist of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 32(2): 403–500. Sinha, B.K. 1999. Zingiberaceae, pp. 447–449. In: Hajra, P.K. & P.S.N. Rao (eds.). Flora of Great Nicobar Island. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta. Srivastava, S.K (1998). Zingiberaceae in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. Indian Journal of Forestry, Additional Series 10: 1–33. Wasuwat, S., P. Wannissorn, W. Chamchaang, T. Suntorntanasat, P. Soontornsaratune & A. Chotippong (1986). Pharmaceuticals from medicinal plants: Pharmacological study on the antibacterial and antifungal activity of active principles from Alpinia conchigera Griff. Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Bangkok, 19p. Wong, K.C., B.C. Lee, N.F. Lam & P. Ibrahim (2005). Essential oils of the rhizomes of Alpinia conchigera Griff. and Alpinia latilabris Ridl. Flavour and Fragrance Journal 20(4): 431–433.

Image 4. Herbarium specimen of Etlingera linguiformis (Roxb.) R.M. Sm.

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JoTT Note

Rediscovery of Uniyala multibracteata (Gamble) H. Rob & Skvarla (Asteraceae) from the southern Western Ghats, India E.S. Santhosh Kumar 1, P.E. Roy 2, S.M. Shareef 3 & S.S. Usha 4 Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Palode, Karimancode P.O., Thiruvanathapuram District, Kerala 695562, India 4 Department of Botany, S.N. College, Sivagiri-Varkala, Sreenivasapuram P.O., Kerala 695145, India Email: 1 santhoshkumares@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 roytbgri@gmail.com, 3 shariftbgri@rediffmail.com, 4 ushakaimanam@gmail.com 1,2,3

Robinson & Skvarla (2009) established the genus Uniyala, a group of seven shrubby species previously placed in Vernonia, distributed in southern India and Sri Lanka, characterized by four or five costate achenes and blunt sweeping hairs on the style branches. Out of the seven species, Uniyala wightiana (Arn.) H. Rob. & Skvarla is the only species found endemic to Sri Lanka, whereas U. anceps (C.B. Clarke ex Hook.f.) H. Rob. & Skvarla is distributed both in Sri Lanka and southern India. The rest of the five species, viz. U. bourdillonii (Gamble) H. Rob. & Skvarla, U. comorinensis (W. Smith) H. Rob. & Skvarla, U. multibracteata (Gamble) H. Rob. & Skvarla, U ramaswamii (Hutch) H. Rob. & Skvarla and U. salvifolia (Wight) H. Rob & Skvarla are endemic to southern India.

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Uniyala multibracteata was originally described as Vernonia multibracteata by J.S. Gamble in 1920. It was known only by a single collection made by Col. R.H. Beddome from Peermedu of the erstwhile Travancore State. Repeated searches to relocate the species in and around its type locality were futile, hence it was treated as an endangered species (Sasidharan 2004). During a floristic exploration to Bonaccord in the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, U. multibracteata was rediscovered (Image 1). The identity was cross matched with the type material housed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (www.kew.org). It is described and illustrated here (Fig. 1). Uniyala multibracteata (Gamble) H. Rob. & Skvarla, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 122(2): 153. 2009. Vernonia multibracteata Gamble, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1920: 340. 1920 & Fl. Pres. Madras 675. 1921; Uniyal, B.P. in Hajra et al. (eds.) Fl. India 13: 374. 1995; Nayar, M.P. & A.R.K.Sastry (eds.) Red Data Book 1: 90. 1990; Sasidharan, N., Biod. Doc. Kerala. Part 6. Flowering Plants 258. 2004; Nayar T.S.

Citation: Kumar, E.S.S., P.E. Roy, S.M. Shareef & S.S. Usha (2012). Rediscovery of Uniyala multibracteata (Gamble) H. Rob & Skvarla (Asteraceae) from the southern Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2587–2589. Copyright: © E.S. Santhosh Kumar, P.E. Roy, S.M. Shareef & S.S. Usha 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: The authors are grateful to the Director, TBGRI, Thiruvananthapuram for constant encouragement and facilities provided. OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD

Image 1. Uniyala multibracteata (Gamble) H. Rob & Skvarla a - Habit; b & c - Close up of capitula

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2mm

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5mm

2mm

5cm

Figure 1. Uniyala multibracteata (Gamble) H. Rob & Skvarla a - Habit; b - Capitulum; c - Flower; d - Androecium; e - Gynoecium; f - Achene Image 2. Herbarium of Uniyala multibracteata

et al., Fl. Pl. Kerala 125. 2006. (Fig.1. a–c; Fig.2.a–f.) Specimens examined: 28.ii.1991, 1200m, Athirumala, Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India, N. Mohanan 10462 (TBGT); 27.viii.1998, 1400m, ibid, Shaju & Kiran Raj 34769 (TBGT); 30.xii.2009, Merchiston, E.S. Santhosh Kumar & P.E. Roy, 69206 (TBGT) (Image 2). Type: Southern India, Travancore, Peermedu, 1000m, Dec. 1880, Beddome, R.H. s.n. (Digital image, K). Large shrubs or small trees, to 2m high; branchlets thick, white, lanate. Leaves 5–20 x 0.9–5 cm, lanceolate, acuminate at apex, attenuate-decurrent at base, crenulate at margin, densely white tomentose beneath, dark green and rugose above, lateral nerves 10 –18 pairs, parallel and reticulate; petiole 1–2 cm long, thick, white-lanate. Capitula in terminal corymbs, 2–4 together covered with white-lanate tomentose hairs; each 10x10 mm. Flowers 30 or more per capitula, purple; peduncle 2–6 cm long; involucre bracts lanceolate, 1cm long; outer long acuminate, araneous, intermediate almost glabrous; inner smaller, 2588

mucronate. Corolla cylindric, glabrous, to 4mm long; lobes short. Stamens 5; anthers 2.5–3 mm long, sagittate at base, exserted. Pollen grains prolate spheroidal, 39.2– 49 x 39.2–47.6 µm, 3-zonocolporate, aperture circular, porate, exine lophate, 4.2µm thick, surface lacunate, lacuna circular and elongate, supratectate, muri broad, surface spinate, spine to 3.2µm long, blunt at tip. Ovary oblong, 2.7–3 mm long, narrowed at apex, glandular; style 9.5–10 mm long; stigma bifid, puberulent. Achene tetragonous, winged, glabrous, pappus hairs biciliate; outer paleaceous, fimbriate; interior bristles setaceous. Flowering and fruiting: August–March. Distribution: Endemic to the southern Western Ghats, Kerala. REFERENCES Gamble, J.S. (1920). Bulletin of the Miscellaneous Information of Kew. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 340pp. Gamble, J.S. (1921). Flora of the Presidency of Madras,

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Adlard & Sons, London, 675pp. Nayar, M.P. & A.R.K. Sastry (1990). Red Data Book of Indian Plants—Vol. 1. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, 90pp. Nayar, T.S., B. Rasiya, N. Mohanan & G. Raj Kumar (2006). Flowering Plants of Kerala - A Handbook. Tropical Botanic garden and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, 125pp. Robinson, H & J.J. Skvarla (2009). A new genus, Uniyala, from peninsular India and Sri Lanka (Vernonieae: Asteraceae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 122: 150–154. Sasidharan, N. (2004). Biodiversity Documentation of Kerala—Part 6. Flowering Plants, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, 258pp. Uniyal, B.P. (1995). Asteraceae: Vernonieae, pp. 330-394. In: Hajra P.K., R.R. Rao & D.K. Singh (eds.), Flora of India —Vol. 13. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, 412pp.

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JoTT Note

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Range extension of Alysicarpus naikianus Pokle (Fabaceae) in western India S.Y. Chavan 1 & M.M. Sardesai 2 Department of Botany, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431004, India Email: 1 alysicarpus@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 sardesaimm@gmail.com 1,2

and Gujarat. Alysicarpus naikianus Pokle, Reinwardtia 11(4): 285–294. 1999 A. gamblei non Schindl. 1925; sensu Yadav & Sardesai, Fl. Kolhapur District. 135. 2002. Erect, much branched, annual herbs 10–20 cm tall. Stem brown, substriated, sparsely pubescent; branches slender; leaves unifoliolate, glabrous above; sparsely pubescent beneath; stipule broadly triangular

The genus Alysicarpus Desv. (Fabacaeae) is represented by 25–30 species distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the old world (Ohashi et al. 1981) and occurs abundantly in the dry zones of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka states of India, with 15 species and seven varieties (Pokle 1999). Alysicarpus naikianus Pokle is an endemic species described in 1999, and until recently was only known from a few collections from three localities, namely, Appachiwadi, Kakti and Shivaji University Kolhapur campus, Maharashtra (Image 1, Fig. 1). In recent surveys, a number of additional populations were found in western India in addition to the type localities. They are now known to be chiefly distributed along the eastern escarpments of the Western Ghats and the coastal plains of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: M.K. Vasudeva Rao Manuscript details: Ms # o2405 Received 19 February 2010 Final received 17 March 2012 Finally accepted 21 April 2012 Citation: Chavan, S.Y. & M.M. Sardesai (2012). Range extension of Alysicarpus naikianus Pokle (Fabaceae) in western India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2590–2592. Copyright: © S.Y. Chavan & M.M. Sardesai 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: Authors are also thankful V.N. Naik for valuable guidance in preparation of manuscript and to the Head, Department of Botany for providing herbarium facilities and constant encouragement. First author is also thankful to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for financial assistance. OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD

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Range extension of Alysicarpus naikianus

acute, 4.5–5.5 x 2.5–3 mm, glabrescent; stipels absent; lamina variable in shape, usually ovate to obovate, oblong, 6–7 x 5–8 mm, subcordate at base, obtuse. The leaves subtending the inflorescence linear oblong, 8–12 x 3–7 mm. Raceme axillary and terminal, dense 6–10 flowered, peduncle distinct, 1.5–2 cm long, much elongating (2.5–6.5 cm) in fruits. Bracts caduceus broadly ovate, 3.4–4 x 3–3.5 mm, shortly acuminate, glabrous; bracteoles subulate, ca. 2.5–1 mm, obtuse. Calyx glumaceous, forming distinct basal 1–1.5 mm long tube; lobes sub equal lanceolate acute, 3–3.5 mm long, the dorsal two united with a distinct notch at apex, sparsely ciliated. Corolla uniformly pink purple; standard petals broadly ovate, ca. 4 x 3.75 mm, distinctly stalked; wings and the keel petals slightly

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shorter. Pods articulated, 4–6 jointed with 5–7 articles; article subterete, ca. 1.5mm long, faintly reticulated, deep brown at maturity. Seeds subglobose, ca. 1 mm in diameter shining brown. Flowering and Fruiting: August–November. Distribution: India—Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Specimens examined: Nagar Haveli: 03.ix.1963, Jaibi, coll. M.Y. Ansari 93907; 15.xi.1970, Valugaon, coll. M.Y. Ansari 127154. Goa State: 24.x.2008, Panaji District, Mapusa, coll. S.Y. Chavan 091; 08.x.1964, Usgaon, coll. R.S. Raghvan 103397; 27.x.1970, Patrem, coll. N.P. Singh 12510; 08.x.1970, Patrem, coll. N.P. Singh 125132.

^ N

Figure 1. Distribution of Alysicarpus naikianus Pokle in Peninsular India Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | May 2012 | 4(5): 2590–2592

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Gujarat State: 22.ix.2009, Dang District, Saputara, coll. S.Y. Chavan 151. Kerala State: Kannanore District, Kannanore, coll. S.N. Pokle (sine dat.). Karnataka State: 17.x.1995, Belgaum District, Appachiwadi, coll. D.S. Pokle 104B (isotype); 17.ix.1998, Appachiwadi, coll. R.P. Patil 212; 23.viii.2001, Appachiwadi, coll. A.S. Dhabe 997; 23.x.2008, Appachiwadi, coll. S.Y. Chavan 029; 19.ix.1998, Kakti, S.Y. Chavan 223; 13.x.2008, Manmanhara Platue, coll. P.G. Diwakar 184497. Maharashtra State: Amravati District—30.x.1995, Kolkaz, coll. D.S. Pokle A136; 24.x.2008, Kolkaz, S.Y. Chavan 063; Kolhapur District—19.x.1997, Shivaji University Kolhapur campus, coll. Sardesai 2345; 18.ix.1998, Shivaji University Kolhapur campus, coll. R.P. Patil 225; 22.x.2008, Shivaji University Kolhapur campus, coll. S.Y. Chavan 057; 14.ix.2009, Gaibi, coll. S.Y. Chavan 120; Nashik District—20. ix.2009, Anjeneri, coll. S.Y. Chavan 130; 21.ix.2009, Trimbakeshwar, coll. S.Y. Chavan 143; 21.ix.2009, Ambhai, coll. S.Y. Chavan 145; 22.ix.2009, Umrale S.Y. Chavan 148; 23.ix.209, Zari ghat (Suvarna), coll. S.Y. Chavan 149; 23.ix.2009, Tanepada, coll.

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S.Y. Chavan 157; Pune District—30.vii.2009, Silimb, coll. S.Y. Chavan 090; Ratnagiri District—25. ix.2009, Ghotane, coll. S.Y. Chavan 122; Sindhudurg District—18.x.1995, Vengurle, coll. D.S. Pokle A116; 15.ix.2009, Achirne, coll. S.Y. Chavan 123; Thane District—21.ix.2009, Khodala, coll. S.Y. Chavan 134. Ecological note: The species is found along road sides, on grazing grounds, in open, dry and waste places especially in western India along with Alysicarpus bupleurifolius (L.) DC. and A. tetragonolobus Edgew. Previously, it was considered to be a rare and endemic taxon, however, intensive collections clearly indicate that the species is common, widespread and fairly abundant.

REFERENCES Ohashi, H., R.M. Polhill & B.G. Schubert (1981). Desmodieae, pp.292–300. In: Polhill, R,M. & P.H. Raven (eds.). Advances in Legume Systematics. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pokle, D.S. (1999). Novelties in Alysicarpus Desv. (Fabaceae) from India. Reinwardtia 11(4): 285–294.

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JoTT Note

Exormotheca ceylonensis Meijer - a threatened liverwort in India, rediscovered in Palni Hills, Tamil Nadu Afroz Alam 1, Sharad Vats 2 & Kambaska Kumar Behera 3 1,2,3 Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali University, P.O. Banasthali Vidyapith, Tonk, Rajasthan 304022, India Email: 1 afrozalamsafvi@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 vats_sharad@yahoo.co.in, 3 kambaska@yahoo.co.in

Palni Hills, lying between 10012’–10015’N and 77 26’–77033’E, comes under Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu, India, and is a part of the Eastern Ghats. The area shows an altitudinal range of 360–2550 m. It extends in a northeast–southwest streak in the Indian peninsula covering an area of about 75,000km2 with an average width of 200km in the north and 100km in the south. It extends over a length of 1750km between the Mahanadi and Vaigai rivers along the east coast. The Mahanadi basin marks the northern boundary of the Eastern Ghats while the southern edge is the Nilgiri Hills. The weather varies over the range, but much of the plateau receives an average of more than 1500mm of rainfall annually, with not more than four dry months. In the higher areas the mean day temperature in the coolest months is below 170C. 0

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: A.K. Asthana Manuscript details: Ms # o2611 Received 22 October 2010 Finally accepted 18 April 2012 Citation: Alam, A., S. Vats & K.K. Behera (2012). Exormotheca ceylonensis Meijer-A Threatened Liverwort in India, rediscovered in Palni Hills, Tamil Nadu. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2593–2595. Copyright: © Afroz Alam, Sharad Vats and Kambaska Kumar Behera 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: The authors are grateful to Dr. Geeta Asthana, Principal Investigator, D.O.E. sponsored AICOPTAX Project, for providing laboratory facilities. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, New Delhi is also acknowledged for financial support under AICOPTAX project. OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD

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Palni Hills have received insufficient consideration for bryological studies though they provide a favourable environment for the lavish predominance of these little, non-vascular land plants. Many taxa described earlier are stated to be not traceable even in their original locations and our knowledge about the present status of each species is not clearly known. Investigations during last few years on several exhaustive collections and surveys made by the authors and their associates provide the first authentic record of the Exormotheca ceylonensis in Palni Hills. The areas explored include Kodaikanal, Shembaganur, Silver Cascade, Tiger Shola, Palangi, Attuvampatti and Periakulum. During diversity and distributional studies of Indian liverworts, it has come to our notice that Exormotheca ceylonensis in the country have never been reported again since their original discovery (Udar & Chandra 1964), resulting in their assumption as extinct taxa. It was instituted by Meijer (1956) from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and subsequently, from India it was reported by Udar & Chandra (1964) from a confined, small pocket of (Kodaikanal) Palni hills, Tamil Nadu as a new record for India. Later it was also collected from Coonoor (Nilgiri hills) in 1965 (see Udar & Srivastava 1967), since then it has never been reported from any bryogeographical region of India (see Parihar et al., 1994; Udar & Srivastava 1983; Bapna & Kachroo 2000). According to the IUCN threat criteria (see Hallingback et al. 1998) this taxa was assumed as Regionally Extinct (RE) because since the last 40 years it has never been collected from its original localities or anywhere else in India. The European Bryophyte Red List (see Stewart & Vana 1995; Hallingback et al. 1998) defined Extinct taxa as “Taxa for which all known localities have been checked repeatedly in the last 30 years without success”. Recently while examining a collection of the specimens from Palni hills, Tamil Nadu, a few plants answerable to this species were found. The rediscovery of this threatened Asiatic species again registered its presence in the country, but the alarming fact is that the occurrence of species is still confined to small pockets as small populations with a high risk of extinction in the near future because habitat

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Figure 1. Exormotheca ceylonensis Meijer. a–x. a - A Female Plant (Dorsal View); b - Plant (Ventral View); c–e - Ventral Scales; f - Cells of Ventral Scales; g–i - Rhizoids; j Epidermal Pore (Dorsal View); k - V.T.S. of Thallus (Semi-diagrammatic); l - V.T.S. of Thallus (A Magnified Portion); m - Female Receptacle with a Dehisced Capsule; n - T.S. of Female Receptacle; o - T.S. of Seta; p - Capsule Wall; q - Spore (Proximal View); r&s - Spores (Distal View); t–x - Elaters. (Figures Drawn From LWU - 20468/2008).

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Rediscovery of Exormotheca ceylonensis

loss is prevailing at a rapid rate in the region. Many previously known liverworts have not been collected again and are under threat of extinct from the region. Therefore, according to the guidelines of IUCN threat categories of bryophytes, this particular taxon comes in the category of Critically Endangered in the Indian region, unless appropriate conservation action is taken to stop the habitat loss to save the valuable gene pool. It is strongly recommended that the taxon require serious efforts for its conservation and should be kept under the Threatened category. A brief morpho-taxonomy description along with line drawings is given of this threatened taxon. Exormotheca ceylonensis Meijer. Journal of Hattori Botanical Laboratory 16:72 (1956); Udar et Chandra, Current Science 33: 436 f.1–17 (1964) (Fig. 1 a–x). Thallus 6–8 mm long and 2.0–2.5 mm broad, one to two dichotomously branched, dorsal surface with thin mid dorsal streak and polygonal areas. Epidermal pores surrounded by a ring of 6–8 cells. Air chambers in a single row containing simple assimilatory filaments. Midrib prominent, wing abruptly attenuate. Ventral scales simple, un-appendaged, in two rows. Antheridia close behind the female receptacle, embedded in the thallus along the mid dorsal line in 2–3 rows. Ostioles prominent. Monoicous. The female receptacles terminal at the point of dichotomy with 1 (-2) involucres. Two lobes of the thallus continue to grow after the formation of the female receptacles and again bifurcated. Female receptacle stalk smooth, margin undulate with deep rhizoidal furrow. Receptacular scales are of two types - simple and undifferentiated having no pore opening. Sporophyte with almost spherical capsule, short seta and short foot. Capsule wall consist of single row of cells, inner walls having brown semi- annular thickenings bands; dehiscence by 4–5 irregular valves. The spores are areolate, 70–82

A. Alam et al.

µm in diameter. Convex outer face with light brown hollow elevation; 3–5 reticulation across diameter. Elaters simple often branched, usually trispirate rarely tetraspirate. Specimens examined: 29.xii.2008, on the way to Kodaikanal, ca. 1100m, Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, southern India, P.K. Verma & Afroz Alam, 20468, 20470, 20519–21 (LWU). Type: Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Sexuality: Monoicous. Ecology: Terrestrial, grows on moist rocks and soil covered rocks. Range: Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India (see also Meijer 1956). Distribution in India: Southern India: Tamil NaduPalni hills.

REFERENCES Bapna, K.R. & P. Kachroo (2000). Hepaticology in India— Vol. 1 & 2. Himanshu Publ. Delhi, 491pp. Hallingback, T., N. Hodgetts, G. Raeymaekers, R. Schumacker, C. Sergia, L. Soderstrom, N. Stewart & J. Vana (1998). Guidelines for application of the revised IUCN threat categories to bryophytes, Lindbergia 23: 6–12. Meijer, W. (1956). A new species of Exormotheca from Ceylon. Journal of Hattori Botanical Laboratory 16: 72–74. Parihar, N.S., N. Katiyar & B. Lal (1994). Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of India. A new annotated Checklist. Central Book Depot, Allahabad. Udar, R. & V. Chandra (1964). Exormotheca ceylonensis New record from India, Current Science 33: 436–438. Udar, R. & S.C. Srivastava (1967). Sporeling development in the genus Exormotheca. I. E. ceylonensis. Canadian Journal of Botany 46: 1009–1012. Udar, R. & S.C. Srivastava (1983). Rare and endangered liverworts of India, pp. 303–312. In: Jain, S.K. & R.R. Rao (eds.). An Assessment of Threatened Plants of India. Botanical Survey of India (Department of Environment) Botanic Garden, Howrah.

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New records of Tubulifera (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from the state of Karnataka, India Kaomud Tyagi Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India Email: kumud.tyagi5@gmail.com

The family Phlaeothripidae is the sole family of the suborder Tubulifera, the largest family of Thysanoptera. It includes 3500 species reported from all over the world, of which only 10% are recorded from India (Tyagi & Kumar 2011). The family Phaleothripidae is classified into two subfamilies, Phlaeothripinae and Idolothripinae. The members of Phaleothripinae are distinguished from Idolothripinae by the following characters: (a) slender maxillary stylets, (b) presence of pore plate on median sternites in many species, (c) short and stout S2 setae on abdominal tergite IX and (d) the presence of maxillary guides. So far 50 species in 34 genera have been reported from Karnataka (Ananthakrishnan & Sen 1980; Tyagi & Kumar 2011). In surveys for Thysanoptera in different parts of Karnataka, 13 species are being reported here for the first time from Karnataka and they include leaffeeders, flower dwellers, predators, and a few being

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: R. Varatharajan Manuscript details: Ms # o2934 Received 03 September 2011 Final received 28 March 2012 Finally accepted 27 April 2012 Citation: Tyagi, K. (2012). New records of Tubulifera (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from the state of Karnataka, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2596–2602. Copyright: © Kaomud Tyagi 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: Author thanks Dr. J. Poorani for her encouragement and moral support. Financial support for this work was provided by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through ICAR Network Project on Insect Biosystematics. OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD

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gall inducers. Material and Methods: Specimens were preserved in collecting fluid (9 parts 10% alcohol+1 part glacial acetic acid+1 ml Triton X-100 in 1000ml of the mixture). The photographs were taken through an Leica stero zoom Microscope (Leica M 205A) and using Leica software application suite (LAS V3.8). Specimens were mounted in Canada balsam for permanent preservation. The specimens were collected at random, subsequently sorted out and identified with the help of the standard key available for Indian fauna (Ananthakrishnan & Sen 1980). Aleurodothrips fasciapennis Franklin (Image 1) Aleurodothrips fasciapennis Franklin, 1909, Ent. News, 228. Material studied: One male, 14.x.2006, Ficus sp., Udupi, Hullikal Ghat, Karnataka, India; one male, 09.v.2008, Mangifera indica, Hessarghatta, Bengaluru, leg. Kaomud Tyagi; one male, 4.x.2006, ornamental plant, NBAII, Bengaluru, leg. S.K. Rajeshwari; one female, 30.ix.2007, mango galls, Ravi Shankar Farm, Thalghatpura, leg. Ankita Gupta (2011/Thy/ Tub/201, 202, 203, 204-NBAII). Diagnosis: Bicoloured body with banded wings, notopleural sutures absent, pelta divided into three parts and fore femora of male with distinctive tooth. It is a predator of scale insects and immature stages of whitefly (Mound & Marullo 1996). Distribution: India: Karnataka (new record), Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal. Arrhenothrips ramakrishnae Hood (Image 2) Arrhenothrips ramakrishnae Hood, 1919, Insecut. Inscit. Menstr. 99. Material studied: Eight females, one male, three pupae, 25.x.2005, unidentified plant, Hessarghatta, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, leg. Vikas Kumar & Kaomud Tyagi; five females and two males, 17.i.2006, unidentified plant, Nandi Hills, leg. Kaomud Tyagi (2011/Thy/Tub/205 to 222-NBAII). Abbreviations: NBAII - National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore

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Image 2. Arrhenothrips ramakrishnae

Image 1. Aleurothrips fasciapennis

Diagnosis: Dark blackish-brown body, notopleural sutures complete, fore femora broader than head, fore tibia apex with bifid tooth and fore tarsus with well developed tooth. Distribution: India: Karnataka (new record), Tamil Nadu, West Bengal. Bamboosiella varia (Ananthakrishnan & Jagadish) (Image 3) Xenothrips varius Ananthakrishnan & Jagadish, 1969, Zool. 182(1–2): 132. Material studied: One female, 23.iv.2008, Bamboo,

Magadi near to Bengaluru, leg. Kaomud Tyagi, (2011/ Thy/Tub/223-NBAII). Diagnosis: Brown body, postocular setae expanded apically, maxillary stylets short and confined to the mouth cone, pronotal anteromarginals setae well developed and expanded at apex, notopleural sutures complete, fore tarsus with tooth and S1 setae on tergite IX expanded apically and S2 setae pointed. Distribution: India: Karnataka (new record), Kerala, Uttar Pradesh. Byctothrips ayyari Ananthakrishnan (Image 4) Byctothrips ayyari Ananthakrishnan, 1973, Oriental Ins. 7: 540. Material studied: Ten females, 16.ii.2006, Unidentified plant, Malaya Maaruta (20km west

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Images 4. Byctothrips ayyari

Image 3. Bamboosiella varia

from Mudigree), Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India leg. Shivprakash (2011/Thy/Tub/224 to 233-NBAII). Diagnosis: Brown body, prothorax 1.4 times broader than head, notopleural sutures complete, basantral plates absent, fore femora strongly enlarged, fore tibia very short and with tooth at apex and fore tarsus with tooth in both sexes. Distribution: India: Karnataka (new record), Tamil Nadu. Dixothrips onerosus Ananthakrishnan (Image 5) Dixothrips onerosus Ananthakrishnan, 1969, Oriental Ins. 3: 294. Material studied: 10 females, 08.vi.2010, galls of Terminalia chebula, Savandurga, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, leg. Umeshkumar (2011/Thy/ Tub/234 to 243-NBAII). 2598

Diagnosis: Body brown, notopleural sutures complete, basal wing setae (S1, S2 and S3) of fore wing arranged peculiarly, S2 setae just below the S1 setae, antennal segments globular and tube much longer than head. Distribution: India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka (new record), Kerala. Dolichothrips citripes (Bagnall) Neoheegeria citripes Bagnall, 1921, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (9)7: 360–361. Material studied: One female and two males, 17.ix.2009, Abutilon, Kolar, Karnataka, India, leg. Kaomud Tyagi (2011/Thy/Tub/244, 245, 246-NBAII). Diagnosis: Brown body, pronotal anteroangular setae close to anteromarginal setae and midlateral setae much smaller than other major setae and presence of 3 pairs of sigmoid setae on tergite II to VII. Distribution: India: Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Karnataka (new record), Orissa.

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New records of Tubulifera

K. Tyagi

Image 5. Dixothrips onerosus

Ecacanthothrips tibialis Bagnall Ecacanthothrips tibialis Bagnall, 1909, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. 52: 348. Material studied: Three females and three males, 06.viii.2010, dry twigs of coconut, Shettahalli, Tumkur, Karnataka, India; one female and two males, 12.viii.2009, dead branches, Tumkur; one male, 22.vi.2010, Artocarpus altilis, Somnathanahalli, Bengaluru, leg. Kaomud Tyagi (2011/Thy/ Tub/256 to 265-NBAII). Diagnosis: Antennal segment III with 10 sense cones, pelta triangular, mid and hind femur with three stout capitates setae on anterior margin and fore femora of male with a pair of apical tubercle. Distribution: India: Assam, Karnataka (new record), Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, deposited in NBAII, Bangalore, Karnataka. Gynaikothrips bengalensis Ananthakrishnan (Image 6) Gynaikothrips bengalensis Ananthakrishnan, 1973, Oriental Ins. 7: 543. Material studied: 13 females and four males, 11.viii.2008, galls of Ficus benjamina, Bengaluru,

Image 6. Gynaikothrips bengalensis

Karnataka, India, leg. Sunil Joshi; six females, January 2008, galls of unidentified plant; four females and one male, 21.ix.2010, galls of Ficus sp., Rajunukunte, leg. Kaomud Tyagi (2011/Thy/Tub/266 to 293-NBAII). Diagnosis: Pronotum with twisted striae, all dorsal prothoracic setae well developed, head with two pairs of postocular setae, outer pair longer than inner; mouthcone broadly rounded, fore tarsus with tooth in both sexes, S1 and S2 setae on tergite IX pointed apically and tube longer than head. Distribution: India: Karnataka (new record), Manipur, Nagaland, West Bengal. Gynaikothrips uzeli (Zimmerman) (Image 7) Mesothrips uzeli Zimmerman, 1900, Bull. Inst. Bot. Buit. 7: 12. Material studied: Four females, 15.vi.2010, galls of Ficus retusa, Devarayanadurga, Tumkur, Karnataka, India, leg. Kaomud Tyagi (2011/Thy/ Tub/294 to 297-NBAII).

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Image 7. Gynaikothrips uzeli

Diagnosis: Pronotum with twisted striae, pronotal anteroangulars and anteromarginals subequal and short as also midlaterals and posteroangulars, only epimeral setae long and well developed, head with two pairs of postocular setae, mouthcone broadly rounded, fore tarsus with tooth in both sexes, S1 and S2 setae on tergite IX pointed apically and tube longer than head. Distribution: India: Assam, Karnataka (new record), Orissa, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal. Karnyothrips flavipes (Jones) (Image 8) Anthothrips flavipes Jones, 1912, U.S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent., Tech Ser. 23(1): 18–19. Material studied: One female, 31.x.2005, vitex negundo, IIHR, Hessarghatta, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India; one female, 06.vi.2006, mixed vegetation; one female, 02.v.2006, Premna obtusifolia, leg. Kaomud Tyagi (2011/Thy/Tub/298,299, 300-NBAII). Diagnosis: Body dark blackish-brown, segment III with two and IV with four sense cones, postocular setae expanded at apex, pronotal anteromarginals vestigial, other prothoracic setae well developed and dilated at apex and S1 setae on tergite IX expanded at apex. 2600

Image 8. Karnyothrips flavipes

Distribution: India: Karnataka (new record). Karnyothrips melaleucus (Bagnall) (Image 9) Hindsiana melaleucus Bagnall, 1911, Ent. Mag. 47: 61. Material studied: 15 females, 03.xii.2006, Hibiscus, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India; 11 females, 06.v.2008, grass clumps, Hessarghatta; two females, 23.iv.2008, Bamboo, Magadi; two females, 20.i.2010, grass clumps, Haroanhalli; one female, 23.iv.2010, dry twigs, GKVK; four females, 14.viii.2006, grass, Bannerghatta, leg. Kaomud Tyagi; one female 15.xii.2006, Hosakote, leg. Ankita Gupta (2011/Thy/ Tub/301 to 336-NBAII). Diagnosis: Body bicoloured, segment III with two and IV with three sense cones, postocular setae expanded at apex, pronotal anteromarginals vestigial,

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New records of Tubulifera

K. Tyagi © Kaomud Tyagi

Image 9. Karnyothrips melaleucus

Image 10. Mallothrips indica

other prothoracic setae well developed and dilated at apex and S1 setae on tergite IX pointed or blunt at apex. Distribution: India: Assam, Karnataka (new record), Kerala, Tamil Nadu.

Xylaplothrips ligs Ananthkrishnan & Jagadish Xylaplothrips ligs Ananthakrishnan & Jagadish, 1971, Zoo. Anz. 186: 261–263. Material studied: One female, 13.vi.2006, Tegetes erecta, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, leg. Kaomud Tyagi (2011/Thy/Tub/346-NBAII). Diagnosis: Body brown, maxillary stylets retracted far into the head, wide apart; maxillary bridge present, antennal segment III with one and IV with three sense cones and S1 and S2 setae pointed apically. Distribution: India: Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka (new record)

Mallothrips indica Ramakrishna (Image 10) Mallothrips indica Ramakrishna, 1928, Mem. Dept. Agr. India, Ent. Ser. 10(7): 308. Material studied: Nine females, 09.viii.2007, Syzium cumini, Thalghatpura, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, leg. Ankita Gupta (2011/Thy/ Tub/337 to 345-NBAII). Diagnosis: Brown body, maxillary stylets close together in the middle of head, maxillary bridge present, broad, segment III with two and IV with four sense cones, all dorsal prothoracic setae well developed and expanded at apex and S1 and S2 setae on tergite IX pointed. Distribution: India: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka (Bangalore, new record).

References Ananthakrishnan, T.N. (1969). Mycophagous ThysanopteraII. Oriental Insects 3: 289–299. Ananthakrishnan, T.N. (1973). Further studies on Indian Gall Thrips III. Oriental Insects 7: 539–546. Ananthakrishnan, T.N. & A. Jagadish (1969). Studies on the species of Xylaplothrips Priesner from India. Zoologischer Anzieger 182(1–2): 121–133. Ananthakrishnan, T.N. & A. Jagadish (1971). Further studies

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on the mycophagous species of Xylaplothrips Priesner. Zoologischer Anzieger 186: 259–267. Ananthakrishnan, T. N. & S. Sen (1980). Taxonomy of Indian Thysaoptera—Volume 1. Handbook Series. Zoological Survey of India, 234pp. Bagnall, R.S. (1909). Synonymical notes; with a description of a new genus of Thysanoptera. Annals de la Societe entomologique de Belge 52: 348–352. Bagnall, R.S. (1911). Descriptions of three new Scandinavian Thysanoptera (Tubulifera). Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 47: 60–63. Bagnall, R.S. (1921). Brief descriptions of new Thysanoptera. XI. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (9)7: 355– 368. Franklin, H.J. (1909). On Thysanoptera. Entomological News 20: 228–231. Hood, J.D. (1919). One some new Thysanoptera from Southern

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India. Insecutor Inscitiae. Menstruus 7: 90–103. Jones, P.R. (1912). Some new California and Georgia Thysanoptera. Technical series USDA Bureau of Entomology 23(1): 1–24. Mound, L.A. & R. Marullo (1996). The thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction. Memoirs on Entomology, International 6: 1–488. Ramakrishna, T.V. (1928). A contribution to our knowledge of the Thysanoptera of India. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India, Entomology Series 7: 217–316. Tyagi, K. & V. Kumar (2011). The Indian species of Liophloeothrips Priesner (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) with one new species. Zootaxa 2803: 21–31. Zimmermann, A. (1900). Über einige javanische Thysanopteren. Bulletin de l’Insitut Botanique de Buitenzorg. Java 7: 6–19.

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JoTT Note

Synanthropic acarine population associated with bird nests Sudipta Chaudhury 1, Salil K. Gupta 2 & Goutam K. Saha 3 Entomology & Wildlife Biology Research Laboratory, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygaunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019, India 3 Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019, India Email: 1 chaudhurysudipta1@gmail.com, 2 salil_zsidumdum@ yahoo.com, 3 gkszoo@gmail.com (corresponding author) 1,2

Birds nests harbour a complex community of parasitic, predatory and saprophagous mite fauna which vary with the bird species and the nesting materials used by them. They feed on unfeathered nestlings, as well as on adult birds, fungal spores or hyphae growing on the putrefied faecal matters of the birds (Bhattacharyya 1988a). Large amounts of nesting materials including food, collected and consumed by birds provide the mites with an ideal environment in which they thrive well. Bird mites are an important cause of ill health in their hosts and their infestations result in decreased egg production, weakness, and susceptibility to infection. The damage is direct when they occur in large numbers, producing deplumation and lesions, tumors, scaly legs, pneumonia, lameness, anaemia and even death (Zumpt 1961). Besides, they also act as vectors of several pathogens such as bacteria,

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: A.K. Sanyal Manuscript details: Ms # o2817 Received 31 May 2011 Final received 08 March 2012 Finally accepted 04 April 2012 Citation: Chaudhury, S., S.K. Gupta & G.K. Saha (2012). Synanthropic acarine population associated with bird nests. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2603–2608. Copyright: © Sudipta Chaudhury, Salil K. Gupta & Goutam K. Saha 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: The authors are grateful to the Head of the department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, for providing laboratory facilities. OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD

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virus, protozoans, hepatozoan, spirochaetes, toxoplasma and rickettetsial organisms (Yunker 1973; Moro et al. 2007). So far as bird nest mites are concerned, substantial studies have been made by several workers throughout the world (Dobroscky 1925; Jellison & Philip 1933; Moreau 1942; Hicks 1953; Atyeo 1971; Delfinado 1976; Baker et al. 1976; Phillips et al. 1976; Philips et al. 1989; Morsy et al. 1999; Bochkov & Apanaskevich 2001; Shoker et al. 2001; Bochkov et al. 2004; Skoracki 2005; Skoracki et al. 2006; Bloszzyk et al. 2006; Mironov & Gonzalez-Acuna 2009). In India, several workers like Alwar & Lalitha (1961), Alwar (1970), Rao & Rajagopalon (1970), Hedge et al. (1972), Lalitha & Alwar (1973) and Gupta & Chattopadhyay (1979) have made valuable contributions to the arthropod fauna of the nests of some common birds. Bhattarchayya (1988a, 1988b, 1990, 1995a, 1995b) through a series of published works explored the acarine fauna of bird nests in West Bengal. Besides, Putatunda et al. (1989) and Gupta & Paul (1985, 1986, 1989, 1992) contributed immensely in the exploration of mite fauna from bird nests in West Bengal. In a recent publication, Chaudhury et al. (2005) repoted 18 species of bird nest mites belonging to 13 genera, nine families and three orders from Kolkata metropolis. Materials and Methods: Thirty two different nests of birds, five each of Pigeon (Columba sp.), Crow (Corvus sp.), Sparrow (Passer sp.), Indian Tailor Bird (Orthotomus sutorius) and Weaver Bird (Ploceus manyar flaviceps) and seven of Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sp.) constructed within houses, varandah etc. were brought to the laboratory and were subjected to heat treatment in Tullgren Funnel apparatus using a 40w electric bulb as heat and light source. The mites were collected in the collecting vial containing 70% alcohol fitted with the stem of the funnel. The common nest building materials are plants, roots, barks, twigs, stems, leaves, straw, dry grass, garbage, slough, shells, cotton threads, strings, iron wires, feathers, cotton, jute fibres, fungus, tree fibres, various types of seeds, pollen, grains, partly eaten fruits etc. Temporary mounting of collected mite specimen was done in lactic acid on micro slides covered with a broken piece of cover slip and then heated gently over an electric bulb (40w) for cleaning and stretching of

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appendages. Permanent slides of mite species appearing as new or interesting were prepared as follows. The desired specimen was removed from the temporary mounted slides by flooding the slide with large quantities of lactic acid and the cover was carefully removed under a stereo-microscope. The desired specimen was carefully lifted with the help of a fine tipped camel hair brush and placed on a fresh slide and mounted using Heinzeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medium (Evans & Till 1979). Taxonomic identification was done following the classification of Hughes (1976) and Krantz (1978) and in consultation with the available literature under a good research microscope and wherever necessary, illustrations of body parts of taxonomic importance were prepared. Results: So far as thirty two bird nest samples were concerned, a total of 31 species, under 23 genera 12 families and three orders were identified (Table 1). Among these, Lasioseius americanus, L. ometus, L. berlesei, Macrocheles indicus, Fuscuropoda marginata, Uroseius sp., Leiodinychus krameri, Pronematus elongatus, Tydeus cumini were reported for the first time in India from bird nests. Glycyphagus domesticus was the most predominant one. 1. Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) Collection records: 07.iv.2006, numerous of both sexes, Sparrow nest, Salt Lake, Kolkata District, West Bengal, India. 04.ix.2006, two females, West Bengal, North 24 Parganas, Bithary village, ex. Weaver Bird nest. Remarks: In some samples, it was found to be present in astronomical numbers. It is a fungivorous mite and commonly known as mould mite. 2. Suidasia medanensis Oudemans Collection records: 08.x.2003, two males, ex. Indian Tailor Bird nest, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. Remarks: This is a common pest species of stored products. In bird nests it feeds on fungus. 3. Glycyphagus domesticus (De Geer) Collection records: 12.vii.2005, four females and three males, ex. Sparrow nest, Salt Lake, Kolkata District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: Most predominant mite species in bird nests and generally feed on fungus available abundantly in nests. 4. Glycyphagus ornatus Kramer Collection records: 04.x.2010, two males, ex. 2604

Weaver Bird nest, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Remarks: It has a wide variety of habitats. In stored product samples it is predominant along with Tyrophagus putrescentiae. 5. Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank) Collection records: 14.iv.2006, two males, ex. Crow nest, Salt Lake, Kolkata District, India. Remarks: It is known as fodder mite. It feeds on fungus in bird nests. 6. Austroglycyphagus geniculatus Vitzthum Collection records: 03.iv.2006, two males and two females, ex. Red-vented Bulbul nest, Serampur, Hoogly District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: Feeds on fungi. 7. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Troussart) Collection records: 09.v.2006, two males and one female, ex. Weaver Bird nest, Bithary Village, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Remarks: Saprophagous mite. 8. Melichares sp. Collection records: 03.v.2003, one nymph, ex. Sparrow nest, Bithary Village, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. Remarks: Predatory mite, found in association with hymenopterous insects inside bird nests. 9. Lasioseius mcgregori Chant Collection records: 08.iv.2006, three females, ex. Indian Tailor Bird nest, Thakur Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. Remarks: The occurrence of this mite was earlier not known in India from bird nests as well as from cowsheds. It acts as the main predator on Acarid mites. 10. Lasioseius americanus Chant Collection records: 06.iv.2006, two females, ex. Indian Tailor Bird nest, Bithary Village, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It was reported for the first time in India from bird nests. 11. Lasioseius ometus Oudemans Collection records: 06.vii.3003, two females, ex. Weaver Bird nest, Burdwan, Burdwan District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It is reported for the first time in India from bird nests. 12. Lasioseius berlesei Oudemans Collection records: 06.iv.2006, two females, ex.

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Table 1. List of acarine fauna collected from bird nests Name of species

Pigeon

Crow

Sparrow

Indian Tailor Bird

Weaver Bird

Asiatic Bulbul

Astigmata Canestrini Acaridae Ewing and Nesbitt Suidasia medanensis Oudemans

Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank)

Pyroglyphidae Cunliffe Dermatophagoides farinae (Trouessart)

Glycyphagidae Oudemans Glycyphagus ornatus Kramer

Glycyphagus domesticus De Geer

Austroglycyphagus geniculatus Vitzthum

Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank)

Mesostigmata Canestrini Ascidae Voigts and Oudemans Melichares sp.

Antennoseius deyi Bhattacharyya

Antennoseius sp.

Lasioseius mcgregori Chant

Lasioseius americanus Chant

Lasioseius ometus Chant

Lasioseius berlesei Chant

Macrochelidae Vitzthum Macrocheles indicus Bhattacharyya

Laelapidae Berlese Hypoaspis vacua (Michael)

Ololaelaps veneta (Berlese)

Laelaps sp.

Pseudolaelaps splendens

Uropodidae Zirngiebl-Nicol Fuscuropoda marginata (Koch)

+ +

Uroseius Leiodinychus krameri (G and R Canestrini)

Prostigmata Tydeidae Kramer Pronematus elongatus Baker

Pronematus sp.

Tydeus cumini Gupta

Stigmaeidae Oudemans Cheylostigmaeus sp.

Cheyletidae Leach Cheyletus malaccensis oudemans Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank)

+ +

Acaropsia sollers kuzin

Cunaxidae Sig Thor Cunaxa womersleyi Baker and Hoffmann

Syringophilidae Lavoipierre Syringophilus sp.

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Indian Tailor Bird nest, Bithary Village, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It was reported for the first time in India from bird nests. 13. Macrocheles indicus Bhattacharyya Collection records: 06.ix.2003, two females, ex. Sparrow nest, Bithary Village, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It is a phoretic mite. Ornamentation is a characteristic of the species. It belongs to the glaber group, but dorsal chaetotaxy is different from those of other species of the glaber group. 14. Antennoseius deyi Bhattacharyya Collection Records: 06.iv.2006, two females, ex. Weaver Bird nest, Narayanpur Village, Tarakeswar, Hoogly District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It was found in soil under grass or moss or in bird nests. 15. Antennoseius sp. Collection records: 06.iv.2006, one nymph, ex. Weaver Bird nest, Narayanpur Village, Tarakeswar, Hoogly District, West Bengal, India. Further identification upto species level was not possible because of its nyphal condition. Remarks: Predatory mite. 16. Laelaps sp. Collection records: 24.iv.2006, one male, ex. Indian Tailor Bird nest, Bithary Village, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. In the present study no adult female specimen was available. So further identification up to species level was not possible. Remarks: Ectoparasitic of rodents and birds. 17. Ololaelaps veneta (Berlese) Collection records: 06.vii.2006, two females, ex. Sparrow nest, Salt Lake, Kolkata District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It is a parasitic mite. 18. Hypoaspis vacua (Michael) Collection records: 23.viii.2006, two females, ex. Weaver Bird nest, Burdwan, Burdwan District, West Bengal, India. 05.viii.2005, one male and one female, ex. Passer nest, Salt Lake, Kolkata District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: This parasitic mite has a wide variety of habitats including bird nests, ants nests, moss on tree stumps, cowsheds etc. 19. Pseudolaelaps splendens Chaudhury et al. Collection records: 20.vi.2006, one female, ex. 2606

Indian Tailor Bird nest, Salt Lake, Kolkata District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It was reported for the first time from Indian bird nests samples. 20. Fuscuropoda marginata (Koch) Collection Records: 12.xi.2005, one female, ex. Pigeon nest, Thakur Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. Remarks: F. marginata is a scavenger, but it also feeds on fungal hyphae and spores and attacks nematodes, fly larvae, and the immature stages of various mites like Caloglyphus mycophagus, which are abundantly present in bird nests. This species is reported for the first time in India from bird nest samples. 21. Uroseius sp. Collection records: 12.viii.2005, one larva, not identified up to species level, ex. Indian Tailor Bird nest, Kartikpur Village, North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It is mainly mycophagous mite. It is recorded for the first time from Indian bird nests samples. 22. Leiodinychus krameri (G. and R Canestrini) Collection records: 12.vi.2005, two females, ex. Asiatic Bulbul nest, Habra, North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: Predatory mite, It was reported for the first time from Indian bird nests samples. 23. Pronematus sp. Collection records: 28.vi.2003, two females, ex. Asiatic Bulbul nests, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: Predatory mite, mostly feeding upon eggs of phytophagous mites. 24. Pronematus elongatus Baker Collection records: 25.vi.2003, four females, ex. Asiatic Bulbul nests, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: Predatory mite, mostly feeding upon eggs of phytophagous mites. 25. Tydeus cumini Gupta Collection Records: 14.vii.2003, two females, Pigeon nest, Hoogly District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: Predator of some phytophagous mite. 26. Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank) Collection records: 08.v.2003, one female and one male, ex. Pigeon nest, Salt Lake, Kolkata District,

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Bird nest mites

West Bengal, India. Remarks: This is a good predatory mite, generally feeds upon Acarids, Glycyphagids and phytophagous mites. 27. Cheyletus malaccensis Oudemans Collection Records: 25.iii.2006, three females and two males, ex. Crow nest, Nager Bazar, Dum Dum, West Benglal, India. Remarks: This is a good predator in house dusts, bird nests, stored products and also in roof garden plants. 28. Acaropsis sollers Rohdendorf Collection Records: 06.iv.2006, two females, ex. Weaver Bird nest, Burdwan, Burdwan District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: This is a predatory mite, feeds upon Acarid mites and their eggs. 29. Cunaxa womersleyi Baker and Hoffmann Collection records: 04.v.2003, three females, ex. Asiatic Bulbul nest, Serampur, Hoogly District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: It is a predatory mite of psoccids insects, found abundantly in bird nests. 30. Cheylostigmaeus sp. Collection records: 23.ix.2004, two females, ex. Weaver Bird nest, Swarup Nagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. Remarks: The damaged condition of those two specimens made it difficult to identify up to species level. 31. Syringophilus sp. Collection records: 31.i.2004, one female, unidentified up to species level due to damaged condition, ex. Asiatic Bulbul nest, Ballygunge, Kolkata District, West Bengal, India. Remarks: The damaged condition of the specimen made it difficult to determine up to species level. It is a phytophagous mite. It is commonly known as quill mite. Discussion: Among the 31 species recorded from bird nests, during the course of the present study, the occurrence of Suidasia medanensis, Cunaxa womersleyi, Pronematus elongatus, Lasioseius mcgregori, L. ometus, L. americanus and Macrocheles indicus were earlier not known from bird nests in India. Nest dwelling mites, reported in this study were of parasitic, predarory, saprophagous, fungivorous or phoretic in nature. Bird nests mites parasitize a wide

S. Chaudhury et al.

variety of domestic and wild birds, including poultry, pigeons, starlings, sparrows, crows, Ploceus sp., bulbul (Pycnonotus sp.), Orthonotus sutorius and robins. The occurrence of Macrochelidae in the nest could be explained by the fact that these mites entered into the nests through flies, on whose body the Macrochelids attached themselves for dispersal. Mites of the family Ascidae were dominant. The other families of mites like Tydeidae, Cunaxidae, Cheyletidae, Stigmaeidae, Ascidae which were common predators of Psoccids insects and mites, were available abundantly in the nests. The sole species of Laelapidae occurring in a nest was an ectoparasitic species and got detached from the bird’s body while fluttering the wings. Only three specimens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus of family Pyroglyphidae were found. This might be an incidental occurrence because where they normally occur, they are usually represented by many specimens. Mites of family Glycyphagidae and Acaridae were fungus feeders. The number of species of different orders as was seen in this study was Astigmata (7 spp.), Prostigmata (9 spp.) and Mesostigmata (15 spp.) indicating the dominance of Mesostigmata in the habitat. REFERENCES Alwar, V.S. (1970). Feather mites of poultry in India. Ceylon Veterinary Journal 18: 61–65. Alwar, V.S. & C.M. Lalitha (1961). A note on the occurrence of the mite Dermatophagoides sp. in domestic animals. Indian Veterinary Journal 38: 36–38. Atyeo, W.T. (1971). New genera of analogoid feather mites. Journal of Kansas Entomological Society 44: 75–80. Baker, E.W., M.D. Delfinado & M.J. Abbatiello (1976). Terrestrial mites of New York. II. Mites in birds’ nests (Acarina). Journal of New York Entomological Society 84: 48–66. Bhattacharyya, S. (1988a). Mites occurring in the nests of three economically important birds in West Bengal. Environment and Ecology 6: 690–693. Bhattacharyya, S. (1988b). Bird nests and their insect fauna in West Bengal. Environment and Ecology 6(3): 585–588. Bhattacharyya, S. (1990). Factors controlling the growth of arthropod fauna in the nests of birds. Environment and Ecology 13(2): 626–629. Bhattacharyya, S. (1995a). Survey of nest associated Acarine fauna in West Bengal. Environment and Ecology 13(3): 547–564. Bhattarcharyya, S. (1995b). Survey of ectoparasites of some

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birds in West Bengal with notes on their food habits and their relation with the nest fauna. Environment and Ecology 13(3): 604–610. Bloszzyk, J., D. Bajerlein, D.J. Gwiazdowicz, R.B. Halliday & M. Dylewska (2006). Uropodine mite communities (Acari: Mesostigmata). Belgium Journal of Zoology 136(2): 145–153. Bochkov, A.V. & D. Apanaskevich (2001). Two new species of the family Syringophilidae (Acari : Cheyletoidea) from passeriform birds collected in the Altai. Folia Parasitology 48: 321–325. Bochkov, A.V., A. Fain & M. Skoracki (2004). New Quill Mites of the Family Syringophilidae (Acari: Cheyletoidea). Systematic Parasitology 57(2): 135–150. Chaudhury, S., I. Roy, S. Podder, S.K. Gupta & G.K. Saha (2005). Diversity of synanthropic mites of Kolkata metropolis and its adjoining areas. Records of Zoological Survey of India 104(3–4): 153. Delfinado, M.D. (1976). Terrestrial mites of New York. V. Tarsonemidae. Journal of New York Entomological Society 84: 255–274. Dobroscky, I.D. (1925). External parasites of birds and the fauna of bird’s nests. Biological Bulletin Marine Biological Laboratory 48: 274–281. Evans, G.O. & W.M. Till (1979). Mesostigmatid mites of Britain and Ireland. (Chelicerata : Acari-Parasitiformes). An introduction to their external morphology and classification. Transactions Zoological Society of London 35: 139–270. Gupta, S.K. & S. Chattopadhyay (1979). Studies on Acari associated with birds nests of West Bengal, India. Indian Journal of Acarology 3:77–86. Gupta, S.K. & K. Paul (1985). Some mites associated with birds nests in West Bengal, with description of eleven new species. Bulletin of Zoological Survey of India 7: 1–23. Gupta, S.K. & K. Paul (1986). Studies on acarines inhabiting bird nests in India. VII International Congress of Acarology (Abst.), 59–60pp. Gupta, S.K. & K. Paul (1989). Nest associated acarines of birds in India. Progress in Acarology 2: 315–321. Gupta, S.K. & K. Paul (1992). Nest associated acarines of India with descriptions of seven new species and notes on other arthropod associates. Entomon 17: 71–76. Hedge, K.S., S.A. Rahman, G.R. Rajasekariah & R.N.S. Gowda (1972). Effect of Sumithion on external parasites of domestic animals, Mysore. Journal of Agricultural Science 6: 155–157. Hicks, E.A. (1953). Observation on insect fauna of bird’s nest. Journal of Kansas Entomological Society 26: 11–18. Hughes, A.M. (1976). The Mites of Stored Food and Houses. Technical bulletin. No.9. Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. London, 400pp. Jellison, W.L. & C.B. Philip (1933). Fauna of nests of the magpie and crow in Western Montana. Canadian Entomologist 65: 26–31.

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Krantz, G.W. (1978). A Manual of Acarology—Second Edition. Oregon State University Book Stores, Inc. Corvallis, Oregon, 509pp. Lalitha, C.M. & V.S. Alwar (1973). Feather mites from the Common House Sparrow (Passer domesticus domesticus L.) in Madras. Indian Veterinary Journal 50(9): 944–945. Mironov, S.V. & D.A. González-Acuña (2009). Two new species of the feather mite subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from suboscine birds (Aves: Passeriformes) in Chile. Acarina 17(2): 189–199. Moreau, R.E. (1942). The nesting association of African birds with other living things. Auk 84: 240–263. Moro, V., C. Chauve & L. Zenner (2007). Vector mite experimental infection of Salmonella Enteritidis by the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae. Veterinary Parasitology 146(3–4): 329–336. Morsy, T.A., S.A. Mazyad & M.S. Younis (1999). Feather and nest mites of two common resident birds in two ecologically different Egyptian governorates. Journal of Egyptian Society Parasitology 29(2): 417–430. Phillips, W.A., H.L. Cromroy & A.H. Denmark (1976). New host and distribution records for the mite genera Dermanyssus, Ornithonyssus and Pellonyssus (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapoidea) in Florida. The Florida Entomologist 59(1): 89–92. Philips, J.R., A. Poole & D. Holt (1989). Nest mites of ospreys and short eared owls in Massachusetts salt marshes, U.S.A. Progress in Acarology 2: 305–308. Putatunda, B.N., S.K. Gupta & J. Singh (1989). Acarine associates of birds in West Bengal, India. Progress in Acarology 2: 309–313. Rao, T.R. & P.K. Rajagopalon (1970). Arthropod fauna of the nests of some common birds in Poona, India, with special references to blood sucking forms. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 67: 414–429. Shoker, N.I., N.G. Tawfek, M.H. Ibrahim & E.S. Osman (2001). Mites associated with some birds in El-Minia Governorate, Upper Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Biology 3(2): 100–102. Skoracki, M. (2005). A new genus and species of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) from a king bird-of-paradise Cicinnurus regius (L.) Systematic Parasitology 60(2): 155– 158. Skoracki, M., J. Dabert & R. Schmaschke (2006). Observations on the quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) from charadriiform birds. Zootaxa 1156: 51–64. Yunker, C.E. (1973). Mites pp. 425–492. In: Flynn, R.J. (ed.). Parasites of Laboratory Animals. Lowa State Univ. Press, Ames. Zumpt, F. (1961). The arthropod parasites of vertebrates in Africa, south of the Sahara (Ethiopian region). South African Institute of Medical Research 1: 1–457.

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JoTT Note

Occurrence of Mesostoma tetragonum (Müller) (Turbellaria) in the Deepar wetlands of Assam, India Girindra Kalita 1 & M.M. Goswami 2 Associate Professor, Department of Zoology, Guwahati College, Guwahati, Assam 781021, India 2 Professor, Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam 781014, India Email: 1 girin_05@yahoo.co.in (corresponding author), 2 mrigen_goswami@rediffmail.com 1

The class Turbellaria of the Phylum Platyhelminthes includes free living members of the aquatic worm group (Edmondson 1959). They have a dorso-ventrally flattened body and generally bear eyes with the exception of a few species like Vauclusia conica, Kymocarens tibialis and some cave - dwelling species (Edmondson 1959; Willems et al. 2005). The freshwater turbellarians are slow moving organisms found crawling on submerged vegetation. They generally bear rod shaped bodies known as rhabdoids. All the freshwater turbellarians are more or less elongated, flat and sometimes spindle-shaped animals. They are commonly distributed in diverse freshwater habitats like ponds, lakes, marshes and springs (Edmondson 1959; Tonapi 1980). Since they

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: S.N. Ramanujam Manuscript details: Ms # o2640 Received 06 December 2010 Final received 25 December 2011 Finally accepted 07 March 2012 Citation: Kalita, G. & M.M. Goswami (2012). Occurrence of Mesostoma tetragonum (Müller) (Turbellaria) in the Deepar wetlands of Assam, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2609–2613. Copyright: © Girindra Kalita & M.M. Goswami 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: Authors acknowledges Dr. Eillen Harris of Parasitic Worm Group, Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London and to Dr. Wim Willems of Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden for their prompt responses in worthy personal communications in respect of confirmation of identification of the fauna. OPEN ACCESS | FREE DOWNLOAD

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prey upon numerous dipteran larvae including mosquitoes, they have great economic importance (Ali & Mulla 1983). Freshwater turbellarians in India are exiguously known. However, a few stray references can be cited from the publications of Annandale (1912), Kapadia (1947) and Basil & Fernando (1975). There is no report of occurrence of the studied species so far from the northeastern region of India, though there is some fragmentary report on the group appearing as a bio-limnological component (Goswami 1985). The present paper deals with the occurrence of Mesostoma tetragonum (Müller) which has been recorded for the first time from the freshwater habitat of the Deepar wetlands, a Ramsar site of Assam, India. It was collected during a scientific reconnaissance on macroinvertebrate fauna in the same wetland. The genus was identified following Edmondson (1959). The same was compared with internet descriptions on Turbellaria, Mesostoma tetragonum (Turbellarian taxonomic database: <http://turbellaria.umaine.edu/turb2. php?action=13&code=6630>). The distribution of the species was observed through the internet database of Fauna Europaea, version: 2.4, updated on 27 January 2011 (<http://www.faunaeur.org/distribution.php>). In the present investigation, the animal demonstrated a characteristic micro habitat condition under the littoral, partly rotten and fragmented mats of Eichhornia crassipes during March–May in the studied years from 2006 to 2008. Study area: The Deepar wetland is a perennial water body situated between 91036’–91042”E and 26006’–26009’26”N near Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, India. The wetland covers an area of ca. 1.46km2. There are some dendritic extensions at the northern part of the wetland. The wetland receives water from the river Brahmaputra through a canal, the Khanajan, which also acts as both inlet and outlet. Besides, it also regularly receives water from Basistha stream through a river offshoot of Mora Bharalu. The wetland is a good habitat for different migratory birds and a part of it is now reserved as a bird sanctuary. The wetland is a Ramsar site of India (Ramsar site no. 1207, as declared on 18 August 2002). Mesostoma tetragonum was collected mainly at global positioning system points 26007.245’N & 91037.927’E and

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Mesostoma tetragonum in Deepar wetland

G. Kalita & M.M. Goswami

26006.916’N & 91039.231’E. Methodological approach for collection and laboratory rearing of the individual: At the beginning of the study, M. tetragonum appeared accidentally with a live sample of macroinvertebrate fauna, namely Hydra vulgaris Pallas, Dugesia sp., Stylaria fossularis Leidy, Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, and Eulimnadia sp. in the Deepar wetlands. Thereafter, the animal was regularly searched for in different littoral macrophytic stands of floating vegetations. However, the actual habitat of the animal could be determined only as the samples were collected from the partly decomposed stands of Eichhornia crassipes, a floating macrophyte dominating the littoral zone of the wetland. A partly decomposed submerged part of E. crassipes was scraped underwater by the edge line of a 250ml borosil glass beaker. The samples containing living individuals of the turbellarian (which could be seen by the naked eye) were brought to the Limnological Laboratory of the Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, for identification and micro-structural studies. Twelve individuals were reared in the laboratory of Gauhati University for 20 days in 1l capacity sterilized glass beakers during the year 2007. Further, the partly decomposed stems and leaves (under surface) were collected in original wetland water, properly washed in distilled water and examined under Olympus dissecting microscope to eliminate the existence of other fauna. The stems and leaves were kept in the rearing beakers to facilitate the organism to grow on their organic parts. The organism grew well under laboratory conditions. The water from the middle core region of the beaker was pipetted out from time to time and replaced with freshly collected original wetland water. The micro photographs of the animal were taken with the help of a CCD camera fitted with a computerized zoom trinocular microscope. The behaviour of the animal under rearing was studied. The captured individuals were preserved in 4% formaldehyde after fixing in Bouin’s fluid for future record. The water temperature of the habitat was determined with the help of a mercury thermometer while all other chemical parameters were analyzed on the spot following the standard methods of APHA (1975). Systematic enumeration: The systematic enumeration is based on Edmondson (1959). Phylum: Platyhelminthes 2610

Class: Turbellaria Order: Neorhabdocoela Suborder: Typhlopalnoida Family: Typhloplanidae Subfamily: Mesostominae Genus: Mesostoma Ehrenberg Species: tetragonum (Müller) Scientific name: Mesostoma tetragonum (Müller) Observation: The animal has a star fruit shaped ridged body with two lateral folds on each side. Eyes are prominent. Individuals are transparent, bearing some whitish rod-shaped bodies of radiating or branching nature lying beneath its outer loose surface. Some of the internal body parts like paired ovary, copulatory duct, copulatory bursa, seminal receptacle, seminal vesicle, uterus etc. can be observed from its ventral surface. The average length of the animal is 10–12 mm (Images 1, 2 &3). Littoral habitat of the Deepar wetlands is rich in macro-invertebrates. However, the occurrence of M. tetragonum in this wetland constitutes a new record in the region. In laboratory rearing the animal demonstrated a skewing movement through both of its dorsal and ventral surfaces. The lateral folds constituting the ridges help in its movement. All the individuals bear eggs at both sides of their ventral aspect as noticed during their collection. Individual eggs are oval and dark brown in colour. The eggs are arranged in rows inside the ovary. It was observed that the number of eggs is not equal at both sides. However, the laboratory rearing of M. tetragonum exhibited that the increase of eggs in each ovary was at the rate of

Eyes

Intestine

Image 1. Mesostoma tetragomun (dorsal view)

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Mesostoma tetragonum in Deepar wetland

Eggs

Mouth

G. Kalita & M.M. Goswami

Intestine

Ovary

Lateral folds

Image 3. Mesostoma tetragomun (lateral view)

Image 2. Mesostoma tetragomun (ventral view)

two per day, producing eggs in each individual ranging from 14–26. During rearing the individuals consumed Daphnia sp. Individuals release their eggs in the water which were observed at the bottom of the rearing beaker. Eggs are ca. 1–1.2 mm in diameter and non sticky. However, during the laboratory rearing, the eggs did not hatch. Observed individuals demonstrated a response to light and they became more active at dusk and in the early morning hours than during the daytime. The water quality of its occurring zone indicated the circum-neutral towards acidic (average pH 6.59±0.20); turbidity 16.25±4.68 NTU; dissolved oxygen 7.28±0.64 mg/l; free carbon dioxide 9.21±0.87 mg/l; total alkalinity 40.08±5.32 mg/l and total hardness 40.17±4.43 mg/l. Average water temperature during its occurrence was recorded as 27.3±2.72 0C (Table 1). Discussion: There were no previous record of occurrence of Mesostoma tetragonum in Deepar wetland as had appeared from the works of Day (1981), Lahon (1983), Goswami (1985), and Chetri (2000). This species was probably ignored due to ignorance of the Turbellaria group in the samples. Acidic pH, Organic Carbon, turbidity, moderately high FCO2, low alkalinity and hardness, moderately high temperature ranges and productive dissolved oxygen range (7–8.5 mg/l) of water support the development of this fauna along with many other invertebrate fauna. All free living freshwater turbellarians are commonly distributed in diverse freshwater habitats like ponds, lakes, marshes, springs etc. (Edmondson 1959;

Table 1. Water parameters studied at the habitat of M. tetragonum in Deepar wetland during 2005 and 2006 Water parameters Turbidity (NTU)

Average

Max

Min

16.25

4.68

12.5

6.59

0.20

6.85

6.57

Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l)

7.28

0.64

8.48

7.0

FCO2 (mg/l)

9.21

0.87

10.62

8.6

Total alkalinity (as CaCO3) mg/l

40.08

5.32

48.50

36.5

Total hardness (as CaCO3) mg/l

40.17

4.43

Calcium (as CaCO3) mg/l

27.42

3.18

24.25

Magnesium (as CaCO3) mg/l

12.67

1.40

10.75

Water Temperature ( C)

27.3

2.72

29.7

24.4

Tonapi 1980). Their importance in the ecosystem is yet to be clearly understood. However, the economic importance of some turbellarians is understood from the work of Ali & Mulla (1983) since they prey upon numerous dipteran larvae including mosquitoes. Freshwater turbellarian fauna including the genus Mesostoma have not been studied in Indian freshwaters, excepting some details of taxonomy and distributional ecology of triclad planarians (Whitehouse 1913; Basil & Fernando 1975). The present ecological setup of the habitat quality of M. tetragonum exhibits strong dissimilarity in most of water quality parameters from what Basil & Fernando (1975) recorded from the southern part of India (Table 2). For example, total alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and water turbidity in both the habitat patterns (when compared) clearly indicate the differences. Thus, Mesostoma can emerge in both highly alkaline water as well as in water with

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Mesostoma tetragonum in Deepar wetland

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Table 2. Comparison of water parameters recorded by Basil & Fernando (1975) of the habitat of Mesostoma and present record at the habitat of M. tetragonum. Water parameters

Observations of Basil & Fernando (1975)

Present record in Deepar wetland

Water basin type

Quarry pool

wetland

Water temperature (0C)

30.0–41.0

27.3±2.72

Dissolved Oxygen (mg.l–1)

1.53–14.35

7.28±0.64

Free Carbon–di oxide (mg.l–1)

0.79–7.9

9.21±0.87

Total alkalinity (ppm)

152.0–394.0 mostly 250–394

40.08±5.32 (mg.l–1)

7.8–8.6

6.59±0.20

Turbidity

Clear water (0–33 cm and mostly nil)

Moderately turbid (16.25±4.68 NTU)

low alkalinity and acidic pH, high and moderate range of water temperature and wide fluctuation of dissolved oxygen. The habitat range from quarry pool to wetland basin also signifies high range spatial character in distribution of the animal. From the spatial distribution point of view, M. tetragonum does not explain cosmopolitan distribution since there is deficiency of occurrence data in Afro-tropical region, Australian region, North East Asia, Nearctic region, Neotropical region, northern Africa and Oriental Region. However, this species bears a long history of occurrence in European countries/ regions since reported by Müller in 1773 (source: <http://www. faunaeur.org/distribution.php>). Macrophytic preference of macro-invertebrates has been studied by a number of workers (Das 1975; Goswami 1985; Jhingran 1997; Bhattacharya 1998; Pal et al. 1998; Kalita & Goswami 2006 a, b; Kalita 2008). The Deepar wetlands bear 30 different macrophytes (Kalita 2008). However, present observations distinctly demonstrate the preference of E. crassipes mat only by M. tetragonum which also indicates host specificity of the species. This fauna is recorded in the wetlands during pre-monsoon months only. However, their status of existence in the wetlands in the rest of the months is not clearly understood.

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REFERENCES Ali, A. & M.S. Mulla (1983). Evaluation of the planaria, Dugesia dorotocephala as a predator of chironomid midges and mosquitoes in experimental ponds. Mosquito News 43: 46–49. American Public Health Association (APHA) (1975). Standard Methods of the Examination of Water and Waste Water, 14th Edition. American Public Health Association, American Water Work Association, Water Pollution Control Federation, Washington DC 20036, 1193pp. Annandale, N. (1912). Caridinicola, new type of Temnocephaloidea. Records of Indian Museum 7(2): 243– 252. Basil, J.A. & R.S. Fernando (1975). Ecological notes on the Indian freshwater Microturbellaria: Mesostoma sp. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 72(3): 875–876. Bhattacharya, D.K. (1998). Insect fauna associated with large water hyacinth in fresh water wetlands of west Bengal, pp. 145–148. In: Aditya, A.K & F. Haldar. (eds.) Proceedings of the National seminar on Environmental Biology. Daya Publishing House, New Delhi. Chetri, G. (2000). Limnology of Deepar Beel with special reference to its bio-diversity and pollution status. PhD Thesis. Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, 320pp. Das, M. (1975). Morphology of freshwater sponge Spongilla crassissima Annandale from Assam with reference to gammule germination. PhD Thesis. Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, 161pp. Dey, S.C. (1981). Studies on the hydrobiological conditions of some commercially important lakes (Beels) of Kamrup district of Assam and their bearing on fish production, North Eastern Council (Govt. of India), 177 pp. Edmondson, W.T. (ed.) (1959). Freshwater Biology—2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons, INC. New York, pp. 323– 365. Fauna Europaea. version: 2.4, updated on 27 January 2011 <http://www.faunaeur.org/distribution.php>. Downloaded on 28 October 2011. Goswami, M.M. (1985). Limnological investigations of a tectonic lake of Assam, India and their bearing on fish production. PhD Thesis. Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, 395pp. Jhingran, V.G. (1997). Fish and Fisheries of India—3rd Edition. Hindustan Publishing Corporation (India) Delhi, (corrected reprints) xxiii+728pp. Kalita, G. (2008). Ecology and distribution of macroinvertebrate enmeshed fauna in Deepar wetland of Assam, India. PhD Thesis. Departmentof Zoology, Gauhati University, 207pp. Kalita, G. & M.M. Goswami (2006a). Ectoproctan fauna of Deepar Wetland of Assam, India. Zoos’ Print Journal 21(1): 2123–2125. Kalita, G. & M.M. Goswami (2006b). Record of occurrence

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Mesostoma tetragonum in Deepar wetland

of Prostoma Duges (Nemertea) in freshwater habitat of Assam, India, Aquacult 7(2): 159–162. Kapadia, G.A. (1947). Note on the occurrence of Bipalium in Junagadh Kathiawar. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 47(1): 178–180. Lahon B. (1983). Limnology and fisheries of lake Sone in the Cachar District of Assam (India). PhD Thesis. Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, 351pp. Pal, S., S.R. Dey & D.K. Bhattacharya (1998). Macrophyte preference and insect diversity of freshwater wetlands in southeastern Bengal, Proceedings of National Seminar on Environmental Biology, April 03–05, 1998, pp. 165–169. In: Aditya, A.K. & P. Haldar (eds.). Biodiversity and Environment, 2000. Westvill Publishing House, New Delhi, 249pp.

G. Kalita & M.M. Goswami

Tonapi, G.T. (1980). Fresh Water Animals of India An Ecological Approach. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi, 341pp. Turbellarian Taxonomic Database. <http://turbellaria.umaine. edu/turb2.php?action=13&code=6630>. Downloaded on 28 October 2011. Whitehouse, R.H. (1913). Freshwater planaria (Zoological records of the Abor Expedition 1911–12, Part III, No. 22). Records of Indian Museum 8: 317–321. Willems, W.R., T.J. Artois, T. Backeliau & E.R. Schockaert (2005). Typhloplanoida (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela) from New Caledonia and eastern Australia, with the description of six new taxa. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 32: 79–98.

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JoTT Note

4(5): 2614–2616

Diversity and abundance of nematodes in the sewage of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India Razia Sultana 1 & Padma Bohra 2 Desert Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Jhalamand, Pali Road, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342005, India Email: 1 razia.sultana25@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 bohrapadma@gmail.com 1,2

Nematodes are aquatic, semi-aquatic and terricolous organisms in nature and among the most important organisms in decomposer communities. Nematode community structure in polluted water as studied by Beier & Traunspurger (2001) revealed that nematodes can be used as bioindicators of soil health because they are ubiquitous and have diverse feeding behaviours and life strategies (Bongers & Bongers 1998; Neher 2001). Bacterial feeding nematodes have the greatest contribution to the decomposer food web. These decomposer nematode species do not feed directly on organic matter but they graze on microbes and excrete ammonia. Thus, nematodes contribute to nitrogen mineralization. Since nematodes respond rapidly to new resources and the nematode fauna can be analyzed, the structure of the nematode community offers an instrument to assess the condition of the ecosystem.

Date of publication (online): 26 May 2012 Date of publication (print): 26 May 2012 ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) Editor: Anonymity requested Manuscript details: Ms # o3044 Received 23 December 2011 Final received 06 March 2012 Finally accepted 06 April 2012 Citation: Sultana, R. & P. Bohra (2012). Diversity and abundance of nematodes in the sewage of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2614–2616. Copyright: © Razia Sultana & Padma Bohra 2012. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Acknowledgement: Authors are grateful to Dr.K.Venkataraman for providing research facilities in preparation of this paper.

Material and methods: Sediment samples were processed by sieving and decantation and a slightly modified Baermann’s funnel technique. Nematodes were fixed in hot formalin. For permanent mounts, specimens were dehydrated by the slow method and mounted in anhydrous glycerin. The individual species population and the total nematode counts were taken. Measurements were made using a drawing tube mounted on a Nikon Eclipse E600 microscope and photographs were taken using a Nikon digital camera DS-Fi1. Results: A total of 39 species of nematodes were identified from sewage water of various localities of Jodhpur and adjoining areas (Table 1). Five functional nematode trophic groups were identified based on morphological structures and modes of feeding such as herbivores, bacterivores, fungivores, omnivores and predators. In terms of individual abundance, bacterivores (rhabditids) were the most dominant group represented followed by predators, herbivores, omnivores and fungivores. In terms of taxonomic diversity cephalobids were the most abundant group followed by rhabditis/diplogastrids among the bacteriovores. Mononchoides, Mesorhabditis and Diplogasteritus were found the most dominant genera in the sewage water. Discussion: Nematode frequency, density and diversity vary depending upon ecological and edaphic factors (Sohlenius 1979; Khatoon et al. 2001). The present study revealed a great deal of generic diversity within the nematode community. A total of 39 nematode species were identified, representing bacterivores (14 genera), predators (six genera), omnivores (three genera), herbivores (two genera) and fungivores (one genus). Fifty species of nematodes representing five trophic groups were reported in the sewage waters (Tahseen 2006). Most of the nematode species were microbe grazing which have been reported to regulate the rates of decomposition (Yeates & Coleman 1982). Increased bacterivores diversity shows the increased diversity of microbes thus reflecting the nature and quality of the environment. This present study shows a high nematode density and low species diversity in the sewage water.

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Nematodes in Jodhpur sewage

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Table 1. Diversity of various trophic groups in sewage system of Jodhpur. List of species

cp value

Trophic group

(3) (3) (3)

Herbivore Herbivore Herbivore

(3)

Herbivore

(2)

Fungivore

(4) (4)

Omnivore Omnivore

Aporcelaimidae Heyns, 1965 Aporcelaimellus heynsi Baqri & Jairajpuri, 1968

(5)

Predator

Qudsianematidae Jairajpuri, 1965 Ecumenicus monhystera (De Man, 1880) Thorne, 1974

(4)

Omnivore

Nordiidae Jairajpuri & Siddiqi, 1964 Kochinema farodai Baqri & Bohra, 2001

(4)

Omnivore

Actinolaimidae Thorne, 1939 Neoactinolaimus rajasthanenesis Bohra & Sultana, 2008

(4)

Predator

Mononchida Jairajpuri, 1969 Mylonchulidae Jairajpuri, 1969 Mylonchulus brachyurus (Bütschli, 1873)

(4)

Predator

Rhabditida Chitwood, 1933 Cephalobidae Filipjev, 1934 Cephalobus cubaensis Steiner, 1935 Cephalobus quadrilineatus Eroshenko, 1968 Chiloplacus sclerovaginatus Sumenkova & Razzhivin, 1968 Heterocephalobus pulcher (Loof, 1964) Andrássy, 1967 Acrobeles chelatus Thomas & Allen, 1965 Acrobeles geraerti (Rashid et al, 1990) Shahina & De Ley, 1997 Acrobeles mariannae Andrássy, 1968 Zeldia neoacuta Allen & Noffsinger, 1972 Zeldia feria Allen & Noffsinger, 1972

(2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)

Bacterivore Bacterivore Bacterivore Bacterivore Bacterivore Bacterivore Bacterivore Bacterivore Bacterivore

Teratocephalidae Teratocephalus bisexualis Meyer & Coomans, 1977

(1)

Bacterivore

Panagrolaimidae Thorne, 1937 Panagrolaimus peruensis (Steiner, 1939) Goodey, 1963 Panagrolaimus dendroctoni (Fuchs, 1932) Rühm, 1956

(1) (1)

Bacterivore Bacterivore

Rhabditidae Örley, 1880 Mesorhabditis anisomorpha (Sudhaus, 1978) Andrássy, 1983 Mesorhabditis miotki (Sudhaus, 1978) Andrássy, 1983 Teratorhabditis synpapillata Sudhaus, 1985

(1) (1) (1)

Bacterivore Bacterivore Bacterivore

Diploscapteridae Micoletzky, 1922 Diploscapter coronatus (Cobb, 1893) Cobb, 1913

(1)

Bacterivore

Diplogastridae Micoletzky, 1922 Butlerius butleri Goodey, 1929 Diplogasteritus nudicapitatus (Steiner, 1914) Paramonov, 1952

(4) (4)

Predator Predator

(4)

Predator

(2) (2)

Bacterivore Bacterivore

(2) (2)

Bacterivore Bacterivore

Monhysterida Schuurmans Stekhoven & De Coninck, 1933 Monhysteridae de Man, 1876 Monhystera africana Andrássy, 1964 Monhystera paludicola de Man, 1881

(2) (2)

Bacterivore Bacterivore

Enoplida Baired, 1853 Prismatolaimidae Micoletzky, 1922 Prismatolaimus andrassyi Khera & Chaturvedi, 1967 Prismatolaimus intermedius (Bütschli, 1873) De Man, 1880

(3) (3)

Bacterivore Bacterivore

Tripylidae De Man, 1846 Tobrilus longus (Leidy, 1852) Andrássy, 1959

(4)

Predator

Tylenchida Thorne, 1949 Hoplolaimidae Filipjev, 1934 Helicotylenchus dihystera (Cobb, 1893) Sher, 1961 Helicotylenchus erythrinae (Zimmerman, 1904) Golden, 1956 Criconematidae Taylor, 1936 Hemicriconemoides brachyurus (Loos, 1949) Chitwood & Birchfield, 1957 Aphelenchida Siddiqi, 1980 Aphelenchidae Fuchs, 1937 Aphelenchus avenae Bastian, 1865 Dorylaimida Pearse, 1942 Dorylaimidae de Man, 1876 Mesodorylaimus subtiloides (Paetzold, 1958) Andrássy, 1959 Mesodorylaimus kauli Baqri & Bohra, 2001

Neodiplogastridae Paramonov, 1952 Mononchoides longicaudatus (Khera, 1965) Andrássy, 1984 Araeolaimida De Coninck & Schuurmans Stekhoven, 1933 Leptolaimidae Örley, 1880 Chronogaster daoi Loof, 1964 Chronogaster typica (De Man. 1921) De Coninck, 1935 Chromadorida Chitwood, 1933 Cyatholaimidae Filipjev, 1918 Achromadora micoletzkyi (Stefanski, 1915) Van Der Linde, 1938 Achromadora ruricola (de Man, 1880) Micoletzky, 1925

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Nematodes in Jodhpur sewage

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References Beier, S. & W. Traunspurger (2001). The meiofauna community of two German streams as indicator of pollution. Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery 8: 387–405. Bongers, T. & M. Bongers (1998). Functional diversity of nematodes. Applied Soil Ecology 10: 239–251. Khatoon, M., S. Sharma & S.K. Saxena (2001). Community analysis of predatory nematodes of Rohilkhand division. U.P. Current Nematology 12: 11–14 Neher, D.A. (2001). Role of nematodes in soil health and their

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use as indicators. Journal of Nematology 33: 161–168. Sohlenius, B. (1979). A carbon budget for nematodes, rotifers and tardigrades in a Swedish coniferous forest sil. Holarctic Ecology 2: 30–40. Tahseen, Q. (2006). Taxonomic diversity in sewage nematodes of Aligarh, North India. International Journal of Nematology 16: 1–6. Yeates, G.W. & D.C. Coleman (1982). Nematodes in decomposition, pp. 55–80. In: Freckman, D.W. (ed.). Nematodes in Soil Ecosydstems. University of Texas, Austin TX, USA.

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Prof. Dr. Adriano Brilhante Kury, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Dr. P. Lakshminarasimhan, Howrah, India Dr. Carlos Alberto S de Lucena, Porto Alegre, Brazil Dr. Glauco Machado, São Paulo, Brazil Dr. Gowri Mallapur, Mamallapuram, India Dr. George Mathew, Peechi, India Prof. Richard Kiprono Mibey, Eldoret, Kenya Dr. Lionel Monod, Genève, Switzerland Dr. Shomen Mukherjee, Jamshedpur, India Dr. P.O. Nameer, Thrissur, India Dr. D. Narasimhan, Chennai, India Dr. T.C. Narendran, Kozhikode, India Mr. Stephen D. Nash, Stony Brook, USA Dr. K.S. Negi, Nainital, India Dr. K.A.I. Nekaris, Oxford, UK Dr. Heok Hee Ng, Singapore Dr. Boris P. Nikolov, Sofia, Bulgaria Prof. Annemarie Ohler, Paris, France Dr. Shinsuki Okawara, Kanazawa, Japan Dr. Albert Orr, Nathan, Australia Dr. Geeta S. Padate, Vadodara, India Dr. Larry M. Page, Gainesville, USA Dr. Arun K. Pandey, Delhi, India Dr. Prakash Chand Pathania, Ludhiana, India Dr. Malcolm Pearch, Kent, UK Dr. Richard S. Peigler, San Antonio, USA Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, Sydney, Australia Mr. J. Praveen, Bengaluru, India Dr. Robert Michael Pyle, Washington, USA Dr. Muhammad Ather Rafi, Islamabad, Pakistan Dr. H. Raghuram, Bengaluru, India Dr. Dwi Listyo Rahayu, Pemenang, Indonesia Dr. Sekar Raju, Suzhou, China Dr. Vatsavaya S. Raju, Warangal, India Dr. V.V. Ramamurthy, New Delhi, India Dr (Mrs). R. Ramanibai, Chennai, India Dr. Alex Ramsay, LS2 7YU, UK Dr. M.K. Vasudeva Rao, Pune, India Dr. Robert Raven, Queensland, Australia Dr. K. Ravikumar, Bengaluru, India Dr. Luke Rendell, St. Andrews, UK

Dr. Anjum N. Rizvi, Dehra Dun, India Dr. Leif Ryvarden, Oslo, Norway Prof. Michael Samways, Matieland, South Africa Dr. Yves Samyn, Brussels, Belgium Dr. K.R. Sasidharan, Coimbatore, India Dr. Kumaran Sathasivam, India Dr. S. Sathyakumar, Dehradun, India Dr. M.M. Saxena, Bikaner, India Dr. Hendrik Segers, Vautierstraat, Belgium Dr. R. Siddappa Setty, Bengaluru, India Dr. Subodh Sharma, Towson, USA Prof. B.K. Sharma, Shillong, India Prof. K.K. Sharma, Jammu, India Dr. R.M. Sharma, Jabalpur, India Dr. Tan Koh Siang, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore Dr. Arun P. Singh, Jorhat, India Dr. Lala A.K. Singh, Bhubaneswar, India Prof. Willem H. De Smet, Wilrijk, Belgium Mr. Peter Smetacek, Nainital, India Dr. Humphrey Smith, Coventry, UK Dr. Hema Somanathan, Trivandrum, India Dr. C. Srinivasulu, Hyderabad, India Dr. Ulrike Streicher, Danang, Vietnam Dr. K.A. Subramanian, Pune, India Mr. K.S. Gopi Sundar, New Delhi, India Dr. P.M. Sureshan, Patna, India Dr. Karthikeyan Vasudevan, Dehradun, India Dr. R.K. Verma, Jabalpur, India Dr. W. Vishwanath, Manipur, India Dr. E. Vivekanandan, Cochin, India Dr. Gernot Vogel, Heidelberg, Germany Dr. Ted J. Wassenberg, Cleveland, Australia Dr. Stephen C. Weeks, Akron, USA Prof. Yehudah L. Werner, Jerusalem, Israel Mr. Nikhil Whitaker, Mamallapuram, India Dr. Hui Xiao, Chaoyang, China Dr. April Yoder, Little Rock, USA English Editors Mrs. Mira Bhojwani, Pune, India Dr. Fred Pluthero, Toronto, Canada

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Journal of Threatened Taxa ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print)

May 2012 | Vol. 4 | No. 5 | Pages 2553–2616 Date of Publication 26 May 2012 (online & print) Communications Herpetofauna of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India -- Abhijit Das, Dhruvajyoti Basu, Laurel Converse & Suresh C. Choudhury, Pp. 2553–2568 An overview of fish fauna of Raigad District, northern Western Ghats, India -- Unmesh Katwate, Rupesh Raut & Sahir Advani, Pp. 2569–2577

Short Communication The genus Cyrtoptyx Delucchi (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) from India, with a description of a new species from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala -- P.M. Sureshan, Pp. 2578–2581

Notes Report of two medicinal and aromatic gingers from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India -- M. Venkat Ramana, Johny Kumar Tagore & Avishek Bhattacharjee, Pp. 2582–2586

Range extension of Alysicarpus naikianus Pokle (Fabaceae) in western India -- S.Y. Chavan & M.M. Sardesai, Pp. 2590–2592 Exormotheca ceylonensis Meijer - a threatened liverwort in India, rediscovered in Palni Hills, Tamil Nadu -- Afroz Alam, Sharad Vats & Kambaska Kumar Behera, Pp. 2593–2595 New records of Tubulifera (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from the state of Karnataka, India -- Kaomud Tyagi, Pp. 2596–2602 Synanthropic acarine population associated with bird nests -- Sudipta Chaudhury, Salil K. Gupta & Goutam K. Saha, Pp. 2603–2608 Occurrence of Mesostoma tetragonum (Müller) (Turbellaria) in the Deepar wetlands of Assam, India -- Girindra Kalita & M.M. Goswami, Pp. 2609–2613 Diversity and abundance of nematodes in the sewage of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India -- Razia Sultana & Padma Bohra, Pp. 2614–2616

Rediscovery of Uniyala multibracteata (Gamble) H. Rob & Skvarla (Asteraceae) from the southern Western Ghats, India -- E.S. Santhosh Kumar, P.E. Roy, S.M. Shareef & S.S. Usha, Pp. 2587–2589