Cloud Forest Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) in the Western Ghats, a Global Biodiversity Hotspot in Southwestern India

A checklist of the legumes of Kerala State is presented. This exhaustive checklist is an outcome of extensive field surveys, collection, identification and documentation of family Leguminosae carried out across Kerala State during the period 2006–2019. A total of 448 taxa were recorded under five subfamilies and 115 genera. The majority of the legumes are herbs and shrubs, the rest being trees and woody climbers. About 81 taxa are endemic to India, especially confined to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, out of which 17 are endemic to Kerala. The state is home to two Critically Endangered and six Endangered legumes, facing severe threat of extinction. Crotalaria is the dominant legume genus in the state with 62 taxa followed by Desmodium and Indigofera. About 57 genera are represented by single species each. Legumes are treated according to the latest phylogenetic classification of the Legume Phylogeny Working Group (LPWG). Updated nomenclature, habit, native countries, voucher specimens, and images of endemic and lesser known legumes found in the state are provided. Crotalaria multiflora var. kurisumalayana (Sibichen & Nampy) Krishnaraj & N. Mohanan is reduced as a synonym to C. multiflora (Arn.) Benth.

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First record of the myrmicine ant genus Syllophopsis Santschi, 1915 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India with description of a new species

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4985.3.7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4985 (3) ◽

Author(s):

SHAHID ALI AKBAR ◽

HIMENDER BHARTI ◽

MARIUSZ KANTURSKI ◽

AIJAZ AHMAD WACHKOO

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Western Ghats ◽

National Park ◽

Indian Subcontinent ◽

First Record ◽

Sem Analysis ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Western Ghats Of India ◽

The Western Ghats ◽

A New Species

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.

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Genetic Structure, Diversity and Long Term Viability of a Medicinal Plant, Nothapodytes nimmoniana Graham. (Icacinaceae), in Protected and Non-Protected Areas in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0112769 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. e112769 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

K. Nagaraju Shivaprakash ◽

B. Thimmappa Ramesha ◽

Ramanan Uma Shaanker ◽

Selvadurai Dayanandan ◽

Gudasalamani Ravikanth

Keyword(s):

Genetic Structure ◽

Medicinal Plant ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Nothapodytes Nimmoniana ◽

The Western Ghats ◽

Structure Diversity

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Local Endemism Within the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot

Science ◽

10.1126/science.1100167 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 306 (5695) ◽

pp. 479-481 ◽

Cited By ~ 132

Author(s):

F. Bossuyt

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

The Western Ghats

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The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Pholcidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4550.1.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4550 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

BERNHARD A. HUBER

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Native Species ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Sri Lankan ◽

Southwestern Part ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Western Ghats

As part of the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot, Sri Lanka harbors a rich and diverse fauna, especially in the perhumid southwestern part of the island. However, many invertebrate groups such as spiders continue to be poorly studied. The present paper reviews our knowledge about Pholcidae, a family of spiders that is well represented in Sri Lanka, both by numerous (10) introduced species and by a rich native fauna in five genera (described native Sri Lankan species in parentheses): Belisana Thorell, 1898 (6), Leptopholcus Simon, 1893 (1), Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (4), Tissahamia Huber, 2018 (4), and Wanniyala Huber & Benjamin, 2005 (9). Fourteen species are newly described: Belisana minneriya sp. n., B. badulla sp. n., B. gowindahela sp. n.; Pholcus metta sp. n., P. puranappui sp. n., P. uva sp. n.; Tissahamia karuna sp. n.; Wanniyala mudita sp. n., W. orientalis sp. n., W. upekkha sp. n., W. ohiya sp. n., W. viharekele sp. n., W. mapalena sp. n., and W. labugama sp. n.. All new species are described from males and females. New Sri Lankan records are given for 16 previously described species. Distribution data suggest that most or all of the 24 native species might be endemic to Sri Lanka, but the Indian pholcid fauna remains almost entirely unknown.

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