An identification key is provided for 86 genera of subfamily Thripinae from India. Photographs are provided of each character used in this study, also, wherever possible, notes on host-plant associations and geographical distributions. Ajothrips medius Bhatti is considered a syn. nov. of A. gara Bhatti. In addition, Smeringothrips salaciae Priesner is redescribed, and the male of this species is described for the first time.

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.

Ants are eusocial insects belonging to the family Formicidae. Identification of this group is primarily based on the worker caste and can be challenging due to polymorphism and diversity within this caste. To overcome these challenges, DNA barcoding has emerged as an essential tool for the ant identification. This study generated 296 sequences representing 58 morphospecies from 26 genera across six subfamilies using the Sanger sequencing method, of which 45 sequences representing 13 species are newly contributed to the global database. The analysis revealed 121 unique haplotypes. Multiple species delimitation methods (ASAP, BIN, bPTP, and GMYC) recovered 67, 76, 67, 75 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) for 58 morphospecies. A total of 89 MOTUs was obtained for 58 morphospecies by superimposing the result of multiple methods. More than one MOTU was detected in 13 morphospecies, including five species with high genetic distances (Cerapachys sulcinodis, Leptogenys kitteli, Myrmicaria brunnea, Paratrechina longicornis, and Tetraponera nigra), suggesting potential cryptic diversity. However, two morphologically distinct species, Polyrhachis dives and Polyrhachis lacteipennis, showed low genetic distance between them with overlapping barcode gaps, which requires further analysis with multiple molecular markers and broader geographic sampling for better taxonomic resolution. To resolve these cryptic species and other discrepancies, further studies incorporating extensive sampling and multiple molecular markers are required.

A new species, Astrothrips mahensis, is described from Puducherry, India, collected from leaves of Tabernaemontana divaricata. Additionally, A. glanduculus Li, Mound, Xie & Zhang that was described from Yunnan, China, is newly reported from Himachal Pradesh, India. Detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations of both species are also provided.

Two Thysanoptera taxa are reported for the first time from India, Astrothrips aureolus Stannard & Mitri (Panchaetothripinae) and Chaetanaphothrips leucaenae Nonaka & Okajima (Thripinae). The male of Astrothrips aureolus is described based on four males collected with 12 females. Species diagnoses, illustrations and distribution details are provided.

The family Uzelothripidae is represented by a single genus Uzelothrips and can be distinguished from others by the presence of whip-like antennae, a circular ventral sensorium on antennal segment III, a well-developed tentorium, and a membranous ovipositor. Here, we generated the first complete mitochondrial genome of Uzelothrips scabrosus (15,674 bp) using next-generation sequencing to explore the gene rearrangements and phylogenetic relationships. It consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, and two putative control regions. The genome exhibits strong AT bias (71.35%) with negative AT and GC skew. Codon usage analyses indicate a strong bias towards A/U-ending codons and influenced by both natural selection and mutation pressure. All PCGs were under purifying selection, with cox1 being the most conserved and nad4L the most variable. The gene order of the family Uzelothripidae is highly rearranged compared to the ancestral insect gene order. Comparative analysis revealed that gene block B was the most widely conserved, whereas the remaining gene blocks exhibited family or lineage-specific conservation patterns, reflecting extensive mitochondrial gene rearrangements during the evolution of the Thysanoptera. Moreover, 228 synapomorphic and 68 autapomorphic gene boundaries were identified across thysanopteran mitogenomes. Phylogenies indicated that the family Uzelothripidae is in a sister relationship with Stenurothripidae, and the Uzelothripidae + Stenurothripidae clade is sister to Thripidae. This study provides the first mitogenomic insights into Uzelothripidae and highlights the need for broader taxon sampling and nuclear genomic data to resolve deep evolutionary relationships within Thysanoptera.

The common house sparrow, Passer domesticus, is a small bird belonging to the family Passeridae. Here, we provide high-quality whole-genome sequencing data along with its assembly for the house sparrow. The final genome assembly was generated using a workflow that included Shovill, SPAdes, MaSuRCA, and BUSCO. The assembly consists of contigs spanning 268,193 bases and coalescing around a 922 MB sized reference genome. We used rigorous statistical thresholds to check the coverage, as the Passer genome showed considerable similarity to the Gallus gallus (chicken) and Taeniopygia guttata (Zebra finch) genomes, also providing functional annotations. This new annotated genome assembly will be a valuable resource for comparative and population genomic analyses of passerine, avian, and vertebrate evolution.

Monitoring the microbial components of drinking water is as essential as tracking its chemical composition. Although traditional culture-based methods provide valuable insight into microbial morphology and behaviour, their scope is restricted to culturable species. With the advent of high-throughput sequencing, a wider range of microbes in any ecosystem can be detected, along with efficient insights into their functional potential and metabolic capabilities. In this study, metagenomic analyses were performed to fully understand the microbiome of drinking water supplied through public distribution systems in an Indian city. The findings obtained confirmed the presence of bacteria from the phyla Pseudomonadota, Planctomycetota, Bacteroidota, and Actinomycetota, consistent with previous studies of drinking water microbiomes of other countries. At the species level, Afipia carboxidovorans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Sphingopyxis macrogoltabida, and Variovorax paradoxus were identified as members of the core microbiome. It was observed that the temperature of the water samples, even as little as a 5 degrees C increase, influenced the composition and diversity of the microbial communities. No significant correlation was detected between microbial sbundance and metal concentration. In addition, the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was traced, and widespread resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and macrolides in samples was observed. In particular, ARGs such as adeF and ermR, which are known to be associated with multidrug resistance, were detected. Although this study did not directly assess the pathogenicity or mobility of these genes, their presence in potable water raises potential public health concerns due to the possibility of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Therefore, continuous monitoring of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is imperative to accurately evaluate long-term risks and to guide evidence-based water quality management strategies. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive metagenomic overview of drinking water microbiota, ARGs, and water quality, offering a foundation for future surveillance and risk mitigation strategies.

A multi-marker sequencing approach was applied to characterize the eukaryotic microbial community of the Najafgarh Drain. It will provide the first comprehensive view of eukaryotic diversity in this system, highlighting both its ecological significance and pathogenic potential. We combined 18S rRNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and whole-metagenome shotgun (WMS) sequencing; 18S rRNA captured broad protist diversity but offered limited fungal resolution, which was complemented by ITS, while WMS provided higher, often species level resolution across kingdoms. To improve WMS classification, a dual-database strategy was employed, sequences were first classified using a eukaryote-filtered NCBI clustered nr database, unclassified sequences were subsequently analyzed with a combined database comprising of SILVA, MIDORI2, PlantITS, and COInr. This approach consistently increased the number of identified genera and species compared with using a single database. Using the multi-marker and dual database approach, multiple phyla were detected, including Chlorophyta (55.72%), Ciliophora (21.46%), Ascomycota (6.44%), Mucoromycota (1.35%), and Nematoda (0.80%). Beneficial taxa such as Chlorella, members of Ciliophora, and Penicillium, known for organic-matter degradation, nutrient cycling, and heavy-metal remediation, were observed. Additionally, human pathogens such as Pneumocystis jirovecii, Rhizopus arrhizus and Trichuris trichiura along with plant pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium, Sporisorium, and Rhizopus were also observed. These findings underscore the need to incorporate eukaryotic pathogen surveillance into water quality monitoring and environmental policy frameworks. Such measures would contribute to more resilient water management practices and support broader public health protection goals.

The subfamily Lagynodinae and genus Lagynodes Förster, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea: Megaspilidae) are reported for the first time from India. Lagynodes mikoi sp. nov. is described and illustrated from West Bengal, India. The species concept is based on an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological and molecular characters. Comparison of the COI barcode further allows clear species delimitation from other published COI sequences of Lagynodes species.

Complete mitochondrial genome of two species of subfamily Panchaetothripinae, Astrothrips tumiceps (16,467 bp) and Monilothrips kempi (14,773 bp) are generated by Next-Generation Sequencing Method. In this study, the detailed annotation of these mitogenomes as well as comparative analyses are carried out to explore the codon usage, gene composition, and phylogenetic relationship of subfamilies of family Thripidae. Moreover, the gene rearrangement of subfamily Panchaetothripinae of family Thripidae is also studied. Both the mitogenomes featured by 37 genes including 13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and with single putative control region with a positive AT-skew and negative GC-skew. trnS1 without DHU arm in both species, trnV without DHU arm in M. kempi, and trnE without TΨC loop in As. tumiceps. Further, codon based comparative analysis depicted the existence of natural selection pressure on all the PCGs in all the subfamilies of family Thripidae. The phylogenetic analyses, using the Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum likelihood (ML) supported the monophyly of two suborders and family Phlaeothripidae. The family Thripidae is recovered as paraphyletic and subfamily Panchaetothripinae is in sister relationship with family Aeolothripidae and Stenurothripidae rather than the other subfamilies of family Thripidae. The gene order of the order Thysanoptera is highly rearranged, while few members of the subfamily Panchaetothripinae showed similar gene order to family Stenurothripidae. Therefore, this study suggests that the phylogenetic relationship between the subfamily Panchaetothripinae and other families is uncertain, necessitating a whole genome-based study to clarify the position of Panchaetothripinae within the suborder Terebrantia.

A new species, Conostigmus khonomaensis sp. nov., is described from Nagaland, India. Two male specimens were collected by yellow pan traps from the Khonoma village in Nagaland. Moreover, this is the second species of the genus Conostigmus reported from India. An identification key to the two Indian species of Conostigmus is also provided.

The superfamily Ceraphronoidea, comprising the families Ceraphronidae and Megaspilidae, includes 740 species, with the genus Dendrocerus Ratzeburg, 1852, being of significant agricultural importance. This study reports the first record of Dendrocerus istvani Bijoy & Rajmohana (2014) from West Bengal, India, extending its distribution beyond Uttarakhand. Specimens were collected using yellow pan traps in Kashinathpur village, North 24 Parganas district, during 2024-2025. Morphological analysis, along with a molecular signature (COI gene), was generated for the species, marking a significant contribution to the DNA barcode reference library for Megaspilidae. This record highlights the need for further taxonomic surveys and molecular studies to explore the distribution and ecological roles of Ceraphronoidea species in India.

Monitoring microbial components in drinking water is as essential as tracking its chemical composition. While traditional culture-based methods can offer valuable insights into the morphology, behavior, and phenotype of organisms, their scope is limited to culturable species. With the advent of high-throughput sequencing, we can now detect a wider range of microbes in any ecosystem, gaining deeper insights into their functional potential and metabolic capabilities more efficiently. In this study, we employed metagenomic analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of the microbiome of drinking water supplied through public distribution systems in an Indian city. Our findings identified bacteria from the phyla Pseudomonadota, Planctomycetota, Bacteroidota, and Actinomycetota, consistent with previous drinking water microbiome studies. We observed that the composition and diversity of the microbial community were influenced by the temperature of the water samples. No significant correlation between microbial abundance and metal concentration in the sample was detected. Additionally, we assessed the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), finding widespread resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and macrolides across samples. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

A revised key to 52 species of the genus Thrips recorded from India is provided, including two species from Nepal [Thrips meridionalis (Priesner) and Thrips tectus (zur Strassen)] and three new species: Thrips apricus sp. nov. from West Bengal, Thrips hemkundensis sp. nov. from Uttarakhand, and Thrips roseae sp. nov. from Himachal Pradesh. Thrips safrus Mound & Masumoto is first time reported from Punjab, India. We studied the type specimens of 19 species, and non-type specimens of 26 species, but 7 species are included in the key based on the original descriptions.