Kumarapuram Apadodharanan Subramanian

A new species of the family Euphaeidae, Dysphaea assamensis sp. nov. is described based on five male specimens collected in Karbi Anglong District, Assam, India. The female is described from a photograph. The species has been regularly confused with Dysphaea walli Fraser, 1927, and previous authors have also identified it as a distinct species and described, but not named it, from photographs. This is the first time physical specimens have been available for formal description and naming, and the paper emphasises the need for the collection of voucher specimens to support taxonomic research. A differential diagnosis discussing the differences between D. assamensis and D. walli is provided.

Allocaecilius nilgiriensis sp. nov., discovered in the Southern Western Ghats of India, is described and illustrated. It can be distinguished by presence of unique brown patches in the distal cells R1, R3 and R5 in the forewing and thumb-like posterolateral sclerites in hypandrium. This represents the second species of the genus recorded from the country. Additionally, an updated key to all known species of genus Allocaecilius Lee & Thornton, 1967 and their distribution is provided.

Worldwide, the genus Macromia Rambur, 1842 consists of 84 species (Dalvi et al. 2024; Paulson et al. 2025). The members of the genus Macromia are large dark metallic green to ochraceous dragonflies...

To date, six Ephemerellidae genera have been reported from India. Nymphal material from Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland form the bases for reporting three additional genera from India for the first time: Ephacerella Paclt 1994, Kangella Sartori 2004 and Notacanthella Jacobus & McCafferty 2008. Each taxon is illustrated in detail, and each is discussed in its systematic context.

A new species of damselfly, Mortonagrion santha sp. nov. is described from Dasarathpur, Rangat, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. This species is closely similar to M. arthuri Fraser, 1942, from which it can be distinguished by the shape of the postocular spots, markings on the S9 and the unique shape of the caudal appendages. We have provided an updated identification key to the males and females of Mortonagrion Fraser, 1920 species known from South and Southeast Asia.

Madhav Gadgil was an evolutionary ecologist and champion of governmental and intergovernmental policies for biodiversity conservation, human coexistence with nature, and indigenous rights to land, natural resources, and self-governance. He made foundational contributions to the development of biodiversity sciences, human ecology, people’s traditional knowledge—and inherent rights to that knowledge as documented through biodiversity registers. Gadgil advocated a coherent policy integrating human welfare and biodiversity conservation in India. He will be remembered as an academic giant and an unmatched thinker, policy advocate, institution-builder, and humanitarian.

A new record of the species Baetis (Rhodobaetis) oreophilus Kluge, 1982 is based on larvae collected from Lam stream, Pulwama district, Jammu & Kashmir. The species is reported for the first time from India, and re-described after four decades based on larval material. It is placed within the subgenus Rhodobaetis s.l. Jacob, 2003. A comparison table between closely related species of the subgenus and distribution map is also provided.

Genetic diversity plays a crucial role in influencing evolution and adaptation. The order Primates is distinguished by advanced social structures, ecological adaptability, and extensive geographic distribution. These factors suggest that genetic variation within primate species is formed by both natural selection and historical population changes. Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) occupy a broad range across India. Their extensive genomic variation reveals significant intra-specific differences among populations. We sequenced and analyzed approximately 565 bases of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region from 236 fecal samples of wild Indian rhesus macaques, collected from 25 locations across 12 Indian states. We identified 66 haplotypes with overall haplotype and nucleotide diversity of 0.833 ± 0.023 and 0.0174 ± 0.0031, respectively. Among states, West Bengal_Sundarban showed the highest haplotype diversity (1.000 ± 0.126), while Delhi showed the lowest (0.182 ± 0.144). Phylogenetic analysis revealed two divergent clades. Clade 1 comprised North Indian cluster, including those from the Himalayan foothills, and Clade 2 comprised East Indian cluster. Genetic difference (Fst) of 80.05% observed between the two clades, indicating the presence of two deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages, suggesting the possible presence of two subspecies of rhesus macaques in India. However, this inference should be further validated using additional nuclear markers to confirm the taxonomic status. PCA plot and Median-joining (MJ) network analysis further revealed two haplogroups: Haplogroup I was primarily associated with North Indian cluster, while Haplogroup II from East Indian cluster. Interestingly, some individuals from the South Indian cluster, Telangana appeared in both Clade suggesting possible southward dispersal. Telangana, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal_Sundarban, and Odisha populations showed signatures of geographical and historical isolation. Demographic analyses indicated historical population contraction. The pronounced genetic structure and mtDNA divergence, when compared with rhesus macaques from other countries, further support the existence of two subspecies that can be confirmed with nuclear markers for robust taxonomic inference. Our study contributes to understanding genetic connectivity, population structure and migration patterns, which will aid in the long-term monitoring of Indian rhesus macaques.