Diet Diversity and Dietary Overlap of Two Sympatric Vulture Species in Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary, Kashmir

Bird species that use similar resources are expected to use variant foraging approaches and segregate in order to minimize a possible competition among them. However, if they fail to attain this exclusion, competition results. We studied the diet composition and dietary overlap between two sympatric vulture species: Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis) and Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), the two important avian scavengers of Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary of Kashmir Himalaya. Analysis of pellets collected from feeding and roosting sites of these vulture species revealed a significant variation in their food consumption with Himalayan species consuming mostly larger dead mammalian species with higher frequency occurrence of 66.66% of Bubalus bubalus and bearded species the smaller dead mammalian ones with highest frequency occurrence of Ovis aries (83.82%). Diet spectrum of Himalayan vulture was more diverse (H’=1.97) than that of Bearded vulture (H’=1.64). The values of Berger-Parker index (Pimax) follows the reverse order of diversity with Pimax=36.2% for Himalayan vulture and Pimax =48.7% for Bearded vulture. There was very low dietary overlap between the two species (Ojk=0.466; C=0.457) which may favor their co-existence. The management of carrions of livestock and setting up of vulture restaurants is the need of the hour for the conservation of these scavenging birds which are facing high risk of extinction in Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary.

Lectotypification of the name Carex setosa (Cyperaceae)

Carex setosa Boott is a highly variable Sino-Himalayan species. In the protologue, the species was described by Francis Boott with three distinct morphotypes. Morphotypes were further illustrated in three different tabs. J.D. Hooker collected all the morphotypes in Lachen, Sikkim in 1849. The Indian morphotypes are Carex setosa var. setosa. The name Carex setosa is lectotypified here.

New and little-known bees of the genus Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae) from the Himalayas

An annotated list of twenty species of rarely collected and little known bees of the genus Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae) from the Himalayas is given. Sphecodes bluethgeni sp. nov. is described from Bhutan. Three species are newly recorded from the Himalayas: S. binghami Blüthgen, 1924, S. kershawi Perkins, 1921 and S. laticeps Meyer, 1920. Based on type specimens, new synonymies have been proposed for Sphecodes cameronii (Bingham, 1897) = S. armeniacus Warncke, 1992 syn. nov.; S. gibbus (Linnaeus, 1758) = S. indicus Bingham, 1898 syn. nov.; and S. invidus (Cameron, 1897) = S. nigrobasalis Meyer, 1922 syn. nov. A lectotype is designated for Sphecodes sikkimensis Blüthgen, 1927. Illustrated keys to males and females of all species known from the Himalayas and an updated checklist of the 26 Himalayan species of Sphecodes are provided. Additionally, one new species from neighboring Uttar Pradesh (India), Sphecodes uttaricus sp. nov., is here described as new and included due to its close relationship to the Himalayan S. sikkimensis Blüthgen, 1927.

Description of a new subgenus of Trichotichnus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), with two new species from the Western Ghats (India), and remarks on other subgenera

Within Trichotichnus Morawitz, 1863, the new subgenus Parairidessus subgen. nov. is described, which includes two new species from the Western Ghats in India: T. saluki sp. nov. (type species) from Western Karnataka and T. perforatus sp. nov. from Maharashtra. Each of the species has distinctive features unusual for Trichotichnus: several setae in pronotal apical angles and tarsi densely setose dorsally in T. saluki sp. nov., and median lobe with membranous ventral side in T. perforatus sp. nov. The other subgenera of Trichotichnus (Iridessus Bates, 1883, Trichotichnus s. str., Amaroschesis Tschitschérine, 1897, and Bottchrus Jedlička, 1935) are briefly reviewed and their distinctive features are clarified. Harpalus relucens Bates, 1973 [= T. orientalis (Hope, 1845)] is considered as a type species of Iridessus Bates, 1883, which was originally designated by Tschitschérine in 1906; the more recent designation of Harpalus lucidus Morawitz, 1863 as the type species of this subgenus by Habu in 1954 is invalid. The systematic position of the Himalayan species T. tonklii Kirschenhofer, 1992 and the two North American species, T. autumnalis (Say, 1823) and T. nitidulus (Chaudoir, 1843) nom. resurr., is discussed. Harpalus fulgens Csiki, 1932 (non Dejean, 1829) is considered as an unnecessary substitute name for Harpalus nitidulus Chaudoir, 1843. A key to subgenera of Trichotichnus is provided.

A new Himalayan species of Alfieriella (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae)

A new species of Alfieriella Wittmer, 1935 (Coleoptera, Cryptophagidae), Alfieriella senguptai sp. n. from China and India, is described. This is the first formal record of the genus Alfieriella and the tribe Hypocoprini from the Himalayan region. Alfieriella senguptai is the largest member of Alfieriella, and its presence in a cold, high-altitude environment conforms to Bergmann’s rule. The distribution of the genus Alfieriella may be associated with the breakup of the Tethys Ocean and the origin of A. senguptai influenced by the Himalayan orogeny. A distribution map and a key to species of Alfieriella are also provided.

Nomenclatural changes in Onagraceae

A new subspecies and two new combinations are proposed in Onagraceae. Ludwigia glandulosa Walter subsp. brachycarpa C.-I Peng, subsp. nov. is morphologically distinct from the typical subspecies, with smaller capsules and leaves, different seed coat, and a restricted distribution. Epilobium sect. Pachydium (Fischer & C. A. Meyer) Hoch & K. Gandhi, comb. nov. refers to a distinctive group of species formerly known as Boisduvalia Spach and as Epilobium sect. Boisduvalia (Spach) Hoch & P. H. Raven. And Chamaenerion speciosum (Decaisne) Hoch & K. Gandhi, comb. nov. is proposed for a distinctive Himalayan species originally described in Epilobium.