The study was carried out to reveal the butterfly diversity in the Sironcha Forest Division, Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. A total of 137 species were recorded. Most of the butterflies recorded belonged to the family Lycaenidae (44 species), followed by Nymphalidae (42 species), Hesperiidae (23 species), Pieridae (17 species), Papilionidae (10 species), and a single representative from the Riodinidae family. Notably, 15 species recorded in the Sironcha Forest Division had not been previously documented in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. About 19 species of the recorded ones come under the protection category of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. These findings highlight the ecological significance of the Sironcha Forest Division as an important habitat supporting rich butterfly biodiversity, thereby contributing to a broader understanding of regional Lepidoptera diversity and associated conservation priorities. The study also presents an updated checklist of butterfly species for the Sironcha Forest Division, Gadchiroli.
Survey conducted on Philodendron burle-marxii, an ornamental plant, in 13 panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, revealed the occurrence of plant parasitic nematodes like Meloidogyne incognita, Rotylenchulus reniformis and Helicotylenchus dihystera; and predatory nematodes such as Iotonchus indicus and Mylonchulus minor. Rhabditids and other free-living nematodes were also encountered. The highest population of M. incognita was recorded from Vallakadavu area of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation (199 J2 200 cm3 soil-1) followed by Veniyoor area of Venganoor panchayat. The highest population of R. reniformis was recorded from Pallichal area of Kalliyoor panchayat (99 nematodes 200 cm3 soil-1). The highest population of I. indicus was from Ponmudi area of Peringamala panchayat (3.5 nematodes 200 cm3 soil-1) and that of M. minor was from Peppara area of Vithura panchayat (6 nematodes cm3 soil-1). The bacterial feeding nematodes belonging to order Rhabditida was recorded from all the areas sampled. M. incognita recorded the highest prominence value to a tune of 1827.0 and 2959.0 for both Nemom and Vamanapuram respectively. This is the first report of M. incognita infecting P. burle-marxii in India evidenced by the morphology of female and second stage juveniles. The infected plants exhibited stunting, chlorosis of the lower leaves, abnormal leaf glossiness, and crinkling, curling, and a reduction in leaf size ranging from 30 to 80 per cent.
Runcinia spider is distinguished by a cephalothorax that is slightly wider than it is long, with a cephalic region featuring prominent ocular tubercles covered in hairs and spines. Its legs are long and robust, with the first and second pairs significantly longer than the others. The abdomen is elongated, adorned with spines, tapering at the rear, and marked by prominent longitudinal muscular corrugations along the lateral sides. Runcinia ghorpadei Tikader, 1980 (only female specimen) described by the original author was poor in the light of modern taxonomy or specimen was immature, hence the redescription of the female, along with the description of male.
A field survey of teak trees grown along roadsides and in farmer’s fields conducted in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, during 2023-2024, revealed a considerable infestation of teak skeletonizer, Eutectona machaeralis (Walker). The incidence of E. machaeralis was recorded in the fifth week of May, ie., 42 standard meteorological week (SMW). The population of E. machaeralis started to increase gradually from the first week (27th SMW) of July in both the years and reached its peak level in the fifth and first weeks (31st and 32nd SMW) of July and August, which started to decline from the second week (33rd SMW) of August and reached its lowest level in the fourth week (48th SMW) of November. The population was nil in the month of December during 2023 and 2024. The higher population was recorded during the year 2023 as compared to 2024.
The orb-weaving spider Argiope versicolor (Doleschall, 1859), previously recorded from south and southeast Asia, is reported for the first time from Kerala, India. Specimens were collected from Kottayam district using hand collection methods and confirmed through morphological and molecular analyses. This record extends the known distribution of the species and contributes to the documentation of Kerala’s spider fauna. Detailed observations on morphology, habitat, web structure, and stabilimentum pattern are provided. The mitochondrial sequence obtained in this study has been deposited in GenBank (Accession No. PQ721811.1).
Malcus indicus has been reported as a pest of clove bean, Ipomoea muricata (L.) Jacq. (1798) for the first time from India, Kerala. Nymphs and adults were observed to suck sap from the matured leaves. Feeding points on leaves were seen as minute pale spots. Severely infested leaves were observed to have low photosynthetic area. Damage was observed in summer months but persisted during the onset of monsoon initially. However, heavy rains lowered the population of insect.
The relations between environmental factors and population of Acrida exaltata (Walker) in three ecosystems were studied for two years. The biplot revealed that the total population was related to the temperature. The total population at fallow land was correlated with temperature (r = 0.4578, p< 0.05 for maximum temperature and r = 0.6644, p< 0.05 for minimum temperature. Biplot of total population, nymphal population, and male population of A. exaltata at the forest ecosystem showed a close relation to minimum temperature. But the female population was related to precipitation and temperature. The correlation matrix revealed a positive correlation of total population with relative humidity (r = 0.4502, p< 0.05) at agriculture land. The environmental factors regulated the vegetation as well as the soil consistence of the ecosystem. The eggs of acridids were capable of surviving in adverse conditions of weather and maintained the population throughout the year in the forest and fallow land due to the availability of the supporting vegetation.
Glycosmis pentaphylla (Retz.) DC. (Rutaceae) is an ethnobotanically important medicinal plant. On this host, cylindrical- green epiphyllous galls are induced on the leaves by Lasioptera sp. (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae). In the present study, the changes in concentration of major secondary metabolites during the development of insect-induced plant galls in G. pentaphylla analysed and the results show that gall tissues contained significantly higher concentrations of tannins, phenols, and alkaloids, but lower concentrations of flavonoids, compared with ungalled leaves. These gall-associated alterations in secondary metabolite profiles may represent host defense responses initiated by gall induction and reflect the complex biochemical interactions between the gall inducer Lasioptera sp. and the host plant.
Several extensive field surveys conducted in West Bengal, India from 2022-2024, to explore the species diversity of order Thysanoptera, revealed a total of 10 species of thrips identify to be new for the state. These species come under three subfamilies of two families, Thripidae (six species) and Phaleothripidae (four species). The subfamily Panchaetothripinae is represented by Helionothrips aino (Ishida); subfamily Thripinae by Arorathrips mexicanus (D.L. Crawford), Ctenothrips transeolineae Chen, Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall), Taeniothrips orchidi Ananthakrishnan, and Thrips florum Schumtz; and subfamily Phaleothripinae by Androthrips flavipes Schmutz, Gynaikothrips cecidii Ananthakrishnan, Liophloeothrips ablusus Ananthakrishnan, and Mesandrothrips flavitibia Ananthakrishnan & Jagadish. Species diagnoses and their distribution data are also provided. The study highlights the rich yet understudied diversity of thrips in West Bengal and underscores the need for continued faunistic exploration.
Apis dorsata is well distributed in the Indian subcontinent for rich availability of floral resources along with suitable nesting structures. Nonetheless, the nesting structures and floral resources vary from hilly regions to plains seasonally. Regular field studies were conducted on major nesting plants, nesting height selection, and major bee flora of A. dorsata in the plains of South Karnataka, India, during 2021-2024 at fortnight intervals. The results showed that A. dorsata selected 12 major plant species for nesting and among them, a few were Ficus bengalensis, Terminalia arjuna, Delonix regia, F. religiosa, Samanea saman, and Eucalyptus nilgiris. Furthermore, A. dorsata selected heights range between 10 and 20m above ground level for nesting in greater numbers. Similarly, A. dorsata workers gathered pollen and nectar from 43 major bee flora in the study regions. The major pollen flora recorded were coconut, mango, papaya, coriander, etc. Similarly, the major nectar flora identified were eucalyptus, pongamia, drumstick, tamarind, and neem. However, acacia, mustard, pigeon pea, lemon, guava, and jamun produced both pollen and nectar for A. dorsata colonies. The study concludes that A. dorsata is well adapted to the plains of South Karnataka by nesting on suitable tree plant species at an ideal height for the rich availability of floral resources. Nevertheless, nesting structures and floral resources play a crucial role in the successful establishment of A. dorsata colonies.
A field study was conducted to determine the seasonal incidence of Haritalodes derogate on Urena lobata weed in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, during the year 2023-2024. The study revealed that H. derogata is a serious pest of U. lobata and its activity began in the first week of June and continued until December of 2023 and 2024. The larval population was minimum in June, with the lowest leaf damage. In contrast, the maximum population was observed in September and October, with the highest damage per leaf and per plant during the year 2023 and 2024. The pest remained active from June to December during both years.
The experiment on population dynamics of insect pests in bottle gourd under semi-arid conditions was carried out, revealed that peak infestation of fruit fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (49.36%) reached during the 6th November 2023, and after that it declined gradually. The infestation of aphid Aphis gossypii (Glover), white fly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.), red pumpkin beetle Aulacophora foveicollis (Lucas), hadda beetle Epilachnini demurli (Mulsent), mirid bug Nesidiocoris cruentatus (Ballard) and leaf miner Liriomyza trifoli (Burgess) started in the first week of August (36th SMW). The infestation of A. gossypii (120.1 aphids three leaves/plant), B. tabaci (12.3 whiteflies per three leaves/ plant), A. foveicollis (5.9 adults/plant), E. demurli (4.7 adults/plant), N. cruentatus (12.9 mirid bugs three leaves/plant) and L. trifoli (53 % leaf infestation) reached its peak level in 44th, 40th, 41st, 43rd, 40th, and 43rd SMW respectively, after that it declined gradually. The correlation Z. cucurbitae infestation with abiotic factors revealed a significant negative correlation with minimum RH (r = -0.552), and maximum RH (r = - 0.484). There existed a significant negative correlation between yield loss and minimum RH (r = -0.689).
Investigation on the population dynamics of Tephritidae fruit flies (Diptera) was conducted by installing “Cuelure traps” in the cucurbit ecosystem, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Two species of fruit flies, Zeugodacus cucurbitae and Bactrocera dorsalis were captured during the monitoring process. The population of Z. cucurbitae prevailed the whole season with its peak activity from 9th SMW and 40th SMW which coincided with the peak fruiting period of bitter gourd and snake gourd respectively. Relative abundance of B. dorsalis was more in the snake gourd (39%) than the bitter gourd (5%). The Simpson’s index and the Shannon’s index were higher in snake gourd than bitter gourd. The bitter gourd ecosystem has higher Margalef and Mehinick Index. The weather correlation showed that the population of both species and abiotic factors had no significant correlation in bitter gourd ecosystem. In snake gourd ecosystem, both the species exhibited strong inverse relationship with maximum and minimum wind speed.
Holotrichia serrata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae), a polyphagous pest was noted for the first time infesting cassava in Kerala. Extensive feeding on the foliage was observed. The number of beetles per plant ranged from 25 to 85 during the infestation and defoliation ranged from 45 to 70 per cent. Stunted growth and yellowing of the plants were observed. After four months, the grub population was observed in the root zone, which ranged from 4-12 numbers per plant. The occurrence of another species, Anomala dussumieri Blanchard (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae), was also noticed along with H. serrata in the infested field. But A. dussumieri strictly avoided cassava leaves for feeding and copulation in the field and in the lab.
A field experiment was carried out in the farm of AICRP on Fruits,SAS:NU to evaluate the best treatments against mango weevil (Sternochetus spp.). The experiment was laid out in Randomized block designed using 7 different treatments. Among the different treatments, thiamethoxam (25% WG) gave the overall least mean number of incidence (1.17), with overall lowest mean per cent infestation (7.78). The treatment, thiamethoxam recorded highest overall yield (5.67 t ha-1) with maximum CB ratio (1:10.60).
During the observation in three areas of Bengaluru Urban District, moths belonging to 42 genera, of which 39 were identified until the species level, belonging to seven families. Thirteen species of moths were identified from 18 samples in the study area I, and 17 species in II and 12 in study area III. This checklist would serve as a first milestone for further surveys on the diversity of moths of the Bengaluru region.
The survey conducted to find out the diversity of pteromalids (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae) in Odisha, documented 22 species for the first time in the state, representing 18 genera and 03 subfamilies. Notably, seven of these species were recorded for the first time in India. In addition, a comprehensive checklist of the Pteromalidae of Odisha has been prepared, comprising 47 species across 26 genera and 03 subfamilies.
The wing scale chemical spectra of two nymphalid species, Parantica aglea and Acrea terpsicore was investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine characteristic functional groups. Comparative analysis of the functional groups revealed the presence of several major groups, including alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, alkanes, alkenes, alkyl halides, alkynes, methylene, acids, nitro compounds, primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, esters, ethers, polysulfides, aryl disulfides, cyanide and thiocyanate ions, carbonate ions, organic sulphates, organic nitrates, nitrate ions, aromatic ethers, aromatic phosphates, phosphate ions, ammonium ions, silicate ions, transition metal carbonyls, and organic siloxanes or silicones. Common functional groups between the two species include alcohols and phenols, alkanes, alkenes, alkyl halides, methylene, acids, esters, ethers, aryl disulfides, cyanide and thiocyanate ions, carbonate ions, organic nitrates, nitrate ions, phosphate ions, and silicate ions. However, certain elements are specific to particular regions, such as alkynes. This study represents the first FTIR analysis conducted on the wing scales of P. aglea and A. terpsicore providing valuable insights into their chemical compositions.
Among Diptera, hoverflies (Syrphidae) are important flower visitors, with the genus Paragus Latreille widely distributed worldwide. Of the more than 100 described species, 13 are currently reported from India, to which this study adds one additional species. An updated list of 56 plant associations for Indian Paragus, including 13 newly recorded plants, along with a revised taxonomic key to all Indian species, is presented. This study contributes to the taxonomic knowledge of Indian hoverflies and highlights their ecological role as pollinators.
A new species, Hypospila polliceae Abhilash & Adarsh sp. nov. of family Erebidae has been described from Kerala. All the specimens for this study were collected from the various localities of the Kerala state using light traps operated from dusk to dawn. The adult male and male genitalia features are illustrated to differentiate the new species with its congeners. An updated worldwide checklist for the species of Hypospila Guenee is also provided.
