The taxonomy of some unusual Microveliinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from India

Two new genera and three new species of Microveliinae are described from India: Thirumalaia ocularis gen. nov. & sp. nov. from Tamil Nadu, Eyarinella robusta gen. nov. & sp. nov. from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Geovelia fikaceki sp. nov. from Arunachal Pradesh. A male-based key to the genera of Microveliinae of India and a checklist of Indian species are provided. Neoalardus typicus (Distant, 1903) is recorded for the first time from Rajasthan.

A review of the Indian species of Apochinomma Pavesi, 1881 and Corinnomma Karsch, 1880, synonymy of Castianeira quadrimaculata Reimoser, 1934, and a catalogue of the Indian corinnid fauna (Arachnida: Araneae)

Indian species of the genera Apochinomma Pavesi, 1881 and Corinnomma Karsch, 1880 are reviewed. Corinnomma rufofuscum Reimoser, 1934 syn. nov. is synonymised with A. nitidum (Thorell, 1895). Redescriptions of A. nitidum and C. severum (Thorell, 1877) are provided, and two colour morphs (brown and black) of A. nitidum are illustrated. Supplementary descriptions for A. dolosum Simon, 1897 and C. comulatum Thorell, 1891 are provided. The species Castianeira quadrimaculata Reimoser, 1934 syn. nov. is recognised as a junior synonym of Coenoptychus pulcher Simon, 1885. Images of all the examined type material are provided and a catalogue of Indian corinnid species is presented.

Revision of Indian species of Phanuromyia Dodd, 1914 (Platygastroidea, Scelionidae) with descriptions of new species

The species of the genus Phanuromyia Dodd, 1914, belonging to the subfamily Telenominae are egg parasitoids of planthoppers belonging to the families Issidae, Flatidae, Fulgoridae and Ricaniidae (Hemiptera: Fulguroidea). So far eleven species of Phanuromyia are known from India. Fifteen new species of Phanuromyia Dodd are described here: P. chalukyasp. nov., P. cherasp. nov., P. cholasp. nov., P. gangasp. nov., P. hoysalasp. nov., P. kadambasp. nov., P. kakatiyasp. nov., P. kanvasp. nov., P. nirvighnasp. nov., P. pallavasp. nov., P. pandyasp. nov., P. rashtrakutasp. nov., P. satavahanasp. nov., P. tuluvasp. nov. and P. vakatakasp. nov. A key to females of all the Indian species of Phanuromyia is provided.

Mesoptychia morrisoncola (Jungermanniaceae, Marchantiophyta) – An Addition to the Bryoflora of Indian Eastern Himalaya

Mesoptychia morrisoncola (Horik.) L. Söderstr. & Vá?a – earlier known in Indian bryoflora from Gulmarg in Jammu & Kashmir, is described for the first time form Sikkim in Eastern Himalaya. Identification key to the Indian species of the genus has been provided.

Taxonomic notes, a new species, and a key to Indian species of the click beetle genus Cryptalaus Ȏhira, 1967 (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Agrypninae)

Cryptalaus alveolatus sp. nov. is described and illustrated from India. The species has unique morphological characters: conspicuous longitudinal median ridge on pronotum, elytral interstria II more depressed than interstriae I and III. The Indian fauna of the genus Cryptalaus Ȏhira, 1967 is updated and represented by seven species: C. alveolatus sp. nov., C. assamensis (Schwarz, 1902) comb. nov., C. eryx (Candèze, 1874), C. lynceus (Candèze, 1874), C. nodulosus (Waterhouse, 1877) comb. nov., C. sculptus (Westwood, 1848) and C. sordidus (Westwood, 1848). Genitalia and terminalia of male and female C. sordidus are also illustrated. A key to the Indian species of Cryptalaus is given.

A review of the genus Spilomena Shuckard (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with the description of six new species from India

The Indian species of Spilomena Shuckard are reviewed resulting in the description of six new species viz., S. attenboroughi Tessy, Sureshan et Binoy, S. fulvopleuris Tessy, Sureshan et Binoy, S. reticularis Tessy, Sureshan et Binoy, S. sahyadriensis Tessy, Sureshan et Girish Kumar, S. tsunekii Tessy, Sureshan et Girish Kumar, and S. tuberculata Tessy, Sureshan et Girish Kumar, all from Southern India. A key to Indian species of Spilomena is provided.

Modern Evolutionist Naturalism And Šankara’s Arguments Contra Sankhya

This comparative study aims at juxtaposition of modern Western naturalistic evolutionism and the mostly similar attitude in the classic Indian philosophy in the shape of Sankhya’s cosmology in the context of their corresponding critiques by contemporary creationists and Advaita-Vedanta. The long and pointed polemics with Sankhya in the Brahmasutrabhasya by Šankaracharya (7th-8th centuries A.D.) is in the focus of this investigation along with numerous references to the Sankhya-karika by Isvarakrsna (5th century A.D.) as the basic text of the philosophical school criticized by its most powerful opponent. Comparing Western and Indian evolutionism reveals some very important differences to such a degree that the Indian species of the genus would be, in the author’s opinion, better identified as not evolutionism in the strict sense but as a “développisme” combining features of evolutionism with those of emanationism. As to Sankhya’s naturalism, it turns to be much more “sophisticated” than that, e.g., of Thomas Huxley or the so-called New Atheists because its “stuff” is more psychological than material. Nevertheless, crucial logical gaps remain the same in both cases (along with an antitheistic “faith” instead of rationalism), while their taking into account by opponents of naturalism offers a challenge for comparative philosophical theology.

A new species of Sparsorythus Sroka & Soldán, 2008 (Ephemeroptera: Tricorythidae) from Tamil Nadu, India

Sparsorythus srokai sp. nov. is described from the Veerapandi River, Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India based on nymphs of both sexes. The nymphs of Sparsorythus srokai sp. nov. can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: i) presence of lateral setae in each segment of caudal filaments, ii) dorsal surface of labrum entirely covered with scattered ribbon-like bristles, iii) posterior margin of mesonotum reaching abdominal segment III in both sexes, and iv) left prostheca with several pointed teeth apically. The new species is compared with other Indian species: S. gracilis Sroka & Soldán, 2008, S. sivaramakrishnani Sivaruban, Srinivasan, Barathy, Rosi & Isack, 2021 and S. nanjangudensis Muthukatturaja & Balasubramanian, 2021. The distributional map and key to the genus Sparsorythus in Southern India are also given.

Dipcadi janae-shrirangii (Asparagaceae), a new species from the lateritic plateaus of Konkan region of Maharashtra, India

Dipcadi janae-shrirangii is described and illustrated as a new species from the lateritic plateaus of Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. The new species is allied to the D. concanense (Dalzell) Baker, but differ in its small flowers and perianth tube as long as the lobes. Coloured photographs, illustrations of new species and key to the Indian species of Dipcadi having shiny white flowers and brownish black seeds are provided to facilitate the identification.