Three new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from the Western Ghats, India, with taxonomic notes on P. mortoni Fraser, 1922 and rediscovery of P. rufostigma Kimmins, 1958

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4858 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-185
Author(s):  
SHANTANU JOSHI ◽  
K.A. SUBRAMANIAN ◽  
R. BABU ◽  
DATTAPRASAD SAWANT ◽  
KRUSHNAMEGH KUNTE

Three new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India: P. cyanofemora sp. nov. (wet evergreen forests in Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kollam, Kerala and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu), P. myristicaensis sp. nov. (Myristica swamp at Kathalekan, Shivamogga, Karnataka) and P. sholai sp. nov. (montane sholas of Upper Manalar, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Theni, Tamil Nadu) are described and illustrated. We compare these three new species with other Protosticta spp. from the Western Ghats based on new material and provide comprehensive differential diagnoses with determination key for males of all species occurring in the Western Ghats. The taxonomic validity of P. mortoni Fraser, 1922 is established with fresh specimens from Hassan, Karnataka, and rediscovery of P. rufostigma Kimmins, 1958 is reported from Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. 

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4881 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-392
Author(s):  
GURUSAMY RAMESH ◽  
RAJAPPA BABU ◽  
KUMARAPURAM A. SUBRAMANIAN

Soa papanasam sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on both sexes from Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, India. It differs from all other known species of Soa, by hindwing vein R1 originating proximal to vein M1 and distal to M2. This is the first species of the genus Soa described from India.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 450 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-242
Author(s):  
RAJU RAMASUBBU ◽  
ANJANA SURENDRAN ◽  
KARUPPA SAMY KASI

Syzygium anamalaianum, a new species from Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India is described. This species is closely allied to Syzygium bharathii and S.caryophyllatum, but differs from it by having thick elliptic or ovate–lanceolate leaves with deeply grooved midrib, 4–angled prominently winged peduncle, smaller flower, funnel or pyriform hypanthium, inwardly curved stamens of varying lengths and obovate or subglobular seeds. This combination of characters makes determining the relationships of Syzygium anamalaianum difficult.


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonali Garg ◽  
Robin Suyesh ◽  
Sandeep Sukesan ◽  
SD Biju

The Night Frog genusNyctibatrachus(Family Nyctibatrachidae) represents an endemic anuran lineage of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, India. Until now, it included 28 recognised species, of which more than half were described recently over the last five years. Our amphibian explorations have further revealed the presence of undescribed species of Nights Frogs in the southern Western Ghats. Based on integrated molecular, morphological and bioacoustic evidence, seven new species are formally described here asNyctibatrachus athirappillyensissp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus manalarisp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus pulivijayanisp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus radcliffeisp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus robinmooreisp. nov.,Nyctibatrachus sabarimalaisp. nov. andNyctibatrachus webillasp. nov., thereby bringing the total number of validNyctibatrachus species to 35 and increasing the former diversity estimates by a quarter. Detailed morphological descriptions, comparisons with other members of the genus, natural history notes, and genetic relationships inferred from phylogenetic analyses of a mitochondrial dataset are presented for all the new species. Additionally, characteristics of male advertisement calls are described for four new and three previously known species. Among the new species, six are currently known to be geographically restricted to low and mid elevation regions south of Palghat gap in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and one is probably endemic to high-elevation mountain streams slightly northward of the gap in Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, four new species are also among the smallest known Indian frogs. Hence, our discovery of several new species, particularly of easily overlooked miniaturized forms, reiterates that the known amphibian diversity of the Western Ghats of India still remains underestimated.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 460 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-258
Author(s):  
RAMASUBBU RAJU ◽  
ANJANA SURENDRAN ◽  
CHANDRA PRABHA AYYATHURAI

Impatiens palniensis and I.tamilnadense are two new species described and illustrated from the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. Impatiens palniensis collected from Palni hills (Kodaikkanal Wildlife Sanctuary) whereas I. tamilnadense from Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.   The detailed description of both taxa along with diagnostic characters between closely allied species, conservation status, pollen morphology and colour photographs are provided.


Zootaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3635 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
NEHA GUPTA ◽  
M. GANESHKUMAR ◽  
SANJAY KESHARI DAS ◽  
MANJU SILIWAL

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.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 231 (3) ◽  
pp. 300
Author(s):  
RAMALINGAM KOTTAIMUTHU ◽  
GUNADAYALAN GNANASEKARAN

During the taxonomic revision of the genus Osbeckia Linnaeus (1753: 345) from the Western Ghats, India, we came across few interesting specimens from the Manjolai hills in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Critical studies with relevant literature revealed the identity of the collected specimens as Osbeckia tirunelvelica Manickam & Murugan (2001: 626). Unfortunately the name Osbeckia tirunelvelica was not validly published by Manickam & Murugan (2001), because, contrary to Art. 40 of ICN (McNeill et al. 2012), two collections were indicated as “type”. Therefore, the name Osbeckia tirunelvelica is validated here by indicating a single collection as the holotype.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 302 (2) ◽  
pp. 193 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. RAMASUBBU ◽  
C. DIVYA ◽  
N. SASI KALA ◽  
ANJANA SURENDRAN ◽  
A.K. SREEKALA

Impatiens megamalayana, a new species from Tamil Nadu, India is described and illustrated. This species is characterized by a ridged stem, ensiform and villous leaves, a wrinkled boat-shaped lower sepal with outwardly curved tip, ornamented seeds and strictly ovate pollen grains. This combination of characters makes determining the relationships of I. megamalayana difficult. The floral structure of I. megamalayana is closely allied to I. herbicola Hook.f. and I. inconspicua Benth. in Wall., the latter with three varieties, but it differs by several unique vegetative and floral features. Impatiens megamalayana is assessed as Critically Endangered in accordance with the IUCN guidelines. The habitat of the species is severely affected by landslides. As a result, effective strategies should be developed to protect I. megamalayana from exinction.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4949 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-397
Author(s):  
S. PRASANTH NARAYANAN ◽  
S. SATHRUMITHRA ◽  
R. ANUJA ◽  
G. CHRISTOPHER ◽  
A.P. THOMAS ◽  
...  

Three new species of Moniligaster Perrier, 1872, namely M. bahli Narayanan & Julka, sp. nov., M. blakemorei Narayanan & Julka, sp. nov. and M. keralensis Narayanan & Julka, sp. nov. are described from materials collected from the Indian state of Kerala. Moniligaster cernosvitovi Gates, 1962, Moniligaster horsti Gates, 1940, Moniligaster michaelseni Gates, 1940 and Moniligaster stephensoni Gates, 1940 are recorded for the first time from the state. With the new findings, a total of 10 Moniligaster species are known from Kerala. Moniligaster species are restricted to southern peninsular India, except Moniligaster ivaniosi Manazhy, 2011, decribed from the Andaman Islands, outside the currently known distributional range of the genus. Hence we critically reviewed the original description and reinvestigated the holotype. As a result, Moniligaster ivaniosi is considered a junior synonym of Drawida nepalensis Michaelsen, 1907. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4985 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
SHAHID ALI AKBAR ◽  
HIMENDER BHARTI ◽  
MARIUSZ KANTURSKI ◽  
AIJAZ AHMAD WACHKOO

Here we describe and illustrate Syllophopsis peetersi sp. nov. from Silent Valley National Park, a biodiversity hotspot region of the Western Ghats of India. The discovery also marks a first native report of the genus from the Indian subcontinent. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was carried out to elucidate the general morphology and sensilla of the new species. The new species is similar to congeners from Madagascar, but with larger differences from species that occur elsewhere.


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4571 (3) ◽  
pp. 383
Author(s):  
AKSHAY KHANDEKAR

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. 


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