Abstract This study includes a taxonomic account of four species of genus Bolbohamatum; B. calanus (Westwood, 1848), B. phallosum Krikken, 1980, B. marginale Krikken, 1980 and B. laterale (Westwood, 1848) and one species of genus Bolbogonium; B. insidiosum Krikken, 1977 from Central India (Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh). The pronotal ornamentation and external male genitalia of Bolbohamatum species has been diagnosed with the incorporation of an identification key to the species from Central India. A checklist containing 19 Indian species of both genera (Bolbohamatum and Bolbogonium) has also been prepared with their distribution in different states of India as well as outside of India.
Key words : dung beetles, pronotal ornamentation, external male genitalia, distribution, India.
Submitted date: 23 July 2012 Accepted date: 24 September 2012 Published date: 14 November 2012 Pp. 65–68.
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW GENUS OF INDIAN SHORT-TAILED WHIP-SCORPIONS (SCHIZOMIDA: HUBBARDIIDAE) WITH NOTES ON THE TAXONOMY OF THE INDIAN FAUNA
Mandar L. Kulkarni* *E-mail: mandarkulkarni88@live.com
Abstract Indian hubbardiids which were recently described but had doubtful generic placements are revised. The new genus Gravelyzomus is described here for Schizomus chalakudicus Bastawade, 2002. A new combination is proposed for Schizomus chaibassicus Bastawade, 2002 which is newly transferred to the genus Burmezomus.
Key words : Gravelyzomus, Burmezomus chaibassicus, Arachnida, taxonomy, India.
EDITORIAL : Meet the Parasites: genetic approaches uncover new insights in parasitology
Ria R. Ghai & Colin A. Chapman* *Section Editor: Taprobanica, the journal of Asian Biodiversity
With the continual refinement and development of new molecular approaches, the last few years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of parasitological studies using genetics to answer ecological questions. Particularly, the advent of full genome sequencing holds promise to "decode all life", offering new potential to not only understand, but cure diseases. With the over-abundance of information and the comparable rapidity that these approaches can provide data, ecologists must be more careful than ever to select tools that suit their objectives and provide the resolution to their data that best fits their question, not simply the most attractive option. In this vein, Weinberg (2010) acknowledges that the molecular revolution has allowed a new mentality of “discover now and explain later” to invade research, and this has placed hypothesis-driven research under threat. However, regardless of potential setbacks that molecular approaches have introduced into basic research, their contributions to the progression of science are unquestionably more numerous and far reaching. Here, we discuss six areas where molecular approaches are useful to ecological parasitologists.
Submitted date: 9 May 2012 Accepted date: 15 May 2012 Published date: 28 May 2012 Pp. 59.
First record of the dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) from Colombo District, Sri Lanka
D.M.S.S. Karunarathna*, N. Hapuarachchi, D.H.P.U de Silva, A. Kumarasinghe, U.T.I. Abeyawardene & M. Madawala *E-mail: dmsameera@gmail.com
The Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis is one of the rarest and endangered bird in Sri Lanka. During a pilgrimage to Ambulgala Rajamaha Viharaya on 6 July 2009, one individual of dollarbird was sighted at Ambulgala (6° 54’ 20.98” N, 80° 03’ 03.01” E) between Hanwella and Ranala around 17:20 h. The dollarbird perched on a branch of a Jack tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus) around 10 m from ground level. During 40 minutes the bird flew away two times and came back and perched on the same tree. The villagers reported that the bird has been roosting on the same tree for past two months. Dollarbirds have been previously reported from many locations, but this is the first record from Colombo District, which is 40 km away from the nearest previous record from Kalutara District, Sri Lanka.
Submitted date: 9 May 2012 Accepted date: 15 May 2012 Published date: 28 May 2012 Pp. 57–58.
The advertisement call of Kandyan shrub frog (Pseudophilautus rus)
Dinal J. S. Samarasinghe* *E-mail: dinal.salvator@gmail.com
The Kandyan Shrub Frog, Pseudophilautus rus is known only from two localities around Kandy (500–800 m a.s.l), Sri Lanka; Kiribathkumbura and Pilimatalawa. Mature males attain a SVL of 20.6–24.1 mm and mature females up to 23.1 mm. P. rus perches on low vegetation, usually on leaves and branches of shrubs, grass, and logs, 0.1–1.5 m above the ground. Males of the species produce one of the most frequently heard calls in suburban and urban areas in Kandy, together with the common shrub frog P. popularis. Here, I describe for the first time the advertisement call of P. rus.