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Myristica swamps are one of the world's unique freshwater ecosystems. In recent years there has been an increase in reports about their distribution along the Western Ghats. In this paper, we present a new distribution record for Myristica swamps in the northern part of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra. The Myristica swamp is located within the Bhalandeshwar Sacred Grove of Kumbral Bagwadi, Dodamarg Maharastra, India. This forms the second report from the state of Maharastra. Frequent field visits were made to study and document the floral assemblage and biodiversity in the swamp from November 2023 to January 2024. The swamp is dominated by Myristica magnifica Bedd. and is part of a sacred grove protected by villagers due to religious beliefs. The second discovery of a Myristica swamp with a gap of just six years points out to the potential existence of more swamps in the region. Therefore, systematic surveys are needed to document undocumented swamps in various areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic beetles are potential indicators of freshwater ecosystem and play an important role in food web and nutrient cycling. Parameters like pH, temperature, conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, are important water quality parameters. The present study is focused on the diversity of aquatic beetles and assessing water quality parameters of the sacred Indrayani River from various sites namely Valvan, Kamshet, Warangwadi, Begadewadi, Moshigaon, Alandi, Dhanore, and Tulapur. A total of 94 examples of aquatic beetles belonging to 31 species under 19 genera and four families from Indrayani River were recorded along with water quality parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is based on the surveys conducted from 2015-2018 resulting in identification of 37 species of 25 genera of noctuid moths. From the surveys, three new records including one unusual species namely, Conservula indica (Moore, 1867) are reported in the present study. A total of eight species of this family are reported as endemic. Two species-C. indica and Pyrrhia umbra-are reported first time from the Western Ghats part of Maharashtra. In this communication, notes on host plant, type species, endemic species with their distribution are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was taken up to report a new record of the tiger moth genus, Olepa Watson, 1980 from India along with the discovery of a new subspecies. Earlier the genus was thought to have restricted distribution range in South and South-East Asia until the report of O. schleini Witt, Müller, Kravchenko, Miller, Hausmann & Speidel from the Mediterranean Coastal Plain of Israel in 2005. The species identification and the new subspecies is proposed based on the combination of morphological studies, available literature comparisons, geographical distribution, DNA barcoding and its phylogeny. Morphological character crypticity and genital structure variations are well documented in the genus with ‘bio-species’ groups. DNA Barcoding data of mt COI has provided some resolution in sorting the problems of ‘bio-species’ groups of the genus in the past studies. In the present study, with the available mt DNA COI barcodes and newly generated barcodes genetic identity is confirmed for the species O. ricini, O. schleini, O. toulgoeti and Olepa schleini chandrai ssp. nov., with their phylogenetic relationships. Morphological variations within the O. schleini species complex are discussed with a new record of the species for India and a new subspecies description. With the first mt COI barcode phylogeny for the genus, comments are made on the taxonomic identity of the mt COI DNA barcodes available in the GenBank for the Olepa species from India.

Aarey Milk Colony (AMC) is 16km2 of forested area, acts as a buffer to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai. It has gardens, lakes, recreation spots, and a nursery. It also harbors 32 cattle farms, animal husbandry centers. Apart from urbanization and forest degradation, this forest harbors great biodiversity which includes the leopard as a top predator and also lesser-known species of amphibians, reptiles, and arthropods. Considering ants as important bio indicators and the vulnerability of AMC to development plans, a study on the diversity of ants was conducted from January 2016 to May 2016. Four methods were used for data collection of ants--pitfall trap, line-transect, quadrate, and all-out search. A total of 35 species under 24 genera under six subfamilies- Myrmicinae, Formicinae, Ponerinae, Dolichoderinae, Pseudomyrmecinae, and Cerapachyinae were recorded during this study. The Simpson's diversity index (0.88) for the pit fall trap indicates that the diversity of ants in the AMC is fairly high. This increases the importance of this forest land which is presently facing a mass destruction of trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onychomesa susainathani Wygodzinsky, 1966, an emesine bug known so far only from its type specimen, is illustrated with additional descriptive notes herein from Maharashtra State in India. It is a rediscovery after about 60 years.

Two new species of the damselfly genus Euphaea Selys, 1840 (Odonata: Euphaeidae) are described from the Western Ghats of Satara District, Maharashtra, distinguished by their distinct morphology and coloration. E. thosegharensis Sadasivan & Bhakare sp. nov. is similar to E. cardinalis (Fraser, 1924), but is distinguished by the extensor and flexor surface of all femora black while all femora bright red in E. cardinalis; apical fourth of Hw black while apical half of Hw black in E. cardinalis; genae reddish-orange, black in E. cardinalis; a tuft of sparse stub black hair on either side of tergite of S9 while both S8 and S9 with tufts of long ventral hairs in E. cardinalis. Male genital vesicle matt black, with distal border rounded angles, while vesicle black and hexagonal in shape with rounded angles in E. cardinalis and S9 twice the length of S10, while S9 and S10 of equal length in E. cardinalis. E. pseudodispar Sadasivan & Bhakare sp. nov., is very close to E. dispar (Rambur, 1842), but is differentiated easily by the absence of yellow patch on legs as in E. dispar; only apical fifth of Hw black; genae being yellowish-white, while black in E. dispar; male genital vesicle brownish-black & rhomboid-shaped and with no transverse rugosities while black with distal border rounded and with fine transverse rugosities in E. dispar; penis with single seta on each side while E. dispar has three pairs; sternite of S9 very prominently extending ventrally like a beak in comparison with E. dispar. We have identified additional morphological characters useful in taxonomy of Euphaea of the Western Ghats for example, tufts of ventral hairs on terminal abdominal segments genital vesicle, penile structure of males and sternite of S9 in the males, and vulvar scales of females. A taxonomic key to all known species of genus Euphaea of the Western Ghats is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphophallus longiconnectivus Bogner and A. margaritifer (Roxb.) Kunth are reported for the state of Maharashtra. In addition to this the notes on variations in spadices of the species has also been provided.

In the course of floristic explorations in the hill station of Matheran of Maharashtra, authors collected an interesting specimen of a Litsea. After critical examination and comparing specimens with all available collections in various herbaria including Kew, the tree was identified as Litsea oleoides (Meissn.) Hook.f., an endemic species of wet evergreen forests in SouthIndia, hitherto not reported from Maharashtra. Same is reported here with notes on its distribution and phenology.

A small reduviid bug Emesopsis nubila Uhler, 1893 is reported from Maharashtra State, India, for the first time. Digital illustrations of important morphological characters, including male genitalia and female terminalia, are provided in the additional description.

The present paper deals with the first record of Omorgus (Afromorgus) italicus (Reiche, 1853) from the Western Ghats, India. The morphological description, including that of male genitalia, illustration and distribution of the newly recorded species has been provided. The identified specimen has been deposited at National Zoological Collection, Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

The family Idiopidae is dominated by the subfamily Idiopinae with 106 species recorded from the world; 20 species (five species of Helgimomerus, 12 species of Idiops, and three species of Scalidognathus) are reported from India. In this paper, we describe a new species of Heligmomerus wii from Dehradun, Uttarakhand and four new species of Idiops: Idiops bonny, Idiops reshma, & Idiops sally from Dangs, Gujarat and Idiops vankhede from Maharashtra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was taken up to report a new record of the tiger moth genus, Olepa Watson, 1980 from India along with the discovery of a new subspecies. Earlier the genus was thought to have restricted distribution range in South and South-East Asia until the report of O. schleini Witt, Müller, Kravchenko, Miller, Hausmann & Speidel from the Mediterranean Coastal Plain of Israel in 2005. The species identification and the new subspecies is proposed based on the combination of morphological studies, available literature comparisons, geographical distribution, DNA barcoding and Its phylogeny. Morphological character crypticity and genital structure variations are well documented in the genus with 'bio-species' groups. DNA Barcoding data of mt COI has provided some resolution in sorting the problems of 'bio-species' groups of the genus in the past studies. In the present study, with the available mt DNA COI barcodes and newly generated barcodes genetic identity is confirmed for the species O. ricini, O. schleini, O. toulgoeti and Olepa schleini chandrai ssp. nov., with their phylogenetic relationships. Morphological variations within the O. schleini species complex are discussed with a new record of the species for India and a new subspecies description. With the first mt COI barcode phylogeny for the genus, comments are made on the taxonomic identity of the mt COI DNA barcodes available in the GenBank for the Olepa species from India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cnemaspis flaviventralis, a new species of day gecko, is described from the forests of Amboli, Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra State, northern Western Ghats, India. The new species was previously confused with the sympatric species Cnemaspis girii, C. indraneildasii, C. kolhapurensis and C. goaensis. It is distinguished from C. giri by having spine-like tubercles on flanks, granular dorsal scales intermixed with large, depressed, slightly keeled scales (vs. lack of spine-like tubercles on flanks, granular dorsal scales, intermixed with large smooth scales); from C. indraneildasii by having dorsal scales heterogeneous (vs. homogenous), lacking a series of enlarged median sub-caudal scales, and 28–29 (vs. 20) ventral scales across mid-body; from C. kolhapurensis by having heterogeneous (vs. homogenous) dorsal scalation, lacking spine-like tubercles on flanks and lacking pre-cloacal pores (vs. 24–28 pre-cloacal-femoral pores); and from C. goaensis by lacking pre-cloacal pores and lacking a series of enlarged median sub-caudal scales. We further provide partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences for the new species and for the sympatric species C. girii, C. kolhapurensis and C. goaensis, and show that the new species is genetically distinct.

The present study reports the moth species Mecodina metagrapta Hampson 1926 after a gap of 92 years from India. Also, this is the first record of this genus and species from Maharashtra.

Onychomesa susainathani Wygodzinsky, 1966, an emesine bug known so far only from its type specimen, is illustrated with additional descriptive notes herein from Maharashtra State in India. It is a rediscovery after about 60 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted monthly road surveys for encounter rates of Chinkara Gazella bennettii in Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (MWS), Supe Baramati, Pune from June 2011 to May 2012. The sighting records of Chinkara were collected from opportunistic surveys conducted in adjoining areas of the Sanctuary, up to a distance of 200km in the southwestern region of the Deccan plateau, Maharashtra. We observed that the Chinkara was facing threats from habitat depletion, including in MWS which was declared a sanctuary for their protection. Road widening projects such as the four lane Pune-Solapur National Highway runs 13km on its northern side and a district highway from Ahmednagar to Satara running north-south from the boundary of the Sanctuary have been proposed. Other threats like vehicular movement from tar roads crossing the sanctuary, a proposed underground canal, a major irrigation canal to be constructed along the boundary of the sanctuary, and the increasing number of fenced plots for new residential and other development projects are responsible for the reduction in suitable habitats of the Chinakara. It appears that within a few years, the sanctuary will become an isolated patch of protected grassland, affecting the smooth movement of Chinkara within and beyond the sanctuary limits. Therefore, the remaining population of Chinkara from the entire human dominated landscape will struggle for survival.

A new name in the genus Ledebouria Roth is validated for Scilla viridis Blatter & Hallberg [non Scilla viridis (L.) Salisbury]. It is rediscovered after about 85 years of its first and only report. It is also redescribed on the basis of morphology, anatomy, cytology and assigned the name Ledebouria junnarensis S.S. Rahangdale & S.R. Rahangdale belonging to the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Hyacinthoideae. As this is a species endemic to the Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India, it is studied for threat status as per IUCN criteria & guidelines and assigned the status Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii). Identification keys for the genera and species of subfamily Hyacinthoideae reported from India are prepared on the basis of reported and observed characters.

The Hemithyrsocera palliata is a shining dark brown about 12mm sized cockroach. Pronotum sub-elliptical, black with golden yellow margin. In India, the taxon is reported from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Tripura. It is now recorded from Sangirdewadi, Kudal, Sindhudurga of Maharashtra for the first time which is an addition for Blattodea of Maharashtra. H. palliata is pictured and described for the first time in the literature.

An occurrence of three species, that are reported in Maharashtra flora based on Cooke’s report in ‘The Flora of the presidency of Bombay’, has been confirmed based on herbarium specimens deposited in the herbarium of Agharkar Research Institute, Pune in recent years.

Cnemaspis flaviventralis, a new species of day gecko, is described from the forests of Amboli, Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra State, northern Western Ghats, India. The new species was previously confused with the sympatric species Cnemaspisgirii, C. indraneildasii, C. kolhapurensis and C. goaensis. It is distinguished from C giri by having spine-like tubercles on flanks, granular dorsal scales intermixed with large, depressed, slightly keeled scales (vs. lack of spine-like tubercles on flanks, granular dorsal scales, intermixed with large smooth scales); from C. indraneildasii by having dorsal scales heterogeneous (vs. homogenous), lacking a series of enlarged median sub-caudal scales, and 28-29 (vs. 20) ventral scales across mid-body; from C. kolhapurensis by having heterogeneous (vs. homogenous) dorsal scalation, lacking spine-like tubercles on flanks and lacking pre-cloacal pores (vs. 24-28 pre-cloacal-femoral pores); and from C. goaensis by lacking pre-cloacal pores and lacking a series of enlarged median sub-caudal scales. We further provide partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences for the new species and for the sympatric species C. girii, C. kolhapurensis and C. goaensis, and show that the new species is genetically distinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satara District of Maharashtra State is a part of northern Western Ghats and Deccan Plateau biogeographic zones. The data on various faunal groups was collected from the extensive study carried out during the period between 2007 and 2010, covering different parts of the district. The present study reports faunal diversity of the district with 677 species under 150 families belonging to 11 different groups. Overall, the district has substantial faunal diversity. Out of the total species, 94 are recorded as endemic species, 35 species are listed as threatened under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and 38 species are listed in the different schedules of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (as amended up to 2013). The information on geographical distribution pattern of mammalian species in the district is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted monthly road surveys for encounter rates of Chinkara Gazella bennettii in Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (MWS), Supe Baramati, Pune from June 2011 to May 2012. The sighting records of Chinkara were collected from opportunistic surveys conducted in adjoining areas of the Sanctuary, up to a distance of 200km in the southwestern region of the Deccan plateau, Maharashtra. We observed that the Chinkara was facing threats from habitat depletion, including in MWS which was declared a sanctuary for their protection. Road widening projects such as the four lane Pune-Solapur National Highway runs 13km on its northern side and a district highway from Ahmednagar to Satara running north-south from the boundary of the Sanctuary have been proposed. Other threats like vehicular movement from tar roads crossing the sanctuary, a proposed underground canal, a major irrigation canal to be constructed along the boundary of the sanctuary, and the increasing number of fenced plots for new residential and other development projects are responsible for the reduction in suitable habitats of the Chinakara. It appears that within a few years, the sanctuary will become an isolated patch of protected grassland, affecting the smooth movement of Chinkara within and beyond the sanctuary limits. Therefore, the remaining population of Chinkara from the entire human dominated landscape will struggle for survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new name in the genus Ledebouria Roth is validated for Scilla viridis Blatter & Hallberg [non Scilla viridis (L.) Salisbury]. It is rediscovered after about 85 years of its first and only report. It is also redescribed on the basis of morphology, anatomy, cytology and assigned the name Ledebouria junnarensis S.S. Rahangdale & S.R. Rahangdale belonging to the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Hyacinthoideae. As this is a species endemic to the Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India, it is studied for threat status as per IUCN criteria & guidelines and assigned the status Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii). Identification keys for the genera and species of subfamily Hyacinthoideae reported from India are prepared on the basis of reported and observed characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus) winters in certain Asian and European countries. It is commonly seen in the eastern parts of India but sporadically distributed in peninsular India. It was observed on few occasions at the site visited by authors. This report is for one of its rare sightings, in the peninsular region of India in Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

A new species of barb Pethia lutea is described from the Kundalika River in the northern part of the Western Ghats. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners in India based on a combination of characters including a distinct humped nape, absence of barbels, complete lateral line, lips thick, lateral fold on snout, 19–22 lateral line scales, 8 predorsal scales, 9–10 prepelvic scales, 14–15 preanal scales, 4–4½ transverse scale rows between lateral line and dorsal fin origin, 2½–3 transverse scale rows between lateral line and pelvic fin base, 6–9 pair of serrae on the distal half of the dorsal fin spine, 13–15 branched pectoral fin rays, 7 branched pelvic fin rays, 4+26 total vertebrae, 4+13 abdominal and 13 caudal vertebrae, body with one vertical humeral and one caudal blotch and dorsal fin without any bands or blotches. Additionally, we provide new records of Pethia punctata from the rivers of Maharashtra State along with a description of its osteology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports the presence of the branchiopod Cyclestheria hislopi (Baird) in one permanent and one temporary fresh water pond near Pune City, Maharashtra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]