scholarly journals A preliminary study of the hawkmoth diversity (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 13592-13604
Author(s):  
Geetha Iyer ◽  
Ian James Kitching
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Natural History Museum ◽  
Historical Records ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
History Museum ◽  
Tamil Nadu State ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Western Ghats

Kanyakumari District is situated at the southernmost tip of peninsular India in Tamil Nadu State and is bounded by the Western Ghats and the coasts of three seas.  There are no detailed historical records of the moths of this region, which, before India’s independence, was part of Travancore State.  This paper presents a brief account of the 27 species of hawkmoths of Kanyakumari District, recorded during surveys conducted from 2011-2015, and is the first formal record of the hawkmoths of this region.  A list of the species from the collection of the Natural History Museum, UK, collected in the erstwhile Travancore State that are likely to be found in the Kanyakumari region is also included.

A new species of rock-dwelling Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Tamil Nadu, southern India

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4571 (3) ◽  
pp. 383
Author(s):  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Endemic Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Southern India ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Tamil Nadu State ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
A New Species

A new species of the gekkonid genus Cnemaspis is described based on a series of nine specimens from near Sankari in Salem district, Tamil Nadu state, southern India. The new species is diagnosable by the following suite of characters: a small-sized Cnemaspis (adult snout to vent length less than 33 mm); heterogeneous dorsal pholidosis consisting of weakly keeled granular scales intermixed with large strongly keeled, conical tubercles, 9–11 rows of dorsal tubercles, 12–17 tubercles in paravertebral rows; spine-like scales absent on flank, 17–20 lamellae under digit IV of pes. Males with 4–6 femoral pores on each thigh, separated on either side by eight poreless scales from four precloacal pores; precloacal pores separated medially by a single poreless scale; two single dorsal ocelli on occiput and between forelimb insertions, two pairs of ocelli on either side just anterior and posterior to forelimb insertions. Cnemaspis agarwali sp. nov. is the fifth endemic species of Cnemaspis from peninsular India outside the Western Ghats and highlights the rich and unique diversity of this understudied region. 

scholarly journals Mopla guttata (Acrididae: Catantopinae) rediscovered in the Western Ghats, Kerala, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
Dhaneesh Bhaskar ◽  
P.S. Easa ◽  
C.H.F. Rowell
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
South India ◽  
Natural History Museum ◽  
Type Specimens ◽  
Male Specimen ◽  
History Museum ◽  
Female Type ◽  
The Western Ghats

The endemic Catantopinae genus Mopla was described by Henry in 1940 from the Malabar region of South India. Henry described two species under this genus, M. guttata and M. rubra. The female type specimens of Mopla are deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, UK. There have been no further records of these two species since their description. Seventy-six years later, the first male specimen of the genus Mopla was discovered in the Western Ghats, Kerala, India, in 2016. This paper describes the specimen, thought to be of Mopla guttata, and reconsiders its systematic placement.

scholarly journals Database of amphibian vouchers and records available at the Kerala Agricultural University Natural History Museum in Thrissur and an updated checklist of amphibians of Kerala, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 19391-19430
Author(s):  
P.O. Nameer ◽  
M.S. Syamili ◽  
A.F. Katakath ◽  
U.S. Amal ◽  
M.S. Abhin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Natural History Museum ◽  
Biodiversity Monitoring ◽  
Biodiversity Data ◽  
History Museum ◽  
Voucher Specimens ◽  
Southern Western Ghats ◽  
The Western Ghats

The amphibian database of the Centre for Wildlife Studies of Kerala Agricultural University has the data that are either available as voucher specimens with the Kerala Agricultural University Natural History Museum (KAUNHM) or as photo vouchers and other opportunistic records from Kerala part of the southern Western Ghats between 2008 and 2020. This repository holds information on 91 species of amphibians belonging to 10 families, of which 87% are endemic to the Western Ghats and 34% are classified under the IUCN Red List threatened categories.  This study highlights the significance of such digital databases that can serve as an immense source of regional biodiversity data, and therefore, biodiversity monitoring and conservation. 

scholarly journals Bats from Lebanon at the Natural History Museum, Vienna: a cautionary tale on the reliability of museum specimen data (Chiroptera)

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-43
Author(s):  
Petr Benda ◽  
Simon Engelberger
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Natural History Museum ◽  
Museum Specimen ◽  
Historical Records ◽  
Cautionary Tale ◽  
History Museum ◽  
Rhinolophus Ferrumequinum ◽  
Myotis Myotis ◽  
History Of ◽  
To Come

Abstract Seven historical bat specimens of four species (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, R. mehelyi, Taphozous nudiventris, Myotis myotis), attributed to originate from the territory of the present-day Lebanon, are deposited and documented in the modern database of the mammal collection of the Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien). Two of these species (R. mehelyi, T. nudiventris) have never been reported for Lebanon in the existing literature and recent surveys have also failed to find them in this country. Since these bats were collected in the period 1824–1885, the history of the all respective specimens was evaluated in detail. The revision brought rather unexpected results. Only one specimen (R. ferrumequinum) was found to come (most probably) from Lebanon, being collected by W. Hemprich and Ch. Ehrenberg in 1824. In the remaining six specimens, the origin could not be defined, thus rendering the statement that they were collected in Lebanon insecure. This case demonstrates that careful checks of modern interpretations of historical records are necessary when examining past distributions of organisms.

Two new Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Shevaroy massif, Tamil Nadu, India, with a preliminary ND2 phylogeny of Indian Cnemaspis

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4609 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR ◽  
NIKHIL GAITONDE ◽  
ISHAN AGARWAL
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
The Western Ghats

We present a preliminary ND2 phylogeny of South Asian Cnemaspis, recovering a number of deeply divergent clades within Indian Cnemaspis, endemic to the southern and northern Western Ghats besides the Mysore Plateau and hills of Tamil Nadu. There are a number of unnamed lineages that are >5% divergent on ND2 across the phylogeny, including three from the gracilis clade on an elevation gradient (800–1400 m asl.) around Yercaud in the Shevaroy massif, Salem district, Tamil Nadu. We describe two of these as new species— Cnemaspis shevaroyensis sp. nov. and Cnemaspis thackerayi sp. nov. are both allied to Cnemaspis gracilis and can be diagnosed from all other Indian Cnemaspis by the absence of spine-like scales on flank, heterogeneous dorsal pholidosis, presence of femoral and precloacal pores, tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles forming whorls, a median row of enlarged and smooth sub-caudals. They differ from C. gracilis and each other in body size, the number of tubercles around midbody, the number of tubercles in paravertebral rows, the number of femoral and precloacal pores, the number of poreless scales in-between precloacal pores and between femoral and precloacal pores, and subtle colour pattern differences; besides uncorrected mitochondrial sequence divergence (7.9–16.6 %). We also provide a description of Cnemaspis yercaudensis from its type locality and an additional locality. The discovery of two endemic species and a third unnamed divergent lineage from an isolated massif in peninsular India outside the Western Ghats indicate that many other such understudied hill ranges may harbour high endemic biodiversity. 

scholarly journals A note on the current distribution of reedtail damselfly Protosticta rufostigma Kimmins, 1958 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from Western Ghats, and its addition to the odonate checklist of Kerala

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 17548-17553
Author(s):  
Kalesh Sadasivan ◽  
Muhamed Jafer Palot
Keyword(s):  
Current Distribution ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Original Description ◽  
The State ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Kerala State ◽  
The Western Ghats

The genus  Protosticta (Odonata, Zygoptera, Platystictidae) is represented by nine species in the Western Ghats of peninsular India, of which seven are reported for the state of Kerala.  Our recent records of Protosticta rufostigma Kimmins, 1958 from the Western Ghats of Kerala State is discussed, and despite a thorough literature search no collection records or photographs of the species has been found after the original description from Tamil Nadu.  The species is, thus, added to the checklist of odonates of Kerala State. The description of the live insect, its ecology, status and distribution is discussed. 

A new medium-bodied rupicolous Hemidactylus Goldfuss, 1820 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Sirumalai massif, Tamil Nadu, India

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4852 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-100
Author(s):  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR ◽  
TEJAS THACKERAY ◽  
SWAPNIL PAWAR ◽  
ISHAN AGARWAL
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Colour Pattern ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Tamil Nadu State ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Fourth Member ◽  
The Western Ghats

We describe a new species of the Hemidactylus acanthopholis clade from Sirumalai, an isolated massif in the Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu state, India. Hemidactylus sirumalaiensis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from all members of the prashadi group by its medium body size (SVL <95 mm), the number of dorsal tubercles rows at mid-body, the number of enlarged tubercles in paravertebral rows, the number of femoral pores and poreless scales between series of left and right femoral pores on the femoral-precloacal row in males, the number of ventral scales across the belly at mid-body and subtle colour pattern differences. The new species is the fourth member of the acanthopholis clade and 8.5–13.4 % divergent in ND2 sequence data from other members of the clade. We also provide data on additional specimens from a new locality of Hemidactylus kolliensis, previously known only from the male holotype. Hemidactylus sirumalaiensis sp. nov. is the first endemic and only the other vertebrate species described from Sirumalai massif in the last 133 years. Most rupicolous Hemidactylus species from peninsular India outside the Western Ghats are known only from a few localities and are likely to be geographically restricted in distribution, and large areas of suitable habitat remain unsurveyed, suggesting many more allied species remain to be discovered. 

scholarly journals Notes on the extended distribution of Impatiens megamalayana, a recently described balsam in Western Ghats, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 19878-19883
Author(s):  
Anoop P. Balan ◽  
A.J. Robi
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Tamil Nadu State ◽  
Annual Herb ◽  
Kerala State ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
Future Reference

Impatiens megamalayana is a recently described balsam from the Megamalai hills of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu state. This is a small, annual herb with ridged stem, often distributed in open, wet, rocky grasslands above 1,000 m elevation. The plant considered endemic to the Megamalai hills of Tamil Nadu is recently located in the Urumbikkara hills of Idukki district in Kerala state, which is about 120 km away from its original locality. Urumbikkara is an emerging tourist destination in central Kerala and the newly located populations of the plant are outside protected forest areas and are facing severe threat due to anthrapogenic activities. A detailed description, photographs and distribution maps are provided to facilitate easy identification of the plant in the field. An updated checklist of the genus Impatiens in Kerala state is also furnished for future reference.

scholarly journals Catalogue of herpetological specimens from peninsular India at the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History (SACON), India

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 16123-16135 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.R. Ganesh ◽  
Bhupathy S. ◽  
P. Karthik ◽  
Babu Rao ◽  
S. Babu
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Eastern Ghats ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Voucher Specimens ◽  
Deccan Plateau ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
Reptilian Species ◽  
Coromandel Coast

We list the herpetological voucher specimens in the holdings of the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History (SACON), a wildlife research institute in India.  Most of the collections are the fruition of fieldwork by SACON’s herpetologist and a coauthor of this work—late Dr. Subramanian Bhupathy (1963–2014).  Taxonomically, the collection represents 125 species, comprising 29 amphibian species belonging to eight families and 96 reptilian species belonging to 17 families.  Geographically, the material in this collection originates from the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats, the Deccan Plateau, and the Coromandel Coast, comprehensively covering all ecoregions of peninsular India.  A total of 15 taxa (three amphibians, 12 reptiles) remain to be fully identified and are provisionally referred to most-resembling taxa, with cf. prefix.  All the specimens in this collection are non-types as on date.              

Three new species of Idiops Perty, 1833 (Araneae: Idiopidae) from India

Zootaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3635 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
NEHA GUPTA ◽  
M. GANESHKUMAR ◽  
SANJAY KESHARI DAS ◽  
MANJU SILIWAL
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Identification Key ◽  
History Information ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
The Western Ghats

Three new species of the front-eyed trapdoor genus Idiops, viz., Idiops joida sp. nov. from the Western Ghats of Karnataka, I. mettupalayam sp. nov. from the foothills of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and I. oriya sp. nov. from Odhisa, are described. Natural history information for all these species is provided as is an identification key to Idiops species from South andSoutheast Asia.

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