Rajappa Babu

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.

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.

Three new species of the genus Ectopsocus, namely E. bispinosus sp. nov., E. cluniatoides sp. nov., and E. sengaltheri sp. nov., are described and illustrated. In addition, four species of Ectopsocus, (E. ewarti Vaughan, Thornton & New, 1989; E. himalayanus New, 1971; E. hypandrus Thornton, 1984; and E. meridionalis Ribaga, 1904), and one species of Ectopsocopsis (E. mozambica (Badonnel, 1931)), are reported for the first time from India. Moreover, the female of E. himalayanus New, 1971, is described for the first time. This study is the first record of the genus Ectopsocopsis from India. We also provide an updated key to the species of the family Ectopsocidae from India.

The genus Anaplectoidea Shelford, 1906 is an oriental taxon represented by 13 species in South, South East Asia and China. In the present study, we report the discovery of the genus Anaplectoidea in India, with the description of two new species, Anaplectoidea indica sp. nov. and Anaplectoidea garoensis sp. nov. from Jharkhand and Meghalaya, respectively. Based on a single female specimen, we also report one undescribed species of Anaplectoidea from the Western Ghats. The type specimens of the new species are deposited at the Southern Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India (SRC, ZSI), Chennai.

Two new species of the genus Thalerosphyrus are described based on larvae collected from India, viz., T. bengalensis Vasanth, Kubendran & Subramanian sp. nov. and T. sartorii Vasanth, Kubendran & Subramanian sp. nov., and these are described based on larvae collected from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, India. The new species are closely related to T. flowersi and T. meghalayaensis and compared to all known species of the genus Thalerosphyrus from the Oriental region. These new species are strongly distinguished from T. flowersi, as demonstrated by clear photographs of the paratype specimen of the larva. A key to the known species of the genus Thalerosphyrus from India and a distribution map are provided.

Two new species of Hemipsocus Selys-Longchamps, 1872 are described here based on specimens collected from the forests of Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, India. The species, H. mockfordi sp. nov. and H. menoni sp. nov., are differentiated from other members of this genus by the following characteristics; the female subgenital plate with two apical lobes, the straight and strongly chitinized male paraproctal horn in H. mockfordi sp. nov. The male epiproct exhibits well-developed scales that extend from the anterior section towards the median region in H. menoni sp. nov.

Lichenomima aldretei n. sp. is described and depicted here and collected from the forests of the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India, and is distinguished by a distinctive apical lobe in the hypandrium.

Phallocaecilius indicus sp. nov., from the Southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India, is here described and illustrated. This is the third known species in the genus, which is here reported from the Indian subcontinent for the first time.