DNA Barcode for the Parthenogenetic Surinam Cockroach Pycnoscelus surinamensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Blattodea: Blaberidae) from India

DNA Barcoding is one of the emerging tools in molecular identification of faunal diversity, specifically insect fauna. The Surinam cockroach, Pycnoscelus surinamensis is the only known roach to be obligatorily parthenogenetic, with reported haplotypes. P. surinamensis is well established in Indomalayan, tropical and subtropical regions and substantially documented from India with a phenetic approach. Herewith we report the first set of mt DNA barcode from a vouchered collection for the species from southern Western Ghats India. Discussions are made on the identity of two sequences each of Blatteria species and Pycnoscelus species reported from USA.

Importance Of Small Diameter Woody Plants And Treelet Species In Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest Of Southern Western Ghats, India

Tropical forests have long been accepted for their productivity and ecosystem services on account of their high diversity and stand structural attributes. In spite of their significance, tropical forests, and especially those of Asia, remain understudied. Until recently, most forest inventories in Asia have concentrated on trees 10 cm in diameter. Floristic composition, plant species diversity, above-ground biomass, basal area, and diversity were investigated across different life forms and two-diameter classes in a large-scale 10-ha plot, in the undisturbed tropical seasonal rain forest of Southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India. The regeneration pattern of the study area was examined by evaluating fisher's alpha and IVI (Important Value Index) across three layers of vegetation (seedling, sapling, and tree). Within the plot, we recorded 25,390 woody plant species ≥1 cm dbh from 45 families, 91 genera, and 106 species. Plant density was 2539 woody individuals per hectare, with a basal area of 47.72 m2/ha and above-ground biomass of 421.77 Mg/ha. By basal area, density, and frequency, the Rubiaceae, Sapotaceae, and Malvaceae families were the most important. Small-diameter trees (1 cm ≤ dbh ≤10 cm) were found to be 78 percent of the total tree population, 20.2 percent of the basal area, and 1.4 percent of the aboveground biomass. They also possessed 6 percent more diversity at the family level, 10% more diversity at the genus level, and 12% more diversity at the species level than woody individuals under 10 cm dbh. Woody individuals of treelets life form and small-diameter classes were much more diverse and dense than the other groups, indicating that results based only on larger canopy trees and larger diameter class maybe not be an appropriate representation of the diversity status of a particular tropical forest type. The lower density of individuals in the initial girth class indicates the vulnerability of the forest system to anthropogenic, natural disturbance and a changing climate. Reduce the minimum diameter limit down to 1 cm, in contrast to 10 cm limit used in most of the evergreen forest inventories, revealed a high density and diversity in the lower stories.

Taxonomic identity and ecological status of two rare orchids from southern western ghats, india

An assessment has been made to identify the rare, endemic and threatened species in the Velliangiri hills of Southern Western Ghats, India. During field explorations, two rare species of terrestrial saprophytic orchids were collected. On critical appraisal and authentication of herbarium specimens, they were identified as Aphyllorchis montana Rchb. f. and Epipogium roseum (D. Don) Lindl. The present paper deals with their correct taxonomic identity, distribution and ecological status.

A new species of Artabotrys (Annonaceae) from the southern Western Ghats, India

A new species, Artabotrys sericeus Sujana & Vadhyar, is described from Tamil Nadu, India. The new species shows some resemblance to Artabotrys zeylanicus Hook.f. & Thomson, but it can be easily distinguished by the shape, size, colour and indumentum of the petals as well as the shape and texture of the monocarps. Illustrations, photographs and SEM images of the pollen grains of the new species are provided. The conservation status of the new species is also assessed.

Three new species of Atalophlebiinae (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) of India, with a new record of the genus Megaglena Peters and Edmunds, 1970

Three new species of Leptophlebiidae viz., Choroterpes (Choroterpes) andamanensis Vasanth, Subramanian & Selvakumar n. sp., Edmundsula meghamalaiensis Vasanth, Subramanian & Selvakumar n. sp. and Megaglena agasthiya Vasanth, Subramanian & Selvakumar n. sp. are described based on our recent exploration of mayflies from the streams of Andaman Island, Tamil Nadu and Kerala part of the southern Western Ghats. The genus Megaglena Peters & Edmunds, 1970 has extended the distribution in southern peninsular India as represented by the occurrence of M. agasthiya n. sp. Larval key is provided to the known and new species of subgenus Choroterpes of India along with the distribution map of new species.

Fimbristylis sunilii (Cyperaceae): A new species from Southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India

Fimbristylis sunilii, a new species of Cyperaceae, from Western Ghats of Kerala, Southwest India is described and illustrated with photographs. The paper provides distribution and phenology of the new species along with comparison of its allied species.