Anirban Mahata

The earthworm fauna of the Eastern Ghats Hills in Peninsular India is still under explored. Here a new species, namely, Megascolex jamiesoni Narayanan & Paliwal, sp. nov. is described based on the specimens collected from the Eastern Ghats hills of Koraput district of Odisha state, India. It belongs to the ratus-species group. Members of this group are characterized by the following features: spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrows 7/8/9, penial setae absent, holandric, calciferous glands absent, and seminal vesicles in segments 9 and 12. Present work provides a detailed description of the new species along with the illustrations of the key characters. Apart from this, a key for the Indian Megascolex species is provided. With the new findings, the range of Megascolex genus has been extended to further north in the Eastern Ghats Hills. With the discovery of the new taxa, the total number of species in the Megascolex genus has increased to 71, of these, 35 are found in India.

Understanding the factors that influence the diversity and distribution of butterfly species is crucial for prioritizing conservation. The Eastern Ghats of India is an ideal site for such a study, where butterfly diversity studies have yet to receive much attention. This study emphasized the butterfly assemblages of three prominent habitats in the region: open forests, riparian forests, and dense forests. We hypothesized that riparian forests would be the most preferred habitat for the butterflies, as they provide suitable microclimatic conditions for butterflies. The study collected samples for 35 grids of 2 × 2 km² for each habitat during the dry months (December–June). We considered the relative humidity, temperature, light intensity, elevation, and canopy cover to assess their influences on butterfly richness and abundance. We also considered the impact of disturbances on their distribution. We used structural equation modeling and canonical correspondence analysis to quantify the correlation and causation between the butterflies and their environment. The study recorded 1614 individual butterflies of 79 species from 57 genera and 6 families. During the study, we found that temperature was the most significant factor influencing butterfly richness. Relative humidity was also important and had a positive impact on butterfly richness. Riparian forests, where daytime temperatures are relatively low, were the most preferred microhabitat for butterflies. Open forests had greater species diversity, indicating the critical significance of an open canopy for butterflies. Though riparian forests need greater attention concerning butterfly distribution, maintaining open and dense forests are crucial for preserving butterfly diversity.

A butterfly study in the biodiversity rich biogeography transition zone of the undivided Midnapore District of West Bengal was carried out from March 2014 to March 2017. A total of 98 species of butterflies under five families, 19 subfamilies, and 70 genera were documented by the study. Maximum species diversity was found in Nymphalidae family with 31 species (31.63%), followed by Lycaenidae 24 species (24.48%), Hesperiidae-17 (17.34%), Pieridae 16 (16.32%), and the least by Papilionidae 10 (10.28%). Among the families, the highest common species (n=10) was recorded under the family Nymphalidae and maximum rare species (n=4) under the family Lycaenidae. Highest species richness has been recorded in post-monsoon season (97 species) followed by monsoon (78 species), winter (66 species), and pre-monsoon (47 species). During the study, five species of butterflies (Castalius rosimon, Neptis jumbah, Discophora sondaica, Lethe europa, and Papilio clytia) under Schedule-I, three species (Euchrysops cnejus, Mahathala ameria, and Cepora nerissa) under Schedule-II and three species (Baoris farri, Hyarotis adrastus, and Euploea core) under Schedule-IV were legally protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. A good species to genera ratio (1.4: 1) along with 10 newly recorded species and their range extension provide information for better understanding of the ecology and distribution pattern of the butterfly fauna. The information of the study will thus help to develop conservation strategies for management of the unique bio-geographical transitional zone.

The first record of a butterfly species, the Tamil Treebrown Lethe drypetis todara Moore, 1881 (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) is described from Deomali Hill range of southern Odisha, in Eastern Ghats of India, collected by fruit-baiting. This is the first record from Odisha almost 129 years after its first report from Khurda in coastal Odisha by Taylor & de Niceville in the year 1888. The ecology and sampling of the species are described in this study.

A biodiversity survey was conducted in Koraput District of southern Odisha between August 2014 and July 2017. During the survey, occurrence of Mugger or Marsh Crocodile Crocodylus palustris was ascertained from five localities in a stretch of 23km of river Saberi, a tributary of the Godavari River system. The area is in the Gupteswar proposed reserve forest of Odisha, and forms a boundary with Kanger Ghat National Park of Chhattisgarh State. The geographic region offers possible scope for long term ecological monitoring jointly by wildlife organizations of Odisha and Chhattisgarh in collaboration with Central University of Orissa. For long-term conservation of the species, activities may be initiated with annual monitoring of crocodile populations involving local people, and creating awareness about the Schedule-I status of crocodiles under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.