JOURNAL OF THE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Hornbill House, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, Mumbai 400 001.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Asad R. Rahmani, Ph. D.

Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai

Copy Epitor

Ranjit Manakadan, Ph. D.

Bombay Natural History Society

Copy AND PropucTION EDITOR

Vibhuti Dedhia, M.Sc.

Bombay Natural History Society

Editorial Board

Ajith Kumar, Ph. D.

Aasheesh Pittie, B. Com.

National Centre for Biological Sciences,

Bird Watchers Society of Andhra Pradesh,

GKVK Campus, Hebbal, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Karnataka G.S. Rawat, Ph. D.

C.R. Babu, Ph. D. Wildlife Institute of India,

Professor, Centre for Environmental Management Dehradun, Uttarakhand

of Degraded Ecosystems, J.D. Marcus Knight, Ph. D.

University of Delhi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

New Delhi J.S. Singh, Ph. D.

Anwaruddin Choudhury, Ph. D., D. Sc. Professor, ERMINE Hindu University

The Rhino Foundation for Nature, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Guwahati, Assam S. Subramanya, Ph. D.

; University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK,

Indraneil Das, D. Phil. - — Hebbal, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation,

Universiti Malaysia, Sarawak, R. Sukumar, Ph. D.

Malaysia é . Professor, Centre for Ecological Sciences,

Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Y.V. Jhala, Ph. D.

mt Rana ee ee Romulus Whitaker, B. Sc.

Wildlife Institute of India, Madras Reptile Park and Crocodile Bank Trust,

Dehradun, Uttarakhand Tamil Nadu

S.R. Yadav, Ph. D.

Shivaji University, Kolhapur,

Maharashtra

K. Ullas Karanth, Ph. D.

Wildlife Conservation Society — India Program,

Bengaluru, Karnataka

Consultant Editors

Gayatri W. Ugra, Ph. D.

Bombay Natural History Society

Raghunandan Chundawat, Ph. D.

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bengaluru

Nigel Collar, Ph. D.

BirdLife International, UK

Rhys Green, Ph. D.

Royal Society for Protection of Birds, UK

Qamar Qureshi, M. Phil.

Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun

Editorial Assistant: Sonali V. Vadhavkar, M. Sc.

Layout and Typesetting: V. Gopi Naidu and Sanchita S. Kadge

recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Enquiries concerning

reproduction outside the scope of the above should be addressed to the Honorary Secretary, BNHS at the address given above.

VOLUME 112(2): AUGUST 2015

CONTENTS

EDIT ORUALE isco Sscsc ce ones cece ba tape e ctencee he oe ap unre tn teas anh circa eee ee eee ee aelgatsln a <a PER Me ety RS Hh eee OMIM dia PME PE a hs tae dar tetera

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED FOREST OWLET HETEROGLAUX BLEWITT!

IN INDIA

Girish Jathar, Dnarmaraj Patil, Mohit Kalra, Thilina de Silva, A. Townsend Peterson, Mohammed Irfan-Ullah, Asad R. Rahmani,

Prachi Mehta and Jayant KUIK@IMi .......0..c:cccsaeceecssadndete ete cee e ewan nv unenne cnn atau einen iRAGital Ade yaruee tsi etsnd. cxsuye Mabaso Bot Ovys draeyeeact 2

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL PETAURISTA

PHILIPPENSIS (ELLIOT 1839) IN THE WESTERN GHATS, INDIA

Santhanakrishnan Babu, Honnavalli Nagaraj Kumara and Eluvathingal Antony JaySOn...........:cccce ence etesee eee eeteeeeenteeeeeeneaes

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES FROM MANGROVE FOREST FLOORS OF DELTAIC ISLANDS IN SUNDARBANS,

INDIA

Manjushree Mandal, Biswajit Biswas, Sanoyaz Sekh and Neera Sen Sarkal.............:escseseee sees eeee eee eneeene eee eneesceeteeeteeenneenerenaey

NEW DESCRIPTION

A NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS LEMBA HUANG, 1983 (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE: OXYINAE) FROM THE STATE OF

MEGHALAYA, NORTH-EAST INDIA

Mohd Imran Khan and Mohd Kamil USManI .............ccceccceeseeseeeeeneeeseee eters rtneeeeneeeeneeseseeesnaeesseeessseeesseeecseeecseeeroeeteneesniennnaseenenengs

1. NATURE WITHOUT BORDERS

2. THE ANNOTATED MALAY ARCHIPELAGO

Reviewed by'Asadl 19. Rainey giccver cases svcssartase “ce hanttoe-stenah ends suctan ss amc autres siaraaae eee

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

MAMMALS 7. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus

1. First record of the Himalayan Wolf Canis himalayensis nesting on a tree

from Baniya Kund, Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Cn Gangacdharon Meni, jas iscseucthania teat amiss nen

Uttarakhand, India 8. Sighting of Common Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus

Nitin Bhardwaj and Sheila Castelin0.............::cccee 88 ridibundus Linnaeus, and Wedge-tailed Shearwater

2. Adoption of power transmission towers as night refuge Ardenna pacifica (Gmelin) from south Andaman,

by Grey Langur Semnopithecus entellus Andaman & Nicobar Is., India

Rohit Chakravarty, Shashank Dalvi and C. Sivaperuman, P. Naveen Kumar and G. Gokulakrishnan

AMI, BRIEF O 0 -acpssasvcas-tresustacttemaaisaeseraeiae eae ie 88 9. Observations on the breeding of the Brown Fish-owl

3. Tubewell pits as death traps for animals: a case study Ketupa zeylonensis in Kerala, southern India

in Alwar district, Rajasthan, India T.N. Bindu and Peroth Balakrishnan .........0.000eee

Satish Kumar Sharma and Vijay Kumar Koli................. 89 10. Sighting of Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus in

AVES Narara Marine National Park, Gujarat, India

4. First report of Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes from Nosherwan Sethna and Kunal Munsiff...................06

Vidarbha region, Maharashtra, India 11. White-capped River-chat Phoenicurus leucocephalus

Gajanan Bapat and J.S. Wadatkar........:cccccsseeeeeees 92 (Vigors): first record for Jharkhand state, India

5. Sighting of a juvenile White-tailed Eagle at Jor Beed MAMTA CS OI ose GR aun ceed Lest aaa bis

carcass dump, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India 12. Night roosting on iron poles by the White-naped Tit Parus

Asif N. iG siccccssS eyesabsfeethe ae ree ti rae aes Ei 92 nuchalis in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

6. First breeding record of Saker Falcon Falco cherrug Sa ANS ic VIAN een NTIS 2c 5 Ga vctnada eaasinny as bhestesde naaneendinw'es

milvipes in India 13. A new low elevation summer record of Blanford’s or

Pankaj Chandan, Taej Mundkur, Jigmet Takpa, Crimson Rosefinch Agraphospiza rubescens (Blanford)

Pushpinder Singh Jamwal, Intesar Suhail, Tsewang Rigzin from Sikkim, India

PT yep LO uy glo. at ne Eee ne ee 93 Pre ait CRUE sealk castes een basi vstec dn eaaeaninass

100

14. Sap-drinking by birds on tapped Indian Date Palm

Phoenix sylvestris

NTS ial eal ees All cae trace te reat ree seme cere eee ame enie a pee oe chaos

REPTILES

iS:

FISH

16.

The Mountain Pit Viper Ovophis monticola (Gunther,

1864) (Reptilia: Crotalidae) in Mizoram, India, with a

note on its peculiar behaviour in captivity

DaviariINanig Prelit tcacaguesene censaer-s vsenrqteeoeearay th aaa eens eee

First report of McAdam’s Scorpionfish Parascorpaena

mcadamsi (Fowler, 1938) from Indian waters

Anil Mohapatra, Prasad Chandra Tudu and

PARA rea rome waned Nei Do hee

INSECTS

1%.

19.

Hover-flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in the Bombay Natural

History Society Collection, with an annotated checklist

of those recorded from Maharashtra, India

FSWT SIT AS IO OAC ie te cs cenreticact Weeds veneer ntingeileenes ss

Range extension of Common Jay Graphium doson

(Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) to Gujarat, India

B.M. Parasharya and Dhaval S. Patel................

Additions to larval host plants of butterflies of the

Western Ghats, Kerala, southern India (Rhopalocera,

Lepidoptera): Part 2

Kalesh, S. and Satya Krishna Prakash............::::eeee

102

103

104

OTHER INVERTEBRATES

20.

First record of Stiliger smaragdinus Baba, 1949

(Mollusca: Sacoglossa: Limapontiidae) from India

Apte, D.A., R.D. Kamboj and

AIS. OPE EE] pre SUE oD Wale ie etn, Wee Seen SnLeP nace Sey iy oma eee eee

21. Synchronous spawning of the Sea Cucumber Holothuria

(Lessonothuria) pardalis Selenka, 1867 in the Andaman

Archipelago, India

alll cli evel ICG sy ace sea red oe ee seen ae ve ec

BOTANY

22. Scleria multilacunosa T. Koyama and S. rugosa R.

Br. (Cyperaceae): additions to the flora of Karnataka,

India

A.N. Chandore, N.V. Malpure and S.R. Yadav...............

23. Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retz.) J. Presl & C. Pres!

(Cyperaceae) — a new record for Andaman & Nicobar

Islands and a note on its identity

A.N. Chandore, M.Y. Kamble and

eNO CLOSER ee the bee ate Cute INO ee nent eee ee ee

24. Effective mode of pollination in respect of reproductive

success of Jatropha curcas L.

Kanak oahal Andi KK. RAWAL <....:cccnc.-cve--c0vereceteesettentoess

Cover Photograph: Wolf Canis /upus

by Dhritiman Mukherjee

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,

Govt. OF INDIA,

FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE JOURNAL.

114

118

(nS)

120

Editorial

Connect and Conserve

We generally do not care for or love a thing which we do not know. Then how can we expect anyone

to protect a species or a habitat about which he/she does not know anything? In order to develop a larger

constituency for conservation, we have to connect people to species and their habitats. Both print and

social media play an important role in creating mass awareness, in other words, connecting people to the

conservation issues.

This connection or awareness was amply proved by the huge concern demonstrated by the general

public towards the decline of the House Sparrow Passer domesticus. There are many more critically

endangered species in the world but the masses get fired up when the issue of House Sparrow comes up,

although this little bird is still common in rural landscapes. This concern is mainly because we know the

House Sparrow, we connect with it, we have lived with it, and we have seen it in our houses and gardens.

Its decline in built-up urban areas is noticed and becomes a cause for concern. It 1s very similar to the

decline of American Robin Turdus migratorius in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s due to heavy use of

pesticides (primarily DDT). When Rachel Carson pointed out in her seminal book THE SILENT SPRING that

this familiar bird is dying out after eating pesticide-laden insects, the general public got alarmed. When a

common garden bird with which I have grown up disappears, why will I not get concerned? Carson had

given many other examples in her book, but no other bird fired up the imagination as the Robin did. This

shows the power of connection of wildlife with people.

The popularity of channels such as National Geographic, Animal Planet, and BBC Wildlife shows that

people like to see animal stories. There is an innate desire in human nature that connects us with animals.

We may not have visited the fabulous places shown in these documentaries, but we can get vicarious

pleasure in watching them. It gives us inner satisfaction that there are wonderful places in the world where

nature reigns supreme.

The best way to connect people with nature is to take them to nature. Anyone who visits a sanctuary

or a national park, even for a day, develops an attachment to the place. One may not become a great

conservationist but neither would one oppose the protection of such an area. Even hedonistic picnickers

enjoy nature. What they do there leaves much to be desired, but that is another matter.

India has nearly 640 protected areas, and some of them are extremely popular with the people. Even the

Central and State governments advertise PAs to attract tourists. But we have not explored the full potential

of wildlife tourism as a conservation tool. I frequently hear from PA managers that tourists are a problem.

Yes, in some cases they are, but wildlife tourism is not going to go away, so it is better to manage it and

use it for conservation and public awareness. Unfortunately, many of these popular parks have become too

expensive for the general public to visit. Some of them have become playgrounds for rich spoilt brats who

consider tiger-watching a fashion statement. They may not do much for wildlife conservation but these

are the people who pay to live in expensive resorts that employ locals. Many such resorts run the local

economy, helping the marginal people: thus runs the argument for high-end tourists and costly resorts.

There is certainly some merit in this argument, but I would prefer a middle path. Besides such resorts for

high-spender tourists, we should have middle-level hotels and resorts near PAs, which an average middle-

class Indian family can afford. They can be taken inside the PA in battery-driven buses to learn about and

enjoy nature. In this way, we can build up a large constituency for conservation.

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104923

Another important step that is urgently required, and is being done in some well-managed PAs, is to

take local people around the PA to see what has been protected. In many areas, people living within even

a kilometre of a PA have never been inside! Nearby colleges and schools can be charged subsidized rates

to visit a PA. The emphasis should be on visiting the nearest PA to appreciate the value of local flora and

fauna, instead of going off to a far-off popular park to see tiger, rhino, and elephant. For instance, school

children from Tinsukia and Dibrugarh in Assam are brought to Kaziranga, but many have not visited Dibru-

Saikhowa National Park which is 12 km from Tinsukia town. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh has some splendid

wetlands (most of them neglected) such as Lakh-Bahosi, Sandi, Saman, Samaspur, and Khurra, but people

prefer to go to Keoladeo NP in Rajasthan as it is well-known with good facilities. The UP Government is

very keen to increase tourist traffic, both local and international. If the government develops the wetlands

carefully for regulated tourism, they could receive thousands of visitors. A person who sees a flight of

10,000 ducks or a flock of 100 Sarus Crane would never forget the scene, and would surely develop empathy

for conservation.

Groups that need to be sensitized and connected with nature are lawyers, judges, and top bureaucrats

of the district, region, and state. Many conservation battles are won and lost in court. Although our judges go

according to the law of the land, a nature-sympathetic judge is always helpful. Similarly, district collectors

have great powers. Fortunately, the new generation of Indian Administrative Officers 1s fully aware of

conservation laws. I know a few young district collectors who have done more for conservation during

their tenure than many conservationists have done in their lifetime. I also happened to go with a young

collector to Dudhwa National Park, his first visit to any PA. In two days, he was a changed man — from

initially criticizing the forest department for stopping vikas and being anti-people, he came out of the Park

promising to stop all encroachment on forest land.

Conservation battles cannot be won without political support. Globe-trotting conservationists, hopping

from one international meeting to another and preaching to the converted, should spend some time with

local politicians who can destroy a natural area by taking a faulty decision, sometimes due to ignorance. I

went to Desert National Park with a politician to show him the beauty of the critically endangered Great

Indian Bustard. After seeing this grand bird, majestically walking in the grasslands of Sudasari core area, he

started singing hosannas. He promised that he would do everything to protect the State Bird of Rajasthan.

I was told that he spoke to the Chief Minister to start Project Bustards. This was the power of connecting

with the species. One of the reasons why tiger conservation has had such success is that people relate it with

the pride of India, a part of our natural wealth, a beauty to be appreciated and conserved. Unfortunately,

this is not the case with many species which are dying unwept, unprotected, and unsung.

Besides the emotional connection, another very important reason for conservation is economic. A

few months ago, a minister in Maharashtra strongly advocated declaring Umred Kharandla, a forest 1n his

constituency, as a Tiger Reserve because he saw the economic benefit of a tiger reserve in Tadoba-Andhari.

His argument was that once tiger-tourism is developed, local people will benefit in Umred Kharandla. Tiger-

tourism is a multi-crore business. Though at present most of the economic benefit goes to resort owners

and rich tour operators, with proper administrative and legal changes, we can make sure that greater benefit

goes to local people.

Asad R. Rahmani

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 112(2), May-August 2015

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

FOREST OWLET HETEROGLAUX BLEWITTI IN INDIA

GiRISH JATHAR!®*, DHARMARAJ Patit?, Monit KALRA!’, THILINA DE SiLvA>?, A. TOWNSEND PETERSON?!®,

MOHAMMED IRFAN-ULLAH*, ASAD R. RAHMANT!®, PRAcHT MEHTA>!! AND JAYANT KULKARNI?”

'Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, S.B. Singh Road, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra, India.

"Foundation for Ecological Conservation and Sustainable Development, Kolhapur 416 007, Maharashtra, India.

Email: [email protected]

*Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 USA.

‘Gulf Consult, College of Science, Sabah Al-Salem University City, Kuwait University, Shadadiya, Kuwait.

Email: [email protected]

°RH-I, 127/5, Ratan Park, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune 411 045, Maharashtra, India.

°Email: [email protected]

7Email: [email protected]

’Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

''Email: prachimehtal @gmail.com

Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104924

The Forest Owlet Heteroglaux blewitti was discovered and described scientifically in the 1870s, but went unrecorded

since 1880s until 1997; it was believed to be extinct for 113 years. Although the species was rediscovered and has

now been intensively studied, the limits of its geographic distribution remain poorly known. This study related known

occurrences of the species to remote-sensed environmental landscape characteristics to generate ecological niche models

that helped to identify potential distributional areas. We detected the species during field surveys at one location not

known previously to hold populations of the species, and identified many other possible areas of distribution for the

55-64

species using our niche models.

Key words: Forest Owlet, Heteroglaux blewitti, Ecological Niche Modeling, conservation

INTRODUCTION

Conservation of globally threatened species requires

accurate information about their status and distribution

(Ferrier 2002; Funk and Richardson 2002). In recent years,

considerable use has been made of ecological niche models

as a robust, quantitative source of such information (Guisan

and Zimmermann 2000; Segurado and Araujo 2004; Peterson

et al. 2011). This technique relates the occurrence of species

to the environmental characteristics of occurrence sites to

erect correlational models of appropriate conditions, which

in turn are used to map potential distributional areas.

A particular challenge in ecological niche modeling has

been that of choosing species for which occurrence patterns

is little-known. Often, information available is not sufficient

to permit fitting a comprehensive ecological niche model,

sufficing only for a partial model that may be indicative of

parts of the species’ environmental responses. Several studies

have outlined simple methodologies that show promise

(Almeida et al. 2009; Guisan et al. 2006; Jarvis et al. 2005;

Menon et al. 2010; Menon et al. 2012; Siqueira et al. 2009),

but such studies face two interconnected challenges: (1) small

sample sizes (Hernandez et al. 2006; Shcheglovitova and

Anderson 2013; Stockwell and Peterson 2002; Wisz et al.

2008), and (2) the dispersal- or population-limited nature of

these species’ distribution which make them what has been

termed “Wallacean” species, for which ecological niches are

notoriously difficult to characterize (Jiménez- Valverde et al.

2010; Owens et al. 2013; Saupe et al. 2012). Hence, while

developing correlational models for little-known species

one should not presume to characterize a full fundamental

ecological niche for the species; these models may provide

useful distributional predictions.

The Forest Owlet Heteroglaux blewitti is a critically

endangered species of India (BirdLife International 2014).

It was first collected by F.R. Blewitt, in December 1872 in

Phuljhar district (now in Chhattisgarh) in central India. It

was described by A.O. Hume in 1873 (Hume 1873). During

1878-1884, six additional specimens were collected from

the central plateau of peninsular India: one from Karial (now

Khariar) near the Udet (now Udanti) river in Sambalpur in

Odisha; four from Taloda district, and one from Shahad

district of northwestern Maharashtra (Rasmussen and Collar

1998). Apart from reports based on specimens apparently

stolen from existing collections and relabelled by the

infamous Col. R. Meinertzhagen (Rasmussen and Collar

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST OWLET IN INDIA

1999), no further records of this bird appeared in more

than a century (King and Rasmussen 1998; Ripley 1976).

The species was considered extinct for 113 years, until its

rediscovery in 1997 in Toranmal Reserve Forest, Shahad,

Nandurbar district, Maharashtra (King and Rasmussen 1998;

Rasmussen and Collar 1998, 1999).

Subsequent studies on the ecology of the species

have been carried out in earnest. Aspects of its biology such

as vocalization (Rasmussen and Ishtiaq 1999), food and

behaviour (Ishtiag et al. 2002), cronism (Ishtiaq and Rahmani

2000a), and breeding biology and conservation (Ishtiaq

and Rahmani 2004) have been studied. These studies were

followed by a 3-year study (2001—2004) that delved into

habitat requirements, foraging ecology, breeding biology,

behavioural ecology, threats, and conservation issues (Jathar

and Rahmani 2004, 2011). One study assessed interspecific

interactions (Yosef et al. 2010), while another alleged

hybridization between Forest Owlet and Spotted Owlet

Athene brama (Pande et al. 2011), which was subsequently

refuted by Jathar and Patil (2011), Ishtiaq (2011), and

Rasmussen and Collar (2013).

The Forest Owlet is crepuscular and diurnal, occurring

in forests classified as “tropical dry deciduous’ forest (SAC1/

a-b; Champion and Seth 1968), falling in biogeographic zone

6E, the Deccan Central Highlands of the Satpuda-Maikal

Hills (Rodgers and Panwar 1988). The species is apparently

sensitive to disturbance, and appears to prefer teak Tectona

grandis dominated open forest, interspersed with grasses,

herbs, and (at least at some sites) shrubs (Ishtiaq and Rahmani

2004; Ishtiaq et al. 2002; Jathar and Rahmani 2004, 2011;

Mehta et al. 2007).

Although many detailed studies have been carried out

on the species, the full extent of its geographic distribution

remains poorly known. Its known extant distribution is highly

restricted, which suggests that its populations are highly

endangered. The species is known to occur at present only

in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in central India. This

knowledge gap places a premium on novel approaches to

anticipate possible additional populations in other regions

of India. Hence, this study aimed to use ecological niche

modelling to explore the potential distribution of the species.

METHODS

Input data

We used the 174 occurrence data for the species

accumulated from previous studies post-2000 (1997 to the

present; Chavan and Rithe 2009; Chavan et al. 2013; Ishtiaq

et al. 2002; Jathar and Rahmani 2004, 2011; Mehta et al.

2007) for the current study (Refer to Table 1 for summary).

After removing duplicates, 51 spatially unique point locations

remained for development of dependable models (Hernandez

et al. 2006; Pearson et al. 2007). We also drew GPS-based

(i.e., precision <100 m) occurrence data that corresponded

to various behaviours (e.g., roosting, nesting, foraging),

from Jathar and Rahmani (2004, 2011), to permit testing

for differences in environmental use between different

behaviours.

Given the relatively fine resolution of the occurrence

data, we were eager to develop our ecological niche models

at the finest spatial resolution possible. Climatic data

interpolated from weather station or climate model data are

known to have a broad spatial autocorrelation structure and

spatial anomalies representing error in geo-referencing and/

or interpolation, such that they do not offer enough detail for

the purposes of this study (Peterson et a/. 2011). Although

fine-resolution elevation data are available, we avoided

these data as well, as they are known to be problematic,

owing to unreliable associations with causal variables

(e.g., temperature; Peterson et al. 2011).

As a consequence, to characterize environmental

landscapes, we drew fine-resolution environmental data

from the MODIS satellite, summarized as the Normalized

Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI; UMD, 2001). NDVI

provides an index to photosynthetic mass, such that changes

in this index over annual cycles are highly indicative of

vegetation type, seasonality, and land use (Huete et al. 2002;

Scharlemann et al. 2008). We used all 46, 16-day composite

coverages for 2012-2013; this time period was chosen so

that our model outputs would reflect land-use patterns that

are current, particularly given that the owlets are remarkably

constant at sites where they have been detected since as far

back as 1997. These multi-temporal NDVI data sets have

proven highly informative as inputs to ecological niche

models in past applications (Bodbyl-Roels et al. 2011),

including rare-species applications in India (Menon et al.

2010, 2012), such as the model developed herein.

To keep environmental spaces for development of our

models as simple as possible, we identified an area of analysis

corresponding to a maximum area that we deemed likely

to be relevant to the species (Barve et al. 2011), bounded

by 71.1—87.2° E and 16.4—26.4° N. For model calibration,

evaluation, and comparison steps, we used still smaller

subsets of this broad area of interest, as is described below.

To simplify the environmental space into fewer, orthogonal

dimensions, we applied a principal component analysis

on the covariance matrix, and retained sets of 5, 10, and

21 principal components, which summarized 94.4%, 96.8%,

and 99.0% of overall variance in the original data sets,

respectively, in the form of new composite major axes of

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST OWLET IN INDIA

variation. This procedure is widely accepted in the niche

and distribution modelling community as a means of both

reducing dimensionality of environmental space and reducing

colinearity among environmental dimensions (Peterson

et al. 2011).

Model calibration

Our initial focus was on testing the ability of our models

to provide useful information on the potential distribution

of the species. We used Maxent (version 3.3.3k) to develop

all analyses reported herein, because of the robust nature

and broad adoption of this algorithm (Elith et al. 2006);

we used default settings for parameters such as prevalence,

regularization multiplier, and density of background

sampling, but created multiple replicate models and explored

the implications of different combinations of environmental

variables. For model calibration, we used only the recent,

fine-resolution occurrence data, dividing them at random into

two equal-sized groups for model calibration and evaluation.

We developed models based on each of the two

random subsets of the occurrence points, and tested

each against the other random subset. We chose to use a

threshold-independent approach in model evaluation, to

avoid the need for the assumptions involved in thresholding

model predictions (Fielding and Bell 1997). In light of the

disparity in confidence corresponding to known occurrences

versus non-occurrence information in niche models, which

invalidates the usual approaches to model evaluation

(e.g., traditional receiver operating characteristic approaches,

kappa; Lobo et al. (2008) and Peterson et al. (2008)), we

tested results using a partial receiver operating characteristic

(ROC) approach. This approach allows differential weighting

of type I and type II errors in models (Peterson et al. 2008);

because our occurrence data were based on GPS readings by

knowledgeable observers, we assumed an expected error rate

of E = 0 (Peterson ef al. 2007) in these tests.

The area across which models are evaluated is known to

impact evaluation outcomes (Barve et al. 2011). We therefore

restricted our model evaluations to a conservative testing

area of <130 km from recent occurrence points (the greatest

spatial separation between any pair of GPS-based occurrence

points). The zero-error assumption led us to use least training

presence thresholding approaches to convert continuous

initial model outputs into binary maps for interpretation

(Pearson et al. 2007).

Owl activities

GPS-based occurrence data was available for three

activities (roosting, nesting, foraging) that were identified

in the field during studies of habitat use by Forest Owlets

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

(Jathar and Rahmani 2011). After filtering to retain only

spatially unique points, 48 roosting points were established

based on observations of night-time and diurnal roosts,

5 active nests were located and monitored during 2001—2004,

and 23 foraging sites were reported.

We tested for consistent environmental correlates

that might distinguish among activity types using niche

identity tests (Warren et al. 2008, 2010). This test

involves comparisons among points that are in two classes

(e.g., nesting versus roosting). The points are mixed between

the two classes at random in a number of replicate analyses,

and the observed level of similarity is compared to the

distribution of similarity values in the random replicates to

detect whether the observed difference is unexpected (Warren

et al. 2008, 2010). We tested niche identity across two areas,

<17 km and <130 km from occurrence points, to provide

two areas for testing, as these areas affect outcomes of tests

of niche similarity (Barve et al. 2011). Niche identity tests

were based on 1000 replicate resampling of occurrence data,

and we used the lower 5" percentile of the null distribution

of similarities as the critical value for comparison with

observed niche similarity (J and D indices) values (Warren

et al., 2008). This test tends toward Type | errors, in which

the null hypothesis of niche identity is rejected rather easily

(Peterson et al. 2011).

Potential distributional area

We calibrated ecological niche models over the area

<130 km of GPS-based occurrence data records. Once models

were calibrated, we projected them to the broader area

described above that represents a maximum area of interest

for possible searches for this species.

The models were calibrated based on each of the

three environmental data sets (the first 5, first 10, and first

21 principal components of the NDVI data)-described above.

Models based on fewer parameters generally identify broader

areas as suitable, whereas models based on more parameters

identify narrower areas as suitable, reflecting increasing

degrees of over fitting of models (Peterson and Nakazawa

2008; Peterson et al. 2011).

Independent evaluation of model predictions

Finally, we designed a series of rapid surveys at

key sites, as indicated by model predictions. Teams of

ornithologists with considerable experience with Forest

Owlets visited four sites across the study region. These

sites included Gadchiroli (20.118° N, 80.361° E, 220 m,

November 7—9, 2014), Pench Tiger Reserve (21.657° N,

79.260° E, 425 m, November 10, 2014), Akole (19.463°

N, 73.827° E, 600 m, February 24—25, 2015), and Tansa

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST OWLET IN INDIA

Wildlife Sanctuary (19.692° N, 73.191° E, 250 m, January

24—27, 2015 and March 13-14, 2015). Although our visits

were perhaps not sufficiently lengthy to establish absence of

the species definitively, presence records were informative

as tests of the predictive ability of our models in anticipating

new distributional areas of this rare species.

RESULTS

The distribution of known recent Forest Owlet

occurrences across central India 1s shown in Fig. 1. We

tested the ability of our initial models to anticipate random

subsets of occurrence data for calibration and evaluation of

models: both reciprocal tests among the two subsets yielded

predictions significantly better than random expectations,

with AUC ratios above 1.0 in all random iterations of the

model evaluation. Hence, both tests indicated significant

predictive ability of models (P< 0.01).

Comparing modeled ecological niches among

different activity types revealed no striking distinctions in

73°0'0"E

26°0'0"N4

74°0'0"E 75°0'0"E 76°0'0"E (PO = 78°0'0"E 79°0'0"E

25°0'0"N | |

24°0'0"N

23°0'0"N

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20°0'0"N

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73°0'0"E 74°0'0"E 75°0'0"E 76°0'0"E (1 -O,07E 78°0'0"E 79°0'0"E

0 50 100 200 300 400

ees Kilometers

80°0'0"E

Legend oo 21 layer model output

ee 10 layer model output

environmental correlates of Forest Owlet activities. Indeed,

in all cases, observed niche similarity was within the 95%

confidence interval of the distribution of null similarity

values: in no case (roosting versus nesting, nesting versus

foraging, foraging versus roosting) regardless of the size of

the background area used, could we reject the null hypothesis

of niche similarity among activities (P > 0.05).

Our final model predictions (Fig. 1) indicated a series

of disjunct potential distributional areas across central India,

which appears generally associated with the distribution

of dry deciduous forests in central India. The potential

distribution identified by the 5-layer model (Fig. 1) identified

broad areas of the Satpuda Mountains, northern Western

Ghats, Vindhya Mountains, and the east coast of India, for a

total of 70,697 sq. km. All known localities fell within this

relatively broad modeled distribution. The 10-layer model

(Fig. 1) identified a more restricted area (5,625 sq. km):

this area was confined to narrower areas of the Satpuda

Mountains, northern Western Ghats, western Vindhya

Mountains, and some parts of the east coast, and includes

87°0'0"E

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81°0'0"E

82°0'0"E

83°0'0"E 84°0'0"E 85°0'0"E 86°0'0"E

25°0'0"N

24°0'0"N

23°0'0"N

22°0'0"N

21°0'0"N

20°0'0"N

19°0'0"N

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17°0'0"N

81°0'0"E 82°0'0"E 83°0'0"E 84°0'0"E 85°0'0"E 86°0'0"E 87°0'0"E

Historical Forest Owlet locations

New Forest Owlet locations

@® Current Forest Owlet locations

TM 5 layer mode! ouput

Fig 1: Modeled potential distributional areas for Forest Owlets based on 5 (green shading), 10 (red shading), and 21 (purple

shading) principal components. Note that the 21-component map is a subset of the 10-component maps, which is in turn a

subset of the 5-component map, such that overlaying the three maps is appropriate, and shows all information

5S J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST OWLET IN INDIA

or approaches almost all known localities for the species.

Finally, the 21-layer model (Fig. 1) covered only 4,315 sq.

km, and identified narrow and restricted areas in the Satpuda

Mountains, northern Western Ghats, along the east coast, and

some patches in the Vindhya Mountains. However, this model

omitted several key localities for the species, corresponding

to the eastern areas near the type locality, as well as areas

farther west documented in recent surveys.

Four areas were identified as suitable that were not

known to hold Forest Owlet populations, and were targeted

for survey as part of this project. These areas included

Gadchiroli, Pench Tiger Reserve, Akole, and Tansa Wildlife

Sanctuary in Maharashtra. About 12 days were spent in search

of the Forest Owlet between November 2014 and March 2015

in these localities. Although the habitat at Gadchiroli and

Pench Tiger Reserve were similar to those used by known

Forest Owlet populations, we could not locate any bird. In

Akole, the habitat was different owing to the crest line of the

Western Ghats where the forest changes to moist-deciduous

and semi-evergreen, which does not correspond to the known

habitat of the species. However, following on initial reports

74°0'0"E 75°0'0"E 76°0'0"E 77°0'0"E 78°0'0"E

25°0'0"N

24°0'0"N i |

23°0'0"N4

22°0'0"N

21°0'0"N

20°0'0"N4

19°0'0"N+

74°0'0"E 75°0'0"E 76°0'0"E W(LA0) 0) 78°0'0"E

o°373°7TS 150 225

Kilometers

(Laad and Dagale 2014), in Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, we

confirmed 3 new sites for Forest Owlets that were located

close to the areas indicated by the models as constituting

potential habitat.

DISCUSSION

Setting conservation priorities for any critically

endangered or restricted-distribution species requires

detailed information on its geographic distribution, as such

information helps to accord high priority in conservation

decisions to areas holding key populations or concentrations

of rare and endangered species (Guisan et a/. 2013). For little-

known species such as the Forest Owlet, the first step is that

of creating lists of known occurrences and predictive maps of

candidate sites at which detailed, on-ground searches can be

carried out, which was the principal objective of this study.

Our 10-layer (model) results probably represented the

best balance between over fitting and consequent omission of

important sites (21-layer model) and overly broad predictions

that include many unsuitable sites (5-layer model). Our

79°0'0"E 80°0'0"E 81°0'0"E 82°0'0"E 83°0'0"E

24°0'0"N

22°0'0"N

21°0'0"N

19°0'0"N

79°0'0"E

80°0'0"E 81°0'0"E 82°0'0"E 83°0'0"E

Legend 1) 21 layer model output A Historical Forest Owlet locations N

WAND 10 layer mode! output @) Current Forest Owlet locations

| 5 layer model ouput

Fig. 2: Region-wide view of potential distributional areas for Forest Owlets, according to models based on 5 (green shading),

10 (red shading), and 21 (small areas of purple shading) principal components. Note that the 21-component map is a subset of

the 10-component maps, which is in turn a subset of the 5-component map, such that overlaying the three maps is appropriate,

and shows all information

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST OWLET IN INDIA

Table 1: Previous studies of the status and distribution of Forest Owlets, constituting literature sources of occurrence data for this study

Site ; No. of

number LORETO Year occurrences

1 Toranmal Reserve Forest, 1999-2004 76

Maharashtra

2 Taloda Reserve Forest, 1999-2000 2

Maharashtra

S Melghat Tiger Reserve, 2004—2006 ve

Maharashtra

4 Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary, 2004 1

Maharashtra

5 Narnala Wildlife Sanctuary, 2012 1

Maharashtra

6 Khaknar Forest Range, 1999-2006 2

Madhya Pradesh

7 Piplod Forest Range, 2005-2006 8

Madhya Pradesh

8 East Kalibhit Forest Range, 2005-2006 2

Madhya Pradesh

5 Basnah, Phuljar, 1872 1

Chhattisgarh (Type Locality)

10 Khariar, Sambalpur, Odisha 1877 1

(Second Locality)

11 Western Khandesh, 1880-84 3

Maharashtra

Total 174

model identified five clusters of potential distributional area

in a narrow belt along the Satpuda Range of central India

(Fig. 2). Forest Owlets had never been reported from the

east coast or from the Western Ghats so that we were, in

fact, initially tempted to discard areas 1n these regions as not

falling within the dispersal ‘reach’ of the species. However,

recent discoveries place the species in the Western Ghats

(Laad and Dagale 2014; Patel et al. 2015), provoked us to

revisit our concept on the distributional limits of the species.

Focused searches for populations of this species across more

sites in central India, extending south and west into the

Western Ghats, are needed to verify the presence or absence

of the species in and around the areas of modeled presence;

this study serves as a guide for appropriate sites for these

searches.

Known populations

Known Forest Owlet populations are concentrated in

three areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The first

(Fig. 2, Box 1) is in Toranmal and Taloda reserve forests:

Toranmal Reserve Forest was the rediscovery site (King and

Rasmussen 1998); Taloda populations were discovered by

Activity Source

Roosting, nesting

and habitat use

Ishtiaq and Rahmani 2000;

Jathar and Rahmani 2004

Occurrence Ishtiag and Rahmani 2000

Jathar and Rahmani 2004;

Mehta et al. 2007

Roosting, nesting

and habitat use

Occurrence Chavan and Rithe 2009

Occurrence Chavan et al. 2013

Occurrence Ishtiaq and Rahmani 2000;

Mehta et al. 2007

Occurrence Mehta et a/. 2007

Holotype, collected Rasmussen and Collar 1999

by F.R. Blewitt

Valentine Ball

Collection

Rasmussen and Collar 1999

James Davidson Rasmussen and Collar 1999

Collection

Ishtiaq and Rahmani (2000b), although surveys in Taloda

since 2000 have not located any Forest Owlets (Jathar and

Rahmani 2004; Jathar and Patil 2011). Toranmal populations

have been declining, such that a more recent 15-day survey

yielded only a single pair (Jathar and Patil 2011). Both

sites are under intense anthropogenic pressure (Ishtiaq and

Rahmani 2000b; Jathar and Rahmani 2004, 2011; Jathar and

Patil 2011).

The second area (Fig. 2, Box 2) is Yawal Wildlife

Sanctuary of Maharashtra and adjoining parts of Madhya

Pradesh, in central Satpuda. A pair and young were observed

there in 2004 (Chavan and Rithe 2009), but subsequent

surveys failed to locate the species (Mehta et al. 2007). This

site is under tremendous anthropogenic pressure.

The largest known population of the species is in the

third area (Fig. 2, Box 3) in the central Satpuda Range. This

cluster includes the Melghat Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra,

and the Khaknar, Piplod, East Kalibhit, and West Kalibhit

forest areas of Madhya Pradesh. Melghat holds the largest

known population of Forest Owlets (Jathar and Rahmani

2004, 2011; Mehta et al. 2007) (Table 1). In 2012, Chavan et

al. (2013) detected an individual Forest Owlet from Narnala

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST OWLET IN INDIA

Wildlife Sanctuary, Akola district, in Maharashtra, which

confirmed occurrence at 920 m, an unusual elevation record.

Forested habitats in the Melghat TR are relatively well-

protected, and see minimum human disturbance. Indeed, 96%

of the potential distribution identified in our models, which is

within protected areas, falls within this Reserve; this indicates

the importance of Melghat TR to the survival of the species.

The fourth and fifth areas (Fig. 2, Box 4 and 5) correspond to

the type locality and collection site of the second specimen,

in eastern Chhattisgarh and western Odisha, respectively,

which are discussed below.

A recent discovery placed Forest Owlets in Tansa

Wildlife Sanctuary (Laad and Dagale 2014), a site within

the Western Ghats. This discovery constitutes in effect

a validation of our model, as it occurred after our model

development phase. The discovery site fell very close

(<500 m) to areas identified as falling within the modeled

potential distribution of the species, based on the 10-layer

model. Recent visits to this area (November 2014, March 2015,

6 field days) by Jathar and Patil yielded three additional

sites, all within the predictions of the 5- and 21-layer models,

74°0'0"E i fo0 Ore

73°0'O"E 76°0'0"E

24°0'0"N

23°0'0"N

Lew tecierwenrnernucwernrierrrwnnrtecunntnriecwrwenrmiinnnierucurteienwrnterl

22°0'0"N

21°0'0"N4

20°0'0"N

19°0'0"N

75°0'0"E 77°0'0"E

0 37.5 75 150 225 300

a ee aes Kilometers

78°0'0"E

Legend We 21 ayer model output

BRE 10 layer model output

and <1,500 m of sites predicted as suitable in the 10-layer

model.

We assessed the alleged occurrence site near Mandvi

town on the Tapti river (Ali and Ripley 1969; Rasmussen

and Collar 1999; Ripley 1976) reported by Meinertzhagen,

based on stolen and relabelled specimens, based on our model

predictions. This site fell >12 km from potential distributional

areas identified in the 10- and 21-layer models, but within

the broad suitable areas identified by the 5-layer models.

The fraudulent site lies ~100 km south of the Taloda Reserve

Forest, where Forest Owlets have been recorded reliably,

although a recent discovery places the species in Gujarat,

fairly close to Mandvi (Patel et al. 2015).

Historical localities

Chhattisgarh (Fig. 2, Box 4): Chhattisgarh state holds

extents of tropical moist deciduous forest and tropical dry

deciduous forest, covering 59,772 sq. km. Of this forested

area, 4.2% was included within the modeled potential

distribution of Forest Owlets. The type locality of the species,

‘Basnah’ village, falls very close to potential distributional

TALON

80°0'0"E 81°0'0"E 82°Q'0"E

83°0'0"E

24°0'0"N

23°0'0"N

22°0'0"N

21°0'0"N

20°0'0"N

19°0'0"N

Soe

79°0'0"E 80°0'0"E 81°0'0"E

82°0'0"E

New Forest Owlet locations A Historical Forest Owlet locations

WW Stayer model ouput {| Protected area boundary

Pig... 3: Region-wise view of potential distributional areas for Forest Owlets, across protected areas of Maharashtra, Madhya

Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat, and Rajasthan according to models based on 5 (green shading), 10 (red shading),

and 21 (small areas of purple shading) principal components

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015 61

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST OWLET IN INDIA

areas identified by our 10-layer model that was based on

the modern occurrence localities that are much farther west.

Previous field studies (Mehta et al. 2007) covered 9 of

16 districts in this state. Those surveys covered 102 locations

along a 204 km transect (including the type locality), but

did not locate any Forest Owlet populations. It appears that

though classified as dry deciduous forests, these forests are

moister and denser than in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Anthropogenic pressures such as grazing, fuel wood

collection, and tree-cutting are rampant, and fragmentation

and loss of forests may have reduced quality of the forests as

Forest Owlet habitat, leading to the species’ disappearance.

Forest Owlets, if populations still exist in Chhattisgarh, are

likely to be limited to small pockets.

Odisha (Fig. 2, Box 5): Odisha state holds areas of

tropical semi-evergreen forest, tropical moist deciduous

forest, tidal swamp forest, tropical dry deciduous forest, and

dry bamboo brake, which cover 48,366 sq. km-. Of this area,

only 1.6% fell within the modeled potential distribution of

Forest Owlets. The second location from where the species

was collected, Khariar village, falls <2 km of the modeled

potential distribution of the species.

Mehta et al. (2007) surveyed 4 of 30 districts in this

state during 2005-2007, in areas of dry deciduous forest

at 60 locations along a 120 km transect, but failed to find

Forest Owlet populations. The forests in the state are under

considerable anthropogenic pressure, such that the species

may have disappeared or may persist only in small pockets.

Indeed, teak forests in the state are scattered as small blocks

among other forest types, and may represent suboptimal

habitat for Forest Owlets.

Presence and absence

Our models identified several sites (Fig. 3), protected

areas in particular, that could profitably be visited and

checked for Forest Owlet populations: Tungareshwar Wildlife

Sanctuary, Kalsubai Harishchandragad Wildlife Sanctuary,

Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary,

and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra; Bori

Wildlife Sanctuary, Raitapani Wildlife Sanctuary, and Pench

National Park in Madhya Pradesh; Bansda National Park and

Shulpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat; Dadra and

Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary in Dadra and Nagar Haveli;

Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Barnavpara Wildlife Sanctuary,

Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kaneghati National Park in

Chhattisgarh; and Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunabeda

Wildlife Sanctuary, Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, and

Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha.

Locations such as Bhimashankar, INS Shivaji Lonavla,

and Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharashtra state) fell

within our model predictions, but can probably be excluded

from consideration, as they hold semi-evergreen forests that

are dense and likely not suitable for Forest Owlets. Gangapur

dam and grasslands (Maharashtra state) comprise a wetland

surrounded by savanna grassland, and so also does not qualify

as suitable habitat for the species. Similarly, Bhitarkanika and

Chilika lake (Odisha state) are estuary and wetland habitats

that resemble suitable habitats superficially, but do not appear

to include habitats appropriate for Forest Owlets.

Our model results affirm the endemic and restricted-

range nature of this species in the highly restricted nature

of the areas identified: our maps of distributional potential

showed a highly patchy and fragmented potential distribution

across its range. The largest range fragment identified covered

only 2,387 sq. km, constituting ~49% of the total distribution

of the species based on the 10-layer model. These latter results

underline the endangerment of the species under IUCN’s

(version 3.1) criterion B, which focuses on fragmentation

of populations IUCN 2001).

Our model predictions further indicated that >92.5%

(4,511 sq. km) of the species’ distribution appears to fall

outside the current protected areas network. Known sites for

this species (Toranmal and Taloda reserve forests, Maharashtra;

Khanknar, Piplod, and West Kalibhit reserve forests, Madhya

Pradesh) are known to hold populations of Forest Owlets,

but still lack adequate protection. Jathar and Patil (2011)

found evidence of declines in forest cover in Toranmal and

Taloda reserve forests, and some Forest Owlet pairs have

apparently disappeared from existing territories. As such,

broad exploration of all potential areas and protection of the

most viable populations will be crucial to the species’ survival.

Mapping the potential distribution of Forest Owlets

represents an important step in the conservation of the

species, and thus has been the focus of this contribution. We

developed and tested a series of ecological niche models

that capture environment-occurrence correlations that appear

to constrain the distribution of this species, and thereby

identified a series of sites that the models indicate as suitable

for the species. We hasten to add that this ‘suitability’ is at

the spatial resolution that was possible and in terms of the

multi-temporal NDVI characterization of the environment

that we were able to assemble. Clearly, our conclusion of

suitability must be backed up by on-ground surveys to detect

and document all remaining populations of the species. We

have visited and checked several sites, but we present this

contribution to facilitate inspections and searches by others

as soon as possible (our three sets of model predictions are

available in .kml format to facilitate visualization in Google

Earth, at http://hdl.handle.net/1808/20763), in light of this

critical conservation challenge.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST OWLET IN INDIA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank Abdallah M. Samy for expert assistance

with processing and preparing remote-sensed imagery. We

thank the Smithsonian Institution; Peter Helm and Hans

Sigg-Forycki of Switzerland; Ben King of the American

Museum of Natural History; and the Oriental Bird Club’s

Bertram Smythies Fund, for providing us with small grants to

support this work. We also thank the Ministry of Environment,

Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India, and

the forest departments of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,

Chhattisgarh, and Odisha for funding and/or support of

the research. We also thank Sunil Laad and Rohidas Dagale for

field support and sharing information about Tansa Sanctuary.

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J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 112(2), May-August 2015

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF

THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL PETAURISTA PHILIPPENSIS (ELLIOT 1839)

IN THE WESTERN GHATS, INDIA

SANTHANAKRISHNAN BABuU!*:*, HONNAVALLI NAGARAJ KUMARA!* AND ELUVATHINGAL ANTONY JAYSON?

‘Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty PO, Coimbatore 641 108, Tamil Nadu, India.

Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi 680 653, Thrissur, Kerala, India. Email: [email protected]

-Email: [email protected]

*Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104925

The distribution and abundance of the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (IGFS) Petaurista philippensis, with respect to

environmental variables, were investigated along the Western Ghats of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka,

a stretch of 1,582 km of forest trails and roads was sampled with spotlight searches between November 2001 and July

2004, while 127 and 133 points were sampled by the audio lure method in Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively, between

June 2005 and December 2008. Altogether, 418 individuals were recorded from 35 of the 38 forest stations sampled.

The mean abundance of the IGFS was 0.187/km (4 0.234) in Karnataka, and 0.638/point (+ 0.281) and 0.308/point

(+ 0.343) in Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively. The southern distribution limit of the species in India was recorded

as Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary. Overall, the mean abundance of IGFS was higher in the rainfed, mid-altitude

slopes of deciduous and evergreen forests in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Tree density, tree height, GBH (girth at breast

height), canopy height and canopy cover were the key factors influencing the distribution of the species on the micro

scale, while on the macro scale (home range) were the large extents of wet evergreen and moist deciduous forests.

The study indicated that conservation of large trees with large trunk girth and thick canopy cover is necessary for the

65-71

survival of the species in the Western Ghats.

Key words: India, Western Ghats, Indian Giant Flying Squirrel, Petaurista philippensis, habitat characteristics

INTRODUCTION

Tropical forests have two unique characteristics: high

species richness and a more distorted biome than any other

forest on earth (Bawa and Dayanandan 1997; Myers et al.

2000). The destruction of forests and its impact on specialist

fauna and flora of tropical forest have been assessed to some

extent in the Indian region (Jha et al. 2000; Prasad 1998;

Ramesh et al. 1997). Arboreal mammals are often considered

for such an evaluation (Umapathy and Kumar 2000)

because of their strong association with canopy contiguity

and density (Datta and Goyal 2008). Among the arboreal

mammals, squirrels are recognised as indicator species of

ecological health (Borges 1993; Kumara and Singh 2006;

Ramachandran 1988).

Flying squirrels are largely nocturnal and shelter in

tree holes during the day. They are an important component

of the ecosystem as they are a major prey base for several

avian top predators (Kavanagh and Bamkin 1995). A total of

44 species of flying squirrels are known to occur in the world

with a varied range of distribution, of which 12 are known

to occur in India (Srinivasulu et al. 2004). Only two species,

the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista philippensis and

Small Travancore Flying Squirrel Petinomys fuscocapillus

fuscocapillus are distributed in the Western Ghats (Prater

1980; Rajamani et al. 2001; Srinivasulu et al. 2004), and

the rest occur in the north and north-eastern parts of India

(Srinivasulu et al. 2004).

The Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (IGFS) has a

wide range of distribution including South Asia, southern

and central China, mainland Southeast Asia (Walston

et al. 2008), and a population occurs in the Western

Ghats (Kumara and Singh 2006; Rajamani et al. 2001;

Umapathy and Kumar 2000). IGFS has been categorised as

Least Concern by IUCN, however, the population in the

Western Ghats and India has a decreasing trend due to high

hunting pressure and fragmentation of potential habitat

(Kumara 2007; Kumara and Singh 2004; Walston et al. 2008).

A recent review on tree squirrels and flying squirrels

highlighted that tropical countries especially of the south

and southeast Asian countries are hotspots of squirrel

diversity, but scientific publications on squirrels remain

low (Koprowski and Rajamani 2008). Till the last decade,

information on the distribution and habitat characteristics

of IGFS in India was restricted to anecdotal notes (Ashraf

et al. 1993; Hutton 1949); however, in recent years, a few

intensive studies have been undertaken (Koli et al. 2011;

Kumar et al. 2002; Umapathy and Kumar 2000). One of

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL IN THE WESTERN GHATS

these was a survey of flying squirrels in southern Western

Ghats to assess the population status of IGFS and Small

Travancore Flying Squirrel (Rajamani et al. 2001). Others

were on the impact of habitat fragmentation (Umapathy

and Kumar 2000) and hunting practices on flying squirrels

(Kumara 2007) of the Western Ghats. However, the habitat

characteristics that influence the distribution of IGFS have

not been studied in the Western Ghats. In this paper, we

report the distribution and abundance of IGFS in the Western

Ghats areas of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and the

habitat characteristics that influence their distribution and

abundance in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The studies were

carried out from November 2001 to July 2004 in Karnataka,

and from June 2005 to December 2008 in Kerala and

Tamil Nadu.

STUDY AREA

The Western Ghats, located between 8° to 21° N, spread

over five states, namely Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,

Goa, and Maharashtra (Pascal 1988), from the river Tapti

in the north to the southern tip of peninsular India, namely

the Mahendragiri hills of Kanyakumari Forest Division.

This almost unbroken relief dominates the west coast of

peninsular India for almost 1,400 km (Nair 1991), covering

an area of 160,000 sq. km. It is interrupted only by the

40 km wide Palghat Gap. The Western Ghats consist of two

major categories of rocks, the pre-Cambrian shield, and the

basaltic lava flows of the Deccan Trap north of Goa (Pascal

1988). Nair (1991) divided the Ghats into three subregions,

i. the Maharashtra Sahyadris (from Tapti river to south of

Goa), ii. Current (Central) Western Ghats (from south of Goa

to Coorg), and iii. Southern Western Ghats (South Coorg to

Mahendragir1).

The vegetation assemblage in the Ghats is impacted

by both the monsoons (southwest monsoon and northeast

monsoon), duration of dry months, and the atmospheric

temperature. The rainfall pattern is distinctive in two

directions, viz., north to south and east to west (Nair

1991). The temperature ranges from 13 °C to 33 °C. At

low altitudes, the mean temperature is more than 23 °C;

in median altitudes, it ranges between 16 and 23 °C. The

mean of the minima of the coldest month is more than

15 °C along the crest.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sampling of IGFS

The Western Ghats areas that run through Karnataka,

Kerala, and Tamil Nadu were covered in this study with

1. Kanyakumari WS

2. Neyyar WS

3. Peppara WS

4. KM TR

5. Shendurney WS

6. Periyar TR

7. Grizzled S WS

8. Theni RF

9. Idukki WS

10. Thattekad WS

11. Vazhachal RF

12. Palni RF

13. Chinnar WS

14. Anamalai TR

15. Parambikulam TR

16. Nelliampathy RF

17. Chimmony WS

18. Peechi WS

19. Silent Valley NP

20. Mudumalai TR.

21. Wayanad WS

22. Aralam WS

23. Bannerghatta NP

24. Cauvery WS

25. BRT TR

26. Bandipur TR

27. Nagarahole TR

28. Brahmagiri WS

29. Makut RF

30. Talakaveri WS

31. Pushpagiri WS

32. Bisale-Gundya RF

33. Kudremukh NP

34. Someshwara WS

35. Shettihalli WS

36. Shravathi Valley WS

37. Sirsi-Honnavara RF

38. Dandeli NP

Fig. 1: Surveyed sites in the Western Ghats for

IGFS between 2001 and 2008

19 wildlife sanctuaries (WS), 4 national parks (NP), 8 tiger

reserves (TR), and 7 reserve forests (RF) (Fig. 1).

In Karnataka, a 1,582 km stretch along trails and forest

roads was surveyed, using spotlights on a jeep travelling at

5 km/hour. The speed of the vehicle was maintained uniform

across the sampling transects to ensure equal sampling effort.

Night walks with torches were also carried out at a few places,

where there were no roads/trails (Kumara and Singh 2006).

Observation point (modified from watch tower

observation) with audio lure (Ashraf et al. 1993) was

followed at 260 locations; 133 in Tamil Nadu and 127 in

Kerala. A distance of at least 2 km was kept between the

sampling points (Kuo and Lee 2012). The response of IGFS

was elicited by playing back the predator calls of owls, which

are reported to increase the detection rate of IGFS (Babu

and Jayson 2009). Spotlight searches were also done for

15 minutes in the immediate vicinity of the sampling site to

detect IGFS that were not responding to the calls.

Vegetation Sampling

The habitat characteristics of each sampling point in

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL IN THE WESTERN GHATS

Kerala and Tamil Nadu were studied by the Point-Centred

Quarter (PCQ) method (Mueller-Dombois and Ellenberg

1974) to assess the differences in habitat between IGFS

occurrence and non-occurrence sites. Four transects of 100 m

length (one in each direction from the centre of each squirrel

sampling point) were established. With 5 sampling points per

transect at 20 m distances from each other, the vegetation

of 20 sampling points were analysed. At each point, the

distances between the nearest four trees and the sampling

point were measured, and the distances were averaged to

calculate the tree density.

The vegetation characteristics assessed at the micro

scale were tree density (ha), tree height (m), trunk girth 1.e.

GBH (girth at breast height cm), tree canopy height (im),

tree canopy cover (“%), climbers (%), and snags (counts).

At the macro scale, the extent of vegetation types in a two

kilometre radius from the IGFS sampling points was assessed

through vegetation and other topographic data obtained from

the GIS laboratory of the Kerala Forest Research Institute.

The vegetation types were categorised into six major types,

namely evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, dry

deciduous, scrub forest and plantations (Teak Tectona

grandis, Tea Camellia sinensis, Coffee Coffea arabica, and

Cardamom Elettaria cardamomum). Altitude was classified

into two gradients: low (<750 m) and mid (+750 m). Slope

values were categorised into four classes: 0 to 5.5, >5.5 to

10.4, >10.4 to 18.2, and >18.2.

The abundance of IGFS was calculated as the

number of individuals sighted per sampling point in Kerala

and Tamil Nadu, and the number of individuals sighted

per km walked in Karnataka. The Chi-square test was used

to test the significance of the differences in habitat variables

(vegetation types, altitude, and slope) for Kerala and Tamil

Nadu. Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the differences

in micro and macro-scale characteristics in occurrence and

non-occurrence sites of IGFS. For all the tests, the threshold

significance level was set as less than 0.10. All the statistical

analysis was carried out using SPSS 9 statistical package.

Table 1: Distribution and abundance of IGFS in the Kerala and Tamil Nadu areas of the Western Ghats

Protected Area/Reserve Forest Status No. of individuals Individuals / point Vegetation covered

Kerala

Aralam WS PA 3 0.429 MDF, WE

Chimmony WS PA 4 0.667 MDF, WE

Chinnar WS PA 0 0.000 DDF, R

Idukki WS PA Z 0.182 MDF, WE

Nelliampathy RF RF 8 0.889 WE, PL

Neyyar WS PA 3 1.000 MDF

Peppara WS PA 3 O50 MDF, PL

Parambikulam TR PA 3 0.500 MDF, PL

Peechi-Vazhani WS PA 25 0.781 SE, MDF, WE

Periyar TR PA 9 0.692 SE, MDF, WE

Shendurney WS — PA 3 0.750 MDF, MIS

Silent Valley NP PA 6 0.857 WE

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary PA : 0.600 MDF, PL, R

Vazhachal RF RF 3 0.333 WE, MIS

Wayanad WS PA 6 0.857 SE, DDF

Tamil Nadu

Anamalai TR PA 9 0.818 DDF, PL, MDF, WE

Kanyakumari WS PA 2? 0.167 WE, Pk

Mudumalai TR PA 6 0.667 DOF, DIE

Palni Hills RF 6 1.000 WE, DDF, R, DTF

Grizzled Squirrel WS PA 3 0.375 DTF, R

Theni RF RF 4 0.200 WE, DTF

Kalakkad-Mundanthurai TR PA 11 0.164 SE, MDF, WE, PL, DDF, R, DTF

WS=Wildlife Sanctuary; NP=National Park; TR=Tiger Reserve; RF=Reserved Forests; PA=Protected Area; WE=Wet Evergreen;

SE=Semi-Evergreen; MDF=Moist Deciduous; R=Riparian; DDF=Dry Deciduous Forest; PL=Plantations; MIS=Miscellaneous;

DTF=Dry Thorn Forest

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL IN THE WESTERN GHATS

RESULTS

Distribution and Abundance

The abundance of IGFS in the Western Ghats ranged

from 0.00 squirrels/point to 1.00 squirrels/point. The

abundance of IGFS was 0.187 squirrels/km in the sampled

sites in Karnataka, 0.638 squirrels/point in Kerala and

0.308 squirrels/point in Tamil Nadu (Tables 1 and 2). A

lower abundance (0.15 squirrels/point) was observed in the

eastern slopes (rain-shadow zones) compared to the western

slopes (0.37 squirrels/point) in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The

southernmost distribution limit of the species in India was

recorded in Kanyakumari WS (8.45197°N; 77.40183° E).

Karnataka: IGFS was detected in all the surveyed

areas except Bannerghatta NP and Cauvery WS. The mean

abundance for the state was 0.187 squirrels/km. Its abundance

was highest in Nagarahole TR (1.0 squirrels/km) and lowest

in Dandeli NP (0.067 squirrels/km).

Kerala: IGFS was recorded from all the surveyed areas,

except Chinnar WS and Attappady RF. Out of 137 sampling

points, a total of 85 individuals (0.62 squirrels/point) were

recorded from 51 points. Its abundance was highest in Neyyar

WS (1.0 squirrels/point) and lowest in Idukki WS (0.182

squirrels/point).

Tamil Nadu: IGFS was recorded in 21 of 139 sampling

points. Its abundance was highest in Palni Hills (1.0 squirrels/

point) and lowest in Kalakkad-Mundanthurai TR (0.17

squirrels/point).

Factors affecting the distribution

Altitude and Topography: The abundance of IGFS

varied significantly across the altitudinal gradients (y=8.393;

df=1; p=<0.005) with the highest abundance recorded in mid

altitudes (750—1,500 m) (Table 3). The abundance varied

significantly across the slope gradients (y*=9.803; df=3;

p=<0.05), the highest abundance was recorded in areas with

moderate slope (Table 3).

Vegetation types: The abundance showed clumped

distribution in relation to the vegetation types (y’°=71.689;

df=4; p=<0.001), and IGFS was mostly recorded from moist

deciduous forest followed by wet evergreen forest (Table 3).

The species was not recorded from scrub forest.

Tree structural characteristics: Of the seven habitat

variables of tree structure quantified to assess the key

parameters that regulate the distribution of IGFS, tree height

(Z=-2.413; df=2; <0.01), GBH (Z=-2.593; df=2; <0.01),

canopy height (Z=-1.961; df=2; <0.05) and canopy cover

(Z=-2.406; df=2; <0.05) were found to be significantly

higher in sites with IGFS occurrence. The number of

snags (Z=-2.335; df=2; <0.05) was also significantly

higher in occurrence than non-occurrence sites, while

climbers were comparatively less in occurrence sites

(Table 4). |

Table 2: Distribution and abundance of IGFS in the Karnataka areas of the Western Ghats

Protected Area/Reserve Forest Official Status km covered No. of Individuals / Vegetation covered

individuals point

Bannerghatta NP PA Z19 0 0.000 DDF, R

Cauvery WS PA 19 0 0.000 DDF, R

Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple TR PA 462 51 0.110 SF, DDF, MDF, WE

Bandipur TR PA 120 11 0.092 SF, DDF, MDF

Nagarahole TR PA 121 We 1.000 SF, DDF, MDF

Brahmagiri WS PA 22 9 0.281 MDF, WE

Makut RF RF Ze 6 0.273 MDF, WE

Talakaveri WS PA 80 18 0.225 MDF, WE

Pushpagiri WS PA 32 8 0.250 MDF, WE

Bisale-Gundya RF RF A235 4 0.033 MDF, WE

Kudremukh NP PA 40 5 0.125 MDF, WE

Someshwara WS PA Zz g 0.136 MDF, WE

Sharavathi Valley WS PA 69 16 C2352 MDF, WE, PL

Shettihalli WS PA 48 6 0.125 SF, DDF, MDF, PL

Sirsi-Honnavara RF RF 119 34 0.286 MDF, WE

Dandeli NP PA 60 4 0.067 DDE, MDE, PL, R

WS=Wildlife Sanctuary; NP=National Park; TR=Tiger Reserve; RF=Reserved Forests; PA=Protected Area; WE=Wet Evergreen; MDF=Moist

Deciduous; R=Riparian; DDF=Dry Deciduous Forest; PL=Plantations; SF=Scrub Forest

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL IN THE WESTERN GHATS

Table 3: Distribution pattern of IGFS in the

southern Western Ghats

Parameter Category Abundance

Keralaand Karnataka

Tamil Nadu

Altitude (m) Low (0 — 750) 0.48 -

Medium (751 — 1,500) 0.62 -

Slope (°) 0-5.5 0.34 -

>5.5 — 10.40 0.64

>10.40 — 18.20 0.59 -

>18.20 0.48 -

Vegetation Scrub 0.00 0.043

types Dry deciduous forest 0.26 0.369

Moist deciduous forest 0.81 0.411

Plantation 0.41 0.077

Semi-evergreen 0.56 -

Wet evergreen 0.46 0.197

Vegetation configuration: The occurrence of IGFS

was significantly higher in the sampling sites with large

tracts of moist deciduous (Z=-3.632; df=2; <0.01) and wet

evergreen forests (Z=-2.694; df=2; <0.01) (at 2 km radius)

(Table 4). Its occurrence was lower in semi-evergreen forests

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

(Z=-1.911; df=2; <0.10), scrub forest (Z=-4.727; df=2; <0.01)

and non-forested areas (Z=-2.058; df=2; <0.05).

DISCUSSION

Prater (1980) stated the distribution of IGFS to be the

larger forests of the Peninsula south of the Ganges. Rajamani

et al. (2001) reported the distribution and status of IGFS for

some locations of southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu

and Kerala. Based on available literature, Menon (2009)

published a distribution map of the species in India. However,

all these publications do not clearly depict the distribution

of the species in the southern Western Ghats. Through our

study, we were able to map the distribution of the species in

Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Kanyakumari WS in

Tamil Nadu was recorded to be its southernmost limit in the

Western Ghats and in India.

There were no sight records in Bannerghatta NP

and Cauvery WS, despite intensive search efforts. Biligiri

Rangaswamy Temple TR was found to be the easternmost

distribution limit in the Western Ghats. The abundance was

highest in Neyyar WS (Kerala), where the dominant vegetation

type is moist deciduous forests, which is reported to be the

preferred vegetation type of the species (Kumara and Singh

2006). In Tamil Nadu, the abundance was highest in Palni

Table 4: Patch characteristics of IGFS occurrence and non-occurrence plots at micro and macro scale

Parameters

Micro scale

Tree density (trees/ha)

Tree height (m)

Tree GBH (cm)

Tree canopy height (m)

Tree canopy cover (%)

No. of snags (nos.)

Climbers (%)

Macro scale

Wet evergreen (ha)

Semi-evergreen (ha)

Moist deciduous forest (ha)

Scrub forest (ha)

Dry deciduous forest (ha)

Plantations (ha)

Waterbody (ha)

Non-forested area (ha)

ns= Not significant

Non-occurrence

Mean (SD)

418.30 (£263.92)

10.88 (+£4.89)

68.55 (+33.56)

5.93 (+£3.08)

43.69 (+22.42)

1.61 (+2.10)

16.56 (£15.98)

222.29

61.11

186.41 (+313.80)

(4355.01)

(+1

(+3

215.11 (£350.41)

(+3

(+2

(+1

(+3

+192.06)

158.31 (£322.25)

100.02 (£229.94)

87.03 (£142.75)

226.57 (+356.45)

Occurrence Z Asymp. Sig.

Mean (SD) (2-tailed)

499.09 (+294.52) -1.767 <0.10

12.90 (+3.00) -2.413 <0.01

80.76 (428.56) -2.593 <0.01

6.86 (+2.56) -1.961 <0.05

52.80 (416.47) -2.406 <0.05

2.0% (42.36) -2.335 <0.05

14.10 (+14.61) -0.853 ns

341.89 (+414.72) -2.694 <0.01

48.40 (+188.18) -1.911 <0.10

334.01 (4366.60) -3.632 <0.01

48.78 (+201.69) -4.727 <0.01

171.14 (+380.04) -1.209 ns

103.00 (+208.61) -0.368 ns

107.76 (+158.01) -0.722 ns

101.03 (4193.96) -2.058 <0.05

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL IN THE WESTERN GHATS

Table 5: Mean abundance of IGFS in the vegetation types of the Western Ghats areas in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu

Vegetation types

Karnataka (Kumara & Anamalai

Singh 2006) * (Ashraf et al.

1993) *

Shola - -

Evergreen 0.17- 0.36 0.13

Semi-evergreen - -

Moist deciduous 0.18 O27

Dry deciduous - -

Plantations 0.02 0.00 — 0.50

Dry Scrub - -

* - mean individuals / km

Hills. Although the vegetation of Palni Hills has drastically

changed due to anthropogenic pressures (Amarnath et al.

2003), the riparian forests and valleys (evergreen patches)

in the hills still harbour IGFS. A reason for this is that the

disturbance in dense habitats like evergreen and riparian

forests of Palni Hills has created spacing between trees for

the flying squirrels to glide freely through the forests with

fewer obstacles. In Karnataka, the abundance was highest in

Nagarahole TR, and this may be due to the availability of large

tracts of intact moist deciduous forests. The low abundance in

Bandipur TR can be attributed to invasive Lantana camara,

which has grown high up to the tree canopy, leading to loss of

landing sites for IGFSs during glides between trees.

With respect to vegetation types, the abundance of

IGFS has been shown to be the highest in moist deciduous

forests, through a number of studies (Table 5). On a broad

scale, IGFS could be categorised as a ‘generalist’, because

it was recorded from six out of the seven vegetation types

sampled, two altitudinal gradients and all slope gradients of

the southern Western Ghats. However, on comparison of the

habitat characteristics around occurrence and non-occurrence

sites, a distinct pattern of habitat use was observed. IGFS was

not recorded from the scrub forests of southern Western Ghats

(pers. obs.). An earlier study (Rajamani et al. 2001) reported

the non-occurrence of the species in scrub forests, which can

be attributed to the structural characteristics of scrub forests

being largely composed of shrub species with scattered trees,

resulting in poor canopy contiguity and canopy density that

are vital for the survival of the species (Datta and Goyal 2008;

Rajamani et al. 2001). IGFS uses moderate slope sites to make

gliding easier without spending much energy, as gliding is

energy expensive (Ando and Shiraishi 1993).

Overall, the abundance of IGFS was higher in the

wet zone (rain-fed areas) than in the dry zone (rain-shadow

Sources

Kerala &Tamil Nadu ‘This study This study

(Rajamani et al. (Tamil Nadu and = (Karnataka) *

2001) Kerala)

210 - -

1.16 0.46 0.197

- 0.56 -

1.60 0.81 0.411

- 0.26 0.369

1.36 0.41 0.077

0.00 0.00 0.043

areas) of the southern Western Ghats. However, north of the

Nilgiris, the abundance of IGFS was equally high in the dry

and moist tracts. This can be attributed to the altitude and

precipitation pattern; the altitude of the Western Ghats south

of Nilgiris abruptly rises from sea level to crest and falls to the

plains within a few kilometres, resulting in varied pattern of

precipitation along the longitude. The western side of the crest

receives more rainfall, resulting in the formation of wet and

moist forests, whereas the eastern tract receives low rainfall

and has dry forests. In contrast, north of the Nilgiris, the

altitude rises to the crest and forms plateaus of mid altitude,

which receive high rainfall. While moving eastwards, the

intensity of rainfall decreases, which leads to formation of

moist and dry forests (Pascal 1988).

Kumara and Singh (2006) reported that the distribution

of IGFS was confined to forests with tall trees in Karnataka.

Our study indicated that tree density, trunk girth (GBH),

canopy height and canopy cover, and number of snags

influence the distribution of the species. Trees of larger GBH

and height will support larger tree-holes or cavities, which

serve as roost and nest sites (Kavanagh and Bamkin 1995).

Holloway and Malcolm (2007) stated that the distribution

of flying squirrels was associated with higher densities of

decayed and old trees for this reason. We did not try to

record tree-holes, as our ground-based surveys with limited

infrastructure generally tended to miss them.

Apart from the many structural characteristics of

the habitat that influence the occurrence and abundance of

IGFS, anthropogenic factors like hunting by local people

also determine the variation in abundance in different sites

(Kumara 2007; Kumara and Singh 2004; Madhusudan and

Karanth 2002). Hence, retaining the older tress with larger

girth and control on hunting are the major management

requirements to conserve IGFS.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL IN THE WESTERN GHATS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank the Ministry of Environment, Forest and

Climate Change, Government of India, for providing financial

support to survey owls in the southern Western Ghats —this paper

is an offshoot of the project. We thank the Directors of Salim

Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, and Kerala

Forest Research Institute for logistic support during the study.

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Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 112(2), May-August 2015

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES FROM MANGROVE FOREST FLOORS

OF DELTAIC ISLANDS IN SUNDARBANS, INDIA

MANJUSHREE Manbat!”, BiswasiT Biswas!?, SANOYAZ SEKH!* AND NEERA SEN SARKAR'?*

'Phycology Section, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Nadia district 741 235, West Bengal, India.

"Email: [email protected]

7Email: biswajit_ [email protected]

“Email: [email protected]

“Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104926

Species constituting diatom assemblages in sediments provide important information regarding the past and present

environmental conditions related to soil and water physico-chemistry and also biodiversity dynamics data. This

information can reveal the developmental history of the region. Diatoms are sensitive to stochastic changes in the

environment, making them extremely reliable bio-indicators. The purpose of the present study was to decipher such

biodiversity related information provided by the diatom assemblages from the Indian Sundarbans. Diatoms were

identified in the top 50 cm layer of two sediment cores: a newly silted up deltaic landmass with mangroves in early

succession stage, and an island within the Protected Area Network with mangroves in late succession stage.

Fifteen diatom species, with no past records in the sediments of Indian Sundarbans were identified and described. Four

species among them are sporadically mentioned in previous phytoplankton records from the Sundarbans, but these

are not confirmed taxonomically. This paper provides identification and nomenclatural notes on all 15 species. High

abundance and species richness of the centric forms Coscinodiscus spp., Cyclotella spp., and Thalassiosira spp. at both

the sites is attributed to their proximity to estuarine rivers and their regular inundation, leading to settling of planktonic

forms within sediment cores. Many pennate forms, namely Amphicampa eruca, Amphora holsatica, Diploneis spp.

(except D. smithii), Epithemia turgida, Eunotia pectinalis, Giffenia cocconeiformis, and Rhaphoneis rhombus which are

being reported for the first time from this region have never been part of described planktonic communities in estuarine

waters, validating their ‘soil diatom’ status. Typical freshwater diatoms, namely Aulacoseira granulata and Epithemia

72-82

turgida, in the sediments indicate lower salinity in these areas, not much earlier than present times.

Key words: Diatoms, sediment-core, deltaic mangroves, estuaries, Sundarbans

INTRODUCTION

The Sundarbans in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta

represent the world’s largest single mangrove tract. The

importance of the system is manifold, being home to the only

mangrove dwelling tiger species and several endemic and

threatened mangrove species unique to the Old World. This

system has an annual gross productivity of 151.01 gCm’y'!

(Chaudhuri et al. 2012) that surpasses the Gross Primary

Production (GPP) of many similar estuarine systems like

Ems Dollard (middle) estuary (Colijn and Ludden 1983), San

Francisco Bay (Peterson 1979), Fraser River estuary (Parson

et al. 1970), and Columbia River estuary (Anderson 1972).

The contributors to the annual gross productivity include

a wide range of algae in the aquatic as well as terrestrial

systems. Diatoms constitute a group that significantly occupy

both aquatic and terrestrial systems. A worldwide concern for

the adverse impacts of climate change on several unique and

threatened ecosystems like coral reefs and mangroves, based

on new and strong evidences under the Risk Category-1 (IPCC

2007), add to the importance of these systems. Mangroves and

estuaries are ecosystems known to be extremely sensitive to

environmental fluctuations, remaining under perpetual stress

and thus particularly vulnerable to climate change. Changes

in the structure and function of these systems are expected to

be sensitive parameters of global climate change, and would

contribute to our understanding of the implications that such

changes may have in the area under study.

Systematic analysis of diatom assemblages in areas

undergoing rapid environmental changes can be used to

evaluate the natural dynamics of the system. There have

been sporadic attempts to describe and document modern

diatom assemblages in the Indian Sundarbans aquatic system

(Banerjee and Santra 1999, 2001, 2007; Banerjee et al. 2001;

Biswas et al. 2010; Choudhury and Pal 2008; De et a/. 2011;

Manna et al. 2010; Santra et al. 1989, 1991; Sen and Naskar

2002, 2003; Sen et al. 2002), but there is a lacuna in terms of

information regarding the sub-surface diatom genera, even

though soil diatoms have proven to be extremely useful tools

in reconstructing palaeo-ecological changes in many other

ecosystems across the globe. The present paper documents

the diatom assemblage in the first 50 cm of two sediment

cores from the forest floor of the deltaic mangrove forests of

Indian Sundarbans. This is the first report of such assemblage

in the present study area, in particular, and the entire Indian

Sundarbans in general.

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES OF SUNDARBANS

List of Abbreviations:

STR — Sundarban Tiger Reserve

PAN —__ Protected Area Network

PoC -— Place of Collection

DoC -— _ Date of Collection

NoC — _ Name of Collector

LM -— Light Microscope

CLS — Camera Lucida Sketch

SEM — _ Scanning Electron Microscope

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sampling sites (Fig. 1)

Sampling site 1: This site is named Jharkhali,

situated within 24 Parganas South Division in the

PAN (22°: 1" 08:7" Np88% 41° 3c ve Located at the

southernmost tip of Basanti Island about 40 km straight

up north of the Bay of Bengal, it bears the brunt of most

of the storms and cyclones that arise in the Bay. The area

was subjected to anthropogenic pressures from the fringe

area populace before it was brought under the PAN.

The soil is predominantly silt and clay particles, with low

sand content.

Sampling site 2: This site is on the bank of the

island Amlamethi, opposite STR (22° 2’ 40.5” N; 88° 43’

52.4" E) within PAN of Indian Sundarbans with no human

settlement recorded. It is a recently formed deltaic island

that has emerged in response to meander dynamics of the

Site -2

3 8

\ ee

river and is noticeably in its developmental stage. The soil is

predominantly sand and silt particles, with low clay content.

The collections were made in the field, using a manual

borer of 1.8 m (about 6 ft.) capacity. The solid core was

removed from the borer, dissected into 10 cm pieces, and

placed in labelled sample packets. The sediment samples

were subjected to hydrogen peroxide treatment, followed

by hydrochloric acid treatment. The treated sample was then

used for microscopic analysis, for which 50ul of the cleaned

sample was placed on glass coverslips using a micro-pipette

and left for complete settlement and drying. The coverslips

were then inverted and mounted on permanent microscope

slides using Naphrax™ (R.I. = 1.74). Permanent slides were

prepared for each depth at each site for microscopic analysis.

These slides are preserved in the Phycology Laboratory,

University of Kalyani, West Bengal, India, under the series

PoC/DoC/Depth/Slide No./PLKU/NoC. A minimum of 400

diatom frustules were studied for each depth.

The sample slides were studied using a Ch201

light microscope at 100x using oil immersion. Camera

lucida sketches were made for each different diatom form

encountered. Morphometric data were noted and various

diatom identification manuals were used for identification

(Cleve 1881, 1894; Cox 1996; Cupp 1943; Heurck 1896;

Krammer 2002; Krammer and Lange-Bertalot 1986, 1988;

Lange-Bertalot 1996; Witkowski et al. 2000). The website

www.algaebase.org (Guiry and Guiry 2015) was consulted

for nomenclature issues.

7 2

Ry esi i

yy 4

Es = \ Ss

«/ BAY OF BENGAL ~~

amethi

‘ a ‘ #

Sw ~ re

ae sf & ‘dy. ;

| se aiee

hark Forest ~~ Ve,

Range & Park

5 NaS

« Site - 1 %

SS y

“, 3 .

a + all

Fig. 1: Sampling sites for sediment cores in the Indian Sundarbans

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES OF SUNDARBANS

For SEM imaging, cleaned samples were air-dried on

1 cm x | cm glass stubs. The stubs were then placed on

adhesive carbon tapes and were coated with a thin layer

of gold using a high resolution sputter coater. The SEM

investigations were carried out using model FD Quanta 200

microscope. Both the light microscope images and the SEM

images were used for species identification.

RESULTS

Microscopic analysis of the sediment samples revealed

15 species of diatoms, of which 4 species though previously

reported from the estuarine waters of Indian Sundarbans have

not been taxonomically confirmed (Table 1), but none of

these 15 species have been recorded from sediment samples

of Indian Sundarbans and taxonomically confirmed at the

species level previously.

Morphology & Taxonomy:

1. Class: Bacillariophyceae

Order: Eunotiales

Family: Eunotiaceae

Genus: Amphicampa Ehrenberg (Ralfs)

Species: Amphicampa eruca Ehrenberg

Cited in: Kociolek (2000)

Preserved slide: Amla/3-13/0-10/003/PLKU/BB

Fig. 2 a,b

Valve 51.0 um long, 10.2 um broad (approximate, as

specimen with broken tips was observed), slightly curved

— dorsal margin convex and ventral margin concave with

smooth wavy undulations on both the valve margins.

Striae tranverse and distinctly punctate.

Class: Bacillariophyceae

Order: Thalassiophysales

Family: Catenulaceae

Genus: Amphora Ehrenberg ex Kutzing

Species: Amphora holsatica Hustedt

Cited in: Krammer and Lange-Bertalot (1986); Sar et al.

(2003)

Slide: Amla/3-13/0-10/002/PLKU/BB

Pigs 2.054

Valves wide to semi-lanceolate, 48—50 um long, 13-15 um

broad, with ends terminating in protruding truncate poles.

Dorsal margin convex, ventral margin mainly straight with

a distinct central inflation. Striae distinctly punctate and

uniseriate. Row(s) of parallel areolae near raphe.

Table 1: Diatom species identified from the two sampling sites with previous records of the same from Indian Sundarbans

SI. No. Species name Site 1

1 Amphicampa eruca Ehrenberg -

2 Amphora holsatica Hustedt -

3 Aulacoseira granulata (Ehr.) Simon. -

4 Cyclotella litoralis Lange & Syvertsen

5 Cyclotella striata (Kutzing) Grunow

6 Diploneis smithii (Brebisson) Cleve -

7 Diploneis bombus (Ehr.) Ehrenberg v

8 Diploneis ovalis (Hilse) Cleve -

9 Epithemia turgida (Ehrenberg) Kutz. v

10 Eunotia pectinalis (Kutzing) Raben. v

11 Giffenia cocconeiformis (Grunow) Round & Basson v

12 | Rhaphoneis rhombus Ehrenberg v

13 Thalassiosira tenera Proschkino-Lavrenko v

14 Coscinodiscus radiatus Ehrenberg v

15 Coscinodiscus wailesii Gran & Angst

Site 2 Report history

v First report

First report

v First report

First report

Common in phytoplankton samples; first report in

soil. (Mitra 2013; Mukherjee et a/. 2014)

Recorded only once in phytoplankton sample;

first report in soil (Mitra 2013)

First report

Se OTN eS A

Common as phytoplankton; first report in soil.

(Biswas et al. 2014; Choudhury and Bhadury

2014; De et a/. 1991; Mitra 2013; Mukherjee et al.

2014; Sarkar 2015)

v Recorded only once in phytoplankton sample;

first report in soil (Mukherjee et a/. 2014)

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES OF SUNDARBANS

Class: Bacillariophyceae

Order: Naviculales

Family: Diploneidaceae

Genus: Diploneis Ehrenberg ex Cleve

Species: Diploneis smithii (Brebisson) Cleve

Cited in: Cleve (1881); de Souza-Mosimann et al. (2011);

Hendey (1964)

Slide: Amla/3-13/40-50/056/PLKU/BB

Pie, 2 jzk

Valves elliptic with broadly rounded apices, 30-

48 um long, 15-30 um broad. Central nodule small,

very slightly elevated. Narrow furrows, costae distinctly

punctate, especially nearer the margins, 8—10 in 10 pm.

Class: Bacillariophyceae

Order: Naviculales

Family: Diploneidaceae

Genus: Diploneis Ehrenberg ex Cleve

Species: Diploneis bombus (Ehrenberg) Ehrenberg

Cited in: Cleve (1881); Park et al. (2012)

Slide: Jhar/3-13/0-10/014/PLKU/MM

Fig. 2 i,m

Valves with elliptical to obtuse ends, deeply constricted

at the centre, 40.5—55 um long, 13.2—22 um broad, 5.1—

6.3 um broad at constriction. Large central nodule

smoothly rectangular. Narrow furrows near the margin,

costae 5—8 in 10 um, a single entire row of costae on

either side of median line.

Class: Bacillariophyceae

Order: Naviculales

Family: Diploneidaceae

Genus: Diploneis Ehrenberg ex Cleve

Species: Diploneis ovalis (Hilse) Cleve

Cited in: Cleve (1881); Taylor et al. (2014)

Slide: Amla/3-13/40-50/057/PLKU/BB

Fig. 2, 0

Valve elliptic to broadly elliptic, 35-56 um long, 10.2—

15 um broad. Costae punctate, 9-11 in 10 pm.

Longitudinal canal narrow, broadest in the middle. Large

orbicular central region.

Class: Bacillariophyceae

Order: Rhopalodiales

Family: Rhopalodiaceae

Genus: Epithemia

Species: Epithemia turgida (Ehrenberg) Kutzing

Cited in: Jahn and Kusber (2006); Rabenhorst (1864);

Wood (1961)

Slide: Amla/3-13/10-20/026/PLKU/BB

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

Fig. 3 a, b

Cells solitary, lanceolate, strongly dorsiventral with

concave ventral margin and an arched dorsal margin.

Valve faces sieve-like due to striae, prominent costae

with 2-3 striae between adjacent partitions. Raphe system

eccentric, frustules 65—71.4 um long, 13—17 um broad.

Class: Bacillariophyceae

Order: Eunotiales

Family: Eunotiaceae

Genus: Eunotia Ehrenberg

Species: Eunotia pectinalis (Kutzing) Rabenhorst

Cited in: Hirano (1969); Rabenhorst (1864); Tuji and

Williams (2005)

Slide: Amla/3-13/10-20/024/PLKU/BB

Fig. 3 c,d

Valves elongate and elliptic, dorsiventral, symmetrical

along transapical axis. Dorsal margin convex, undulate.

Valve apices bluntly rounded. Striae perpendicular to

central margin, extend across entire valve face. Valves

58-72 um long, 8—8.5 um broad. Raphe not visible in

valve view.

Class: Bacillariophyceae

Order: Bacillariales

Family: Bacillariaceae

Genus: Giffenia Round & Basson

Species: Giffenia cocconeiformis (Grunow) Round &

Basson

Cited in: Park (2012); Rashid (2014); Round and Basson

(1997)

Slide: Jhar/3-13/0-10/001/PLKU/MM

Fig, 3:¢.1

Valves symmetrical along both apical and transapical

axes. Raphe eccentric, within a keel. Valves lack sternum.

Frustule length varies between 22-30 um, and width

between 8—14.4 um.

Class: Coscinodiscophyceae

Order: Aulacoseirales

Family: Aulacoseiraceae

Genus: Aulacoseira Thwaites

Species: Aulacoseira granulata (Ehrenberg) Simonsen

Cited in: Gomez et al. (1995); Manoylov et al. (2009);

Simonsen (1979)

Slide: Amla/3-13/0-10/001/PLKU/BB

Figs: 2, £2

Valve size ranges between 9-12 wm diameter and

10-12 um height. Distinctly curved rows of areolae present.

Areolae roundish, separating spines short pointed type.

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES OF SUNDARBANS

Oo’

SOOIOO0X

CYR Me

£.

1 Heit Sea

Fig. 2:a. LM image & b. CLS Amphicampa eruca Ehr.; c. LM image & d. CLS Amphora holsatica Hustedt; e., f. LM image & g. CLS Aulacoseira

CLS Diploneis bombus (Ehr.) Ehr.;

granulata (Ehr.) Simonsen; h. LM image & i. CLS Cyclotella striata (Kutz.) Grun.; j. LM image & k.

|. LM image & m. CLS Diploneis ovalis (Hilse) Cleve; n. LM image & 0. CLS Diploneis smithii (Breb.) Cleve

76 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES OF SUNDARBANS

10. Class: Coscinodiscophyceae

Order: Thalassiosirales

Family: Stephanodiscaceae

Genus: Cyclotella (Kutzing) Brebisson

Species: Cyclotella litoralis Lange & Syvertsen

Cited: in: Cremer 2fal, (2007), Parkver al. (O0n2);

Sar et al. (2010)

Slide: Jhar/3-13/0-10/014/PLKU/MM

Fig. 3 0, p; Fig. 4h

Solitary cells, circular in outline, 18-48 um in diameter,

divided into two nearly equal zones: central and marginal.

Central zone with variable elevation. Marginal zone with

radial striae and an extreme ring of fultoportulae.

11. Class: Coscinodiscophyceae

Order: Coscinodiscales

Family: Coscinodiscaceae

Genus: Coscinodiscus Ehrenberg

Species: Coscinodiscus radiatus Ehrenberg

Cited in: Hasle and Syvertsen (1996); Sar et al. (2010)

Slide: Amla/3-13/20-30/045/PLKU/BB

Fig. 3 k, |; Fig. 4a

Valves 38-56 um in diameter. Areolae radially arranged,

6-8 areolae in 10 um, processes not visible.

12. Class: Coscinodiscophyceae

Order: Coscinodiscales

Family: Coscinodiscaceae

Genus: Coscinodiscus Ehrenberg

Species: Coscinodiscus wailesii Gran & Angst

Cited in: Fernandes et al. (2001); Hasle and Syvertsen

(1996)

Slide: Jhar/3-13/0-10/014/PLKU/MM

Fig. 3 m, n; Fig. 4 b, c

Valves 100—106.6 um in diameter. Areolae arranged

from centre towards periphery in straight lines. Areolae

in central region smaller than those in peripheral region.

13. Class: Coscinodiscophyceae

Order: Thalassiosirales

Family: Stephanodiscaceae

Genus: Cyclotella (Kutzing) Brebisson

Species: Cyclotella striata (Kutz.) Grun.

Cited in: Hakansson (2011)

Slide: Jhar/7-14/30-40/006/PLKU/MM

Fig. 2 h, 1; Fig. 4 f, g

Valves 21-68 um in diameter. Valves with transversely

undulated central area that occupies about half of the

valve diameter. Central region granular. Striae 22—30 in

10 um.

14. Class: Coscinodiscophyceae

Order: Thalassiosirales

Family: Thalassiosiraceae

Genus: Thalassiosira Cleve

Species: Thalassiosira tenera Proschkina-Lavrenko

Cited in: Hasle and Syvertsen (1997); Lee and Park (2008)

Slide: Amla/3-13/20-30/042/PLKU/BB

Fig. 3 i, j; Fig. 4d

Valves 18—24 um in diameter. Areolae in straight rows,

11-13 areolae in 10 um. Marginal ring of strutted

processes (fultoportulae).

15. Class: Fragilariophyceae

Order: Rhaphoneidales

Family: Rhaphoneidaceae

Genus: Rhaphoneis Ehrenberg

Species: Rhaphoneis rhombus Ehrenberg

Cited in: Hendey 1974; Jahn and Kusber 2004

Slide: Amla/3-13/40-50/PLKU/MM

Fig. 3 g,h

Rhomboid valves with slightly angular apices, 21—23 um

long, 10-11 wm broad. Valve surface flat, pseudoraphe

runs straight down the central zone of the valves. Striae

punctate, very slightly curved from centre to margin,

punctae numbering 6 in the broadest region and 1-2 at

the apices.

DISCUSSION

The 15 diatom species collected and described for

the first time from sediments of Indian Sundarbans give an

interesting view of the diatom assemblages therein, primarily

because only four of the above-mentioned species, namely

Coscinodiscus radiatus, C. wailesii, Cyclotella striata, and

Diploneis smithii find mention in published literature on

phytoplankton communities of the estuarine system of the

region (Biswas et al. 2010, 2014; Choudhury and Bhadury

2014; De et al. 1999; Manna et al. 2010; Mitra 2013;

Mukherjee et al. 2013a,b, 2014). The sporadic mention of

these diatoms in various published literature does not include

taxonomic and morphological data.

Morphological considerations might lead to some

uncertainty in establishing the identity of these species. This

uncertainty arises in the case of Coscinodiscus radiatus,

which is very similar to C. argus — a common diatom in the

phytoplankton of Indian Sundarbans though not reported in

the present study — when observed under light microscope.

The difference between the two is established only on

observing areolae character of C. argus and C. radiatus under

SEM. C. radiatus is characterized by the presence of areolae

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES OF SUNDARBANS

Fig. 3: a. LM image & b. CLS Epithemia turgida (Ehr.) Kutz.; c. LM image & d. CLS Eunotia pectinalis (Kutz.) Raben.;

e. LM image & f. CLS Giffenia cocconeiformis (Grunow) Round & Basson; g. LM image & h. CLS Rhaphoneis rhombus Ehr.; i. LM image &

j. CLS Thalassiosira tenera Proschkina-Lavrenko; k. LM image & |. CLS Coscinodiscus radiatus Ehr.; m. LM image & n. CLS Coscinodiscus

wailesii Gran. & Angst; 0. LM image & p. CLS Cyclotella litoralis Lange & Syvertsen

of uniform size throughout the entire valve face, while

C. argus exhibits a gradual increase of areolae size from the

centre of the valve towards the middle of the radius and then

a reduction in size towards the extreme margin.

Coscinodiscus wailesii is mentioned in a

few publications on phytoplankton assemblages of

Indian Sundarbans (Mukherjee et al. 2013a, b, 2014).

Morphologically under valve view, the species is similar

to Coscinodiscus concinnus and C. concinniformis when

observed under LM. The presence of the typical floral cribra

as observed under SEM is characteristic of the species

C. wailesii (Ferrario and Sar 1994; Hernandez-Becerril

2000; Otzen 2012) along with a high steep mantle near the

periphery (Fig. 3b, c & d).

Among the two species of Cyclotella reported in the

present study, one species Cyclotella striata is of common

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES OF SUNDARBANS

occurrence in the estuarine waters, and is additionally

being reported as a soil assemblage diatom for the first

time. The other species C. litoralis is being reported for

the first time in Indian Sundarbans. The two species differ

in terms of the degree of undulation of the central region,

presence/absence of marginal chambers, and location of

the fultoportulae. The identification of Diploneis smithii

also poses problems as distinct morphotypes similar to

those of D. smithii are reported to occur (Droop 1994).

The species can be taxonomically confirmed only with

measurements of dimensions and striation density using

SEM analysis.

Other than these four species (Coscinodiscus radiatus,

C. wailesii, Cyclotella striata, and Diploneis smithii), the

other 11 species are being reported and described for the first

time from this region, though Diploneis and Eunotia have

been reported as part of the phytoplankton composition by

Biswas et al. (2010) and Manna et al. (2010) respectively,

but with no mention of the species identification.

A detailed comparative analysis of species composition

with earlier reports could not be done since this is the first

attempt to determine the species composition of diatoms

in the sediments of Indian Sundarbans. However, some

interesting findings are given below.

Three of the newly reported species of this region,

Aulacoseira granulata, Amphicampa eruca, and Epithemia

turgida are established freshwater species (Islam et al. 2010;

Rashid et al. 2013; Skvortzow 1928; Villac et al. 2008;

Wang et al. 2009; Yawen and Zhengyu 2007) whose presence

in the sediments of this saline environment indicates loss

of freshwater condition and increasing salinity of this area.

Giffenia cocconeiformis, being described for the

first time from Indian Sundarbans, is a rare form initially

described by Round and Basson (1997) based on Nitzschia

Fig. 4: SEM Images of identified diatoms from the sediment cores of Indian Sundarbans. (a) Coscinodiscus radiatus Ehrenberg ring of small

marginal processes (smp) and two large marginal processes (Imp) c. 120° apart; (b) Coscinodiscus wailesii Gran. & Angst with prominent

central hyaline area and high steep mantle bordering the valve face (m); (c) inset showing magnified portion with wide radiating interstriae

(i) and rows of irregular fasciculation (if); (d) Coscinodiscus wailesii Gran. & Angst with 3D wall structure details showing circular areolae (a)

and typically floret-shaped cribrum (c); (e) Thalassiosira tenera Proschkina-Lavrenko showing a complete row of marginal fultoportulae (fp)

and straight rows of areolae (sra); (f) Cyclotella striata (Kutz.) Grun. showing slightly undulated central zone (cz) with a single rimoportula

(rp) and a number of areolae (a), marginal zone with interstriae, 2-4 of which create an alveolus opening (ao); (g) Cyclotella striata (Kutz.)

Grun. internal valve face showing marginal chambers; (h) Cyclotella litoralis Lange & Syvertsen showing pronounced central undulation (cu)

and numerous warts (w), 10 fultoportulae (fp) and margins without chambers

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015 79

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES OF SUNDARBANS

cocconeiformis Grun. It was reported as part of the marine and

brackish diatom assemblages of Nanaura mudflats in Japan

(Park et al. 2012). Rashid (2014) reported it as a diatom fossil

species in marine mud facies in Holocene sediment samples

collected from Dobadia, Bangladesh. The species is reported

to co-occur with Coscinodiscus radiatus and Cyclotella

striata, which match our assemblage, and all these species are

referred to as diatom fossils. Also found in this assemblage

are pollen grains of mangrove Xylocarpus sp. and Lumnitzera

racemosa, which according to Rashid (2014) suggests that

the mud was deposited in an intertidal mudflat. Interestingly,

this sampling site is situated near Dhaka, which is central

Bangladesh and part of a large upland tract with an elevation

of about 1.2 m called Madhupur tract. Such facies association

and distribution, i.e., mud facies in central Bangladesh having

evidence of deposition in coastal Bangladesh, is attributed by

Rashid (2014) primarily to tectonic activity and environment

of deposition.

The diatom assemblages in the sediment profiles

at the sampling sites in the present study suggest the

presence of a freshwater environment at some point of

time during the genesis of this deltaic region. This could

have been possible with greater freshwater influx during

that particular period. This substantiates the findings of

Morgan and McIntire (1959), Naskar and Guha Bakshi

(1987), Dasgupta et al. (2012), which emphasize that owing

to tectonic movements, a very slow tilting of the coast in

the north-western part of Sundarbans (an area which lies in

India) is observed. Simultaneously, the same factor has led to

subsidence in the eastern part of Sundarbans (an area which

lies in Bangladesh). The cumulative effect is seen today as

comparatively less freshwater influx and increased salinity

in the western part of Sundarbans.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful to the University of

Kalyani for giving permission and providing necessary

infrastructure to carry out this work. NSS acknowledges

the grant received from UGC, New Delhi vide sanction

No. F.No.41-1333/2012(SR), dated: 30th July, 2012. NSS

and SS also acknowledge the grant received from SERB,

Govt. of India vide sanction No. SB/FT/LS-323/2012, dated:

17th June, 2013. Finally, the authors are grateful for the

help received from boatman Nihar Mandal and other local

people of Sundarbans during field work in the mangrove

forests of Sundarbans. The authors are also grateful to

the Department of Forests, Government of West Bengal,

for granting necessary permission (vide letter No. 198(5)/

SBR/C-182/11 (Part.-III), dated: 5th March, 2013) for

collection of soil cores from the Protected Area of Sundarban

mangrove forests.

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J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 112(2), May-August 2015

83-85

A NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS LEMBA HUANG, 1983 (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE: OXYINAE)

FROM THE STATE OF MEGHALAYA, NORTH-EAST INDIA

Moupb IMRAN KHAN!?:* AND MoHD KamiL USMANI!?

'Section of Entomology, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202 002, Uttar Pradesh, India.

"Email: [email protected]

>Email: [email protected]

* Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104927

A new species, Lemba elongata sp. nov. of the subfamily Oxyinae from Meghalaya, a north-eastern state of India, has

been reported for the first time. The species was observed on Cynodon grass. In addition to conventional morphological

characters, genitalic structures are also studied.

Key words: Acrididae, Oxyinae, Lemba, new species, Meghalaya

INTRODUCTION

Orthoptera is one of the largest orders of insects with

26,690 valid species around the world. Of these, 1,033 species

belonging to 398 genera under 21 families are known from

India (Shishodia et al. 2010). Superfamily Acridoidea, species

of which are commonly known as locusts and grasshoppers,

is well-known. The members of this superfamily possess

antennae shorter than the body, three-segmented tarsi,

and show maximum diversity with 11 families, namely

Acrididae, Dericorythidae, Lathiceridae, Lentulidae,

Lithidiidae, Ommexechidae, Pamphagidae, Pamphagodidae,

Pyrgacrididae, Romaleidae, and Tristiridae. Out of these

11 families, Acrididae is widely distributed in India. Many

species belonging to the family Acrididae cause considerable

damage to agricultural crops, pastures and forests and are

notorious for their destructiveness all over the world.

Oxyinae is one of the most important and diverse

subfamilies of Acrididae (Tandon 1988; Usmani and Shafee

1984, 1985). Members of this subfamily are small to medium-

sized, found mostly in paddy fields and on grasses. They are

rich in protein and used as food for poultry (Das et a/. 2012).

Huang (1983) erected the genus Lemba with

L. daguanensis as type species which closely resembles

Caryanda Stal, 1878, except for the differences in the

prolonged subgenital plate of the male. Later, Yin and Liu

(1987) described L. bituberculata and Niu and Zheng (1992)

described L. viriditibia from China. L. sichuanensis was

described by Ma et al. (1994) and L. yunnana by Ma and

Zheng (1994) from different provinces of China. Recently

Ingrisch et al. (2004) described L. motinagar from Motinagar

forest, Meghalaya, India. In the present work, extensive

survey of the north-eastern states of India revealed a new

species, Lemba elongata sp. nov. from Tyrsad, Shillong,

Meghalaya, India.

Meghalaya is a small state in north-eastern India

situated on a hilly strip extending about 300 km long (east-

west) and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 22,429 sq.

km. The state is bounded on the north and east by Assam,

and by Bangladesh on the south and west. With an average

annual rainfall as high as 1,200 cm in some areas, Meghalaya

is the wettest place on earth. The western part of the plateau

comprising the Garo Hills Region has lower elevations

and experiences high temperatures for most of the year.

The Shillong area, with the highest elevations, experiences

generally low temperatures. The maximum temperature

in this region rarely goes beyond 28 °C, whereas sub-zero

temperatures are common in winter. About one third of the

state is forested. The forests of Meghalaya are notable for

their diversity of mammals, birds, and plants. Meghalaya

predominantly has an agrarian economy. Around 80% of the

total population of Meghalaya depends upon agriculture for

their living. Meghalaya does not receive evenly distributed

rainfall. Hence, the vegetation varies from tropical to

temperate.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Grasshoppers were collected using nets and killed

in bottles lined with cotton soaked in cyanide. Specimens

were relaxed, stretched, pinned, and labelled indicating the

reference number, locality, date of collection, and name of

host plant. Later they were identified using Stereozoom

microscope. For the confirmation of the species permanent

slides of genitalic structures were prepared by dissecting

out the male and female apical parts and boiling them

in 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution to remove

unsclerotized and non-chitinous tissues. The preparations

were thoroughly washed in tap water for complete removal

of KOH and examined in 70% ethyl alcohol on a cavity slide.

NEW DESCRIPTION

The material was dehydrated using increasing grades of

alcohol (70%, 80%, 90%, 95% and absolute alcohol), cleared

in clove oil and mounted on cavity slides in Canada balsam.

Slides were examined under the microscope and drawings

were made with the help of Camera Lucida. Descriptions of

phallic complex follow the terminology used in Dirsh (1956).

Measurements were taken with the help of Aero Space digital

Vernier Calliper. Collections were stored in boxes with

naphthalene balls and in plastic vials in 70% ethyl] alcohol.

RESULTS

A new species, Lemba elongata sp. nov. of the

subfamily Oxyinae was described from Meghalaya state of

India, collected from Cynodon grass.

Lemba elongata sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Holotype male (Figs 1—2)

Body medium sized; head conical; fastigium of vertex short,

Fig.1: Lemba elongata sp. nov. a: Entire Male. b: Pronotum.

c: Ventral view. d: Lateral view e: Hind femur. f. Hind leg

4.0mm

6.5 mm

o5mm

Fig. 2: Lemba elongata sp. nov. a: Supra-anal plate.

b: Subgenital plate. c: Epiphallus. d: Aedeagus

rounded, separated from vertex by a shallow depression;

frontal ridge distinct but subobsolete at clypeo-frontal suture;

interocular distance longer than subocular furrow; pronotum

rugose, disc with lateral angles rounded into lateral lobes,

posterior margin obtusely excised; prosternal process slightly

compressed, conical, apex acute; mesosternal lobes longer

than wide, metasternal lobes contiguous; tegmina covering

tympanum and without a series of regular, parallel, transverse

stridulatory veinlets on radial area; hind femur moderately

slender, dorsal carina smooth and terminating in small

ventral genicular lobe terminating in a spine; hind tibia with

dorsal margin not angular but rounded with eight external

and twenty internal spines at dorsal margin; apical spines

present on both sides.

Genitalia: Supra-anal plate broad, slightly longer than wide,

lateral margins diverging apically, apex bluntly rounded.

Cercus broad and slightly narrowing apically, twice as long

as wide, slightly excurved, apex acutely rounded. Subgenital

plate triangular with a notch medially. Epiphallus bridge

divided, ancorae short, apex pointed. Aedeagus apical valve

long and narrow, longer than basal valve, apex pointed, basal

valve moderately broad.

Coloration: Green with black lateral margins on pronotum

generally but colour changes to yellow on change of food

from green habitat to dry grasses.

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS LEmBA HuAnc, 1983

RECORDED FROM NORTH-EASTERN STATES OF INDIA

1. Lateral margins of supra-anal plate almost parallel and

apex of cercus conical; lateral margins of subgenital

plate parallel in basal half diverging apically with apex

long and bifurcate; lophi broad with apex pointed,

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

NEW DESCRIPTION

ancorae short and broad with apex blunt; aedeagus

with apical valve very long, apex blunt, much longer

than basal valve, basal valve very long and broad.....

coated Lemba motinagar Ingrisch et al. 2004

Lateral margins of supra-anal plate diverging in the

middle and apex of cercus acutely rounded; subgenital

plate triangular with a notch apically; lophi broad with

apex bluntly rounded, ancorae short, apex pointed;

aedeagus with apical valve long with apex pointed,

longer than basal valve, basal valve moderately

breads. 22 720M Te eee Lemba elongata sp.nov.

Female: Not found.

Type Material: Holotype 3’, Meghalaya: Shillong, Tyrsad,

24.x.2009, on Cynodon dactylon, Coll.: M.I. Khan. Deposited

at Zoological Museum, Department of Zoology, Aligarh

Muslim University Aligarh, India (ZDAMU).

Host: Cynodon dactylon (L.) (Family Poaceae).

Measurements: Body length 15.32 mm, Pronotum 1.34 mm,

Hind femur 9.76 mm.

Etymology: The name of new species is derived from its

elongated subgenital plate.

DISCUSSION

Except for sporadic reports, there has been no

systematic study on the locusts and grasshoppers belonging

to the family Acrididae from the north-eastern states of India,

a hotspot of biodiversity (Usmani and Khan 2010). The new

species closely resembles L. motinagar Ingrisch et al. (2004),

but differs from it in having divergent lateral margins in

middle of supra-anal plate and acutely rounded apex of cercus.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We extend our gratitude to the University Grants

Commission, New Delhi, for providing financial assistance

during the tenure of a major research project (Ref. no. 33-

33/2007 (SR)) being carried out on “Studies on taxonomy

and diversity of North Eastern States of India”.

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of two acridids (Orthoptera: Acrididae) as alternative food

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TANDON, S.K. (1988): Distributional pattern of grasshoppers of India:

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Usmanl, M.K. & S.A. SHAFEE (1985): A revision of the Indian species of

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Usmanl, M.K. & M.I. KHAN (2010): A preliminary checklist of locusts

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Trends in Biosciences 3(1): 49-55.

Yin, X. & Z. Liu (1987): A new subfamily of Catantopidae with a new

genus and new species from China (Orthoptera: Acridoidea).

Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 12: 66—72. [In Chinese with English

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Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 112(2), May-August 2015

86-87

REVIEWS

1. NATURE WITHOUT BORDERS edited by Mahesh Rangarajan, M.D. Madhusudan,

and Ghazala Shahabuddin. 2014. Published by Orient Blackswan Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi.

Size: 21.5 cm x 14 cm. 270 pp. Price not stated. Hardbound.

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104928

What an appropriate title! Except for physical and

environmental barriers, Nature has no borders. If we look at a

picture of the Earth from the mesosphere, which is quite easy

now due to satellite and google pictures, only the physical

features of the Earth will be seen: the outlines of the land

mass, islands, maybe mountain chains, vast oceans, but no

man-made border. To see the man-made borders, we have to

come down to much lower levels — physically, figuratively,

and allegorically. Some borders, like India-Pakistan or USA-

Mexico, can be seen from aircraft from 9,144 m to 10,668 m

as a thin line, reminding us of the cupidity of human beings.

If we come still lower, we can see the fenced countryside, in

Europe, South Africa, and now increasingly in India. There is

a popular saying that “good fences make good neighbours”,

but for me a fence is an indication of human failure. It shows

that we have not learnt to live as a community and we have

not learnt from Nature which does not have fences or borders.

When all three editors are well-known wildlife experts,

thinkers, and writers, the result has to be good. It shows in the

quality of chapters in this book. Besides a very informative

40 page Introduction, the editors have selected essays from

experts in different fields, covering diverse subjects from the

fauna of the River Ganga to urban forests, to interactions of

pastoralists of the Deccan with Grey Wolf. All eight chapters

are a delight to read and to learn from them. Each chapter

has endnotes which have full references, or only the name

of the first author. This creates confusion. At the end of the

book, a consolidated Bibliography is given, which has all

the references in full.

For me, establishment of “protected areas” which

largely exclude human beings, shows our failure to live

sustainably and in harmony with nature. That is why, to

assuage our guilt, we tend to set aside a few areas free from

human exploitation, demographic expansion, and economic

development. We develop borders to confine Nature in

selected areas. This approach may work in a few areas, for

a few habitats, and for a few species, but for the majority of

species, ecosystems, and biological communities it is now

increasingly proved that the protected area approach may not

work in the long term. Nature is beyond borders, as has been

shown in the article by K.S. Gopi Sundar on Sarus Crane,

and by Nitya Sambamurti Ghotge and Sagari R. Ramdas

on Grey Wolf of the Deccan Plains. Snow Leopard further

proves that for conservation to work, we have to develop

a landscape approach paradigm where local communities

become an integral part of conservation and sustainable

development.

The Indian Wildlife Protection Act and Forest

Conservation Act were drawn up keeping in mind

forest wealth and forest-inhabiting species, particularly

megavertebrates. All the articles of these acts talk about

regulations and exclusion (of human beings). There is not

much scope for collaboration, coexistence, and sustainability.

These acts have shown good results for some species and

some habitats, so most people believe that they are good

for landscape level also, but this is a false notion. Strict

implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act (amended in

2006) has created huge problems for local people in many

so-called protected areas, so much so that people have

turned hostile to wildlife conservation. When in a Lesser

Florican Sanctuary, for instance, a farmer cannot sell his

own land, or one has to make numerous visits to a forest

officer for permission to repair a school wall, do we expect

that the people will support conservation? First we declare

a sanctuary in private land without consulting the owners,

and then we implement laws that were essentially made for

forests and forest-dwelling animals. No wonder we have so

many conflicts in such protected areas.

Fortunately, there is anew crop of young conservationists

who work with local communities across a large landscape

canvas. As Gopi Sundar has written (page 88) “Reserved

forests, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are seen as

synonymous with wildlife or with ecological integrity and

biological diversity. It is only very recently that appreciation

for the high degree of species persistence in agricultural areas

has begun to exist.”

Reading this book has further strengthened my view

that either we need to amend the Wildlife Protection Act to

make it more people-friendly, or we need another law for

large landscape sanctuaries where local people are a part

of the solution of conservation problems. This book is very

timely. My only worry 1s that decision makers and politicians

may not read it. They largely remain within the borders of

their bereft intellectualism.

M@ ASAD R. RAHMANI

REVIEWS

2. THE ANNOTATED MALAY ARCHIPELAGO by Alfred Russel Wallace. Edited by John van Wyhe.

2015. Published by NUS Press, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Size: 23 cm x 15 cm.

801 pp. Price not stated. Paperback.

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104929

I am a strong believer of evolution, so Charles Darwin

and Alfred Russel Wallace are my two favourite authors

and ideals. I had read Darwin’s THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, THE

DESCENT OF MAN, AND SELECTION IN RELATION TO SEX, and THE

VOYAGE OF BEAGLE, by the time I was 18. But I did not have

the opportunity to read much about Darwin’s contemporary

Alfred Russel Wallace.

Like me, John van Wyhe is a fan of Wallace. His

38-page Introduction sets the context and tone of this magnum

opus. Wyhe’s meticulous research of old records removes

many misconceptions about the Darwin- Wallace relationship;

both these naturalists emerge as outstanding scientists who

respected each other’s contribution to the theory of natural

selection.

Despite the fact that a lot of Wallace’s notes and

specimens were lost or destroyed in fire, there 1s enough

material to prove what an exceptionally keen observer, writer,

and chronicler he was. For example, Wallace recorded details

of vocabularies of local languages which he sent to an elderly

expert on the region, who lost the manuscript. Similarly,

many notebooks on his stay in Singapore and Malacca are

also missing. Unfortunately, many letters that he wrote to

Darwin also did not survive.

Throughout his voyage, Wallace would send to UK

consignments of specimens for sale. It was the golden period

of exploration and specimen collection of exotic and new

species, so his specimens were bought up by museums and

private collectors. Fortunately, the specimens have survived

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

and now the largest collection of Wallace’s specimens is in

the Natural History Museum, London.

Although 90 per cent of the book covers Wallace’s

writing, credit should also go to Wyhe for his excellent editing

and giving perspective to the author’s field notes. Without the

footnotes and references provided by Wyhe, it is not easy to

understand the importance of Wallace’s Journal.

When the MALAY ARCHIPELAGO was first published in

1869, it was an instant success. As Wyhe writes, more than

50 reviews appeared between 1869 and 1873. It has been

translated into at least 10 languages, and the German edition

appeared in 1869, the year of the book’s publication. The

latest edition, in Italian, came out in 2013. Wyhe writes “The

MALAY ARCHIPELAGO has inspired generations of explorers

and biologists to study and appreciate the diversity and

complexity of this fascinating region of the world.” Sadly

this region has seen the highest rate of destruction of forests

and its native culture, which Wallace described so lovingly.

By reprinting Wallace’s stupendous work, the

University of Singapore and editor John van Wyhe have

done yeoman service to humankind. I recommend this book

to all naturalists and natural history writers. As Wyhe has

concluded in his Introduction “Wallace’s great work will

no doubt continue to captivate and inspire readers for the

foreseeable future.” I cannot agree with Wyhe more. By

reading MALAY ARCHIPELAGO I have filled a vacuum in my life.

M@ ASAD R. RAHMANI

Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 112(2), May-August 2015

88-124

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

1. FIRST RECORD OF THE HIMALAYAN WOLFE CANIS HIMALAYENSIS FROM

BANIYA KUND, KEDARNATH WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

Nitin BHARDWAJ! AND SHEILA CASTELINO7

'Flat no-402, Tower-18, Paras Tierea, Sector-139, Noida 201 301, Uttar Pradesh, India. Email: [email protected]

*Flat Al, Lan Castle, 43 Da Costa Square, Wheeler Road Extension, Cooke Town, Bengaluru 560 084, Karnataka, India.

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104930

On May 17, 2015 at 13:50 hours, the Himalayan

Wolf Canis himalayensis was spotted at Bantya Kund near

Chopta in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttarakhand, India.

The wolf was spotted under the canopy on an elevation,

glancing down at the road. On seeing us, it stared right

back and was not alarmed, though a horn made it scamper

uphill. Sheila Castelino photographed the wolf which helped

confirm the presence of this species in the region (Eds:

photographic evidence provided). The first sighting in this

region was reported by Marina Vukovic and Anant Singh

during a similar photographic excursion in April 2013 led

by Nitin Bhardwaj. Since no images were available then, the

reported sighting could not be confirmed.

Knowing that the wolf had gone along a waterfall, it

was assumed that it would reappear, looking for some washed

out rodents or meat since it had rained heavily the previous

night, filling the waterfall. The wolf reappeared a few

hundred metres upstream at 13:57 hrs and we got a full body

photograph which helped Dr. Y.V. Jhala of Wildlife Institute

of India to confirm that this indeed was the Himalayan Wolf.

The photographs also show that the wolf had injuries on his

front right leg.

2. ADOPTION OF POWER TRANSMISSION TOWERS AS NIGHT REFUGE BY

GREY LANGUR SEMNOPITHECUS ENTELLUS

A.M.K. BHaros!

'B-101 Gayatrinagar, P.O. Shankernagar, Raipur 492 007, Chhattisgarh, India. Email: [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104931

Grey Langurs occur in a wide range of habitats in

peninsular India, e.g., forests, villages, towns, and cultivated

fields preferably close to water. The species has been recorded

at many places in such suitable habitats in Chhattisgarh. It is

not uncommon to see them climbing their favoured trees in

the evening, preparing to roost for the night (Dunbar Brander

1982; Gee 1992; Jerdon 1989; Johnsingh and Manjrekar

2013; Lydekker 2005; Osmaston and Sale 1989; Peacock

1985; Prater 1971; Sterndale 1982).

Commonly a troupe may roost, while one of them

settles at the top of the tree, at a vantage point to perform

sentry duty. This individual may be replaced by another

member of the troupe after a few hours. This behaviour has

been observed during daylight hours. However, with the

fragmentation of forests and loss of tall trees, Grey Langurs

are shifting to urban areas, where they become susceptible

to electrocution (Dunbar Brander 1982; Gee 1992; Jerdon

1989; Johnsingh and Manjrekar 2013; Lydekker 2005;

Osmaston and Sale 1989; Peacock 1985; Prater 1971;

Sterndale 1982).

Due to this, Langurs have begun to adopt to some

interesting changes in habits. A change was observed

at village Kukda (20° 44’ 10” N; 81° 57’ 2” E), district

Gariaband, Chhattisgarh, on September 15, 2015. During a

visit at 16:30 hours, langurs were seen feeding on trees, and

at dusk they started reaching a power transmission tower

about 30 m high, located about 50 m from River Pairy. This

site is located in a forest along the river.

At dusk, the whole troupe of 12, including their

young, climbed up to the second storey of the tower. Out

of these 12 individuals, four climbed to the third storey,

one of them on the fourth and the last adult langur

climbed up to the top of the tower, at a height of about

30 m to act as a sentry. By 17:40 hours, the roosting

arrangements seemed complete (Eds: photographic evidence

provided).

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

The above observation suggests change in roosting

site from tall trees to a tower, which incidentally was the

highest available site in the area, much higher than the tallest

forest trees (13—15 m) in the vicinity (Sagreiya 1982) (Eds:

photographic evidence provided).

While the surrounding forest had predators

like leopards though occasional, wolves and hyaena,

none of these species could climb up the tower, so it is

interesting that the langurs chose the tower, located in

a forest, as a night refuge in place of the tall trees

available, that too despite the prevailing danger of

electrocution.

A similar observation was noted on January 31, 2016,

when more langurs compared to the earlier observation were

seen on towers at 17:20 hours near Gidhwa village (21° 50’

25.6" N; 81° 46’ 29.9” E). Again, one langur settled at the top

of the tower, confirming the adoption of power transmission

towers as roosting sites.

Such roosting sites of langurs have not been recorded

in the literature perused.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Mr. Akhilesh Bharos (Gidhwa area), Suraj

and Deependra Diwan (Kukda area), for taking timely

photographs of the event despite fading light.

REFERENCES

DUNBAR BrRANDER, A.A. (ED.) (1982): Wild Animals in Central India.

Natraj Publishers. 267 pp.

GEE, E.P. (Eb.) (1992): The Wildlife of India. Harper Collins Publishers,

India. 177 pp.

JOHNSINGH, A.J.T. & N. MANIREKAR (EDS) (2013): Mammals of South

Asia. Vol. 1. Universities Press (India), Hyderabad.

JERDON, T.C. (1989): A Handbook of the Mammals of India. Mittal

Publications, New Delhi. 335 pp.

LypDEKKER, R. (2005): The Wild Animals of India, Burma,

Malaya & Tibet. 2nd edn. Natraj Publishers, Dehradun.

411 pp.

OsmasTON, B.B. & J.B. SALE (1989): Wildlife of Dehradun and Adjacent

Hills. Natraj Publishers, Dehradun. Pp. 80.

Peacock, E.H. (Ep.) (1985): A Game Book of Burma & Adjoining

Territories. International Books & Periodicals Supply Services,

New Delhi. 270 pp.

Prater, S.H. (1971): The Book of Indian Animals. Bombay Natural

History Society, Bombay. 324 pp.

SAGREIYA, K.P. (1982): Forests and Forestry. National Book Trust,

India. 267 pp.

STERNDALE, RoBeErT A. (1982): Natural History of the Mammalia of India

and Ceylon. Himalayan Books, New Delhi.

3. TUBEWELL PITS AS DEATH TRAPS FOR ANIMALS:

A CASE STUDY IN ALWAR DISTRICT, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

SATISH KUMAR SHARMA!* AND VAY KUMAR KoLr

'Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaisamand Post Office, Udaipur 313 905, Rajasthan, India. Email: [email protected]

*Wildlife Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Mohanlal Sukhadia University,

Udaipur 313 001, Rajasthan, India. Email: [email protected]

* Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104932

Introduction

Rajasthan, the largest state of India in terms of

geographical area, suffers from water scarcity during most of

the year, though the southern part receives higher rainfall than

the rest of the state. This scarcity directly affects agriculture

on which the majority of the population depends.

In ancient times, major sources of irrigation were

rainfall, ponds, dams, buckets, and wells, but today many

modern irrigation devices like drip irrigation, sprinkler, centre

pivot, lateral move, and tubewells have been developed to

facilitate irrigation and increase food grain production.

The use of tubewells for irrigation is a common practice

among the farmers of Rajasthan. To make a tubewell, a pit,

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

generally 1.5 x 1.5 mcross section is dug. The depth of the pit

varies from 4.5 m to 6.0 m, sometimes even more according

to depth of the local water table. The pit helps to decrease

the cost of boring operation, as the boring operation can

begin from the bottom of the pit. A steel pipe is lowered into

the freshly made bore hole to maintain its original shape

if the upper strata are very loose 1n texture. The excavated

pit is kept kaccha and no parapet wall is made at the mouth

of the pit.

The uppermost 2.0 m depth of the pit is generally

occupied by Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus for

nesting. These birds excavate nest holes in the walls of the

well. Sometimes their nest holes are encroached upon by

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Blue Rock Pigeon Columba livia and Spotted Owlet Athene

brama (unpublished information).

These tubewell pits are left unattended by the farmer,

not only when the tubewell is functional but even after it is

abandoned. The tubewell pit is not refilled even after the well

runs dry. In due course, various plants like Cynodon dactylon,

Withania somnifera, Saccharum munja, Acacia nilotica, and

Morus alba grow on the berm of the pit and on excavated

soil. Open tubewell pits, lacking parapet walls, take a heavy

toll of many small nocturnal terrestrial animals and even of

diurnal animals.

The present study was conducted in Alwar district of

Rajasthan to evaluate the effect of tubewell pits on field-

dwelling animals.

Study area

Alwar district (27° 4'—28° 4’ N; 76° 7’-77° 13' E),

located in north-east Rajasthan covers 7,83,281 hectares.

The average rainfall of the district over the last ten years

was recorded as 724 mm. This district plays an important

role in the agricultural production of the state. About 5 lakh

hectares is cultivated, wherein 83% area is irrigated and the

remaining 17% is unirrigated. Irrigation is mainly done by

wells and tubewells. About 2 lakh hectares are irrigated by

tubewells, while about 2.6 lakh hectares are irrigated by

wells in the district. The main crops are Bajra, Maize, Jowar

(Millets), kharif pulses, Guar, Cotton, Arhar (Pigeon pea)

and Groundnut (Mishra 1984).

Material and Methods

The present study was conducted during the rainy

season (July—October) of 2011 and 2012, because this

is the reproductive season for many species, especially

herpetofauna which become quite active during these days.

Surveys were conducted in the early morning hours to

avoid human disturbance. Mornings with downpour were

avoided during surveys. Every pit was monitored carefully.

Powerful torchlight was beamed to observe the floor of the

pits carefully. Deep pits were surveyed by climbing down

into the pits with bamboo ladders. Species of animals that

had stumbled into the pits and trapped were identified and

counted. Since uneven rainfall can affect animal distribution

as well as their activities, chi-square test (y’) was applied to

evaluate the difference between trapped animals of different

classes in both years’ surveys. Pearson product-moment

correlation (7) was used to estimate whether any relationship

existed between the number of tubewell pits surveyed and

number of trapped animals in villages (n=11).

Results and Discussion

A total of 61 tubewell pits were observed in Mundawar,

Kishangarh, and Bansure tehsils of Alwar district, wherein

trapped animals were found in 44 pits (Table 1). Thirty seven

animals were found in 2011 and 46 in 2012. During the two-

year study, amphibians reported the highest count (40.97%),

which was followed by reptiles (30.12%), mammals (27.71%),

and birds (1.2%). A single case was reported in birds, 1.e., Pavo

cristatus (Table 2). The difference was found insignificant

(y7=6.52, df=3, P=0.12) between trapped animals of different

classes in both surveys. The number of trapped animals showed

a significant relationship (7=0.98, n=10, P<0.0001) with the

number of surveyed tubewell pits in different villages.

Many victimized animal species were found in

tubewell pits during the surveys. The rainy season is an active

Table 1: Study sites, number of surveyed pits and numbers of trapped animals during the surveys

in Alwar district in 2011 and 2012

Year SS. Village Tehsil No. of pits

no. observed

2001 4 Mohammadpur Mundawar 13

2 Tatarpur Mundawar 7

3 Jindoli Mundawar 6

4 Khairthal Kishangarh 4

5 Mataur Mundawar 3

Total 33

2012, «14 Mohammadpur Mundawar 10

Z Bijwarchauhan Mundawar 4

3 Patlia Kishangarh 4

4 Mundawar Mundawar 2

5 Renagiri Mundawar 2

6 Bansur Bansure 6

Total 28

Grand Total 61

No. of pits with Animal found trapped

fallen animals Amphibia Reptiles Birds Mammals

8 2 4 : 4

5 4 2 . 1

3) 3S 4A . 1

4 1 1 - 3

3 Z 1 : 4

25 12 12 - 13

6 if 3 1

4 9 2 ~ 1

3 2 2 - -

1 1 - - 2

1 - 2 - 1

4 3 4 - 3

19 22 13 1 10

44 34 25 1 23

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Table 2: Species and their number recorded in tubewell pits during 2011 and 2012

Amphibia Reptiles

Year Year

Species 2011 2012 Species 2011, 2042

Hoplobatrachus 1 Zz Ptyas mucosa 3 2

tigerinus

Sphaerotheca 2 4 Spalerosophis 1 1

breviceps atriceps

Euphlyctis - 1 Eryx johnii - 1

cyanophlyctis

Duttaphrynus Hg 0 Gongylophis 1 -

stomaticus conicus

Duttaphrynus 4 ) Naja naja - 1

melanostictus

Lycodon aulicus - 1

Varanus - 1

bengalensis

Lygosoma 2 3

punctata

Mabuya carinata 3 3

Calotes versicolor 2 -

Total (ee (VS he)

period for most animals, mainly devoted to breeding and

feeding. The absence of a parapet wall around the pits

is possibly a factor for this kind of accident during

night in the study area. Sometimes animals chased by a

predator fell into the pits as the vegetation present at the

mouth of the pit attracted them for shelter. Low visibility

was also responsible for such accidents during the night.

Sometimes snakes visited the pits to feed on chicks of hole-

nesters like Bank Myna, Blue Rock Pigeon, and Spotted

Owlet.

Since the walls of the pit are vertical, climbing out

and escaping is not possible. Once an animal is trapped

inside the pit, either it starves or is predated upon by another

trapped predator. Winter sets in after departure of rainy

season in the area. It is possible that after stumbling into

the pit, amphibians can hibernate for some time inside the

pit, but in these captive conditions they can’t escape from

the pit. Due to high moisture content and poor circulation

of air, they may become vulnerable to various diseases.

As time passes, these animals die due to starvation and

illness.

Birds Mammals

Year Year

Species 2011 2012 Species ZOAT eeOuiz

Pavo cristatus + 1 Tatera indica a 4

Golunda eliotii 1 1

Mus platythrix - 2

Funambulus - 1

pennantii

Meriones 5 -

hurrianae

Rattus rattus 2 -

Hemiechimus 4 2

collaris

1 tS 10

Given below are some recommendations to minimize the “pit

fall death” in tubewell pits:

e Erection of parapet wall (about 0.6 m high) on the

berm of tubewells.

e Clearance of vegetation on the berm of the pits.

e Rescue activity should be performed in all the unsafe

tubewell pits to save the trapped animals, almost once in a

week. A team of village youths can be trained in this job.

e Erection of a ladder in slanting position inside the pit,

with rough vertical arms, to facilitate easy escape of

animals that can climb out.

e Refilling of pits of abandoned tubewells.

e Intensive and extensive awareness activities can

minimize the loss.

e Proper surveillance is needed to launch the awareness

and rescue activities.

In pitfall method, dry pits are often used as traps for

animal census (Buchholz and Hannig 2009; Bury and Corn

1987; Kogut and Padley 1997). Similarly, unused tubewell

pits can also be used as a census tool for small animals in

those areas where they are abundant.

REFERENCES

BucHHoLz, S. & K. HANNiG (2009): Do covers influence the capture

efficiency of pitfall traps? Eur. J. Entomol. 106: 667-671.

Bury, R.B. & P.S. Corn (1987): Evaluation of pitfall trapping in

Northwestern forests: trap arrays with drift fences. J. Wildl.

Manag. 51: 112-119.

Koaut, N. & W.D. PAp.ey (1997): A method for reducing mortalities

in pitfall traps. Trans. West. Sec. Wildl. Soc. 33: 75-78.

Misura, P. (1984): Soil productivity and crop potentials. A case

study (District Alwar-Rajasthan). Concept, New Delhi.

274 pp.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

4, FIRST REPORT OF BLACK BAZA AVICEDA LEUPHOTES FROM VIDARBHA REGION,

~-MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

GAJANAN BaApat! AND J.S. WADATKAR”*

'Plot no. 43, Flat no. 1, Shatataraka Apt, Mahisha Housing Society, Karve Nagar, Pune 411 052, Maharashtra, India.

Email: [email protected]

*Wildlife & Environment Conservation Society, 42, Green Park Colony, Shegaon Road, Amravati 444 604, Maharashtra, India.

Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104933

Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes is a small-sized raptor

with short, stout legs, and feet with strong talons. A prominent

crest is a feature of these bazas. They are found in dense

forest often in small groups. They are also known to spend

a lot of time perching on bare branches of tall trees rising

above the forest canopy. When perched, the upright crest and

contrasting patterns make them difficult to miss. The male has

white blotches on the scapulars and secondaries. The female

has white coloration on the scapulars and more chestnut

bands on the underside. Black Baza is found in the forests

of South Asia and Southeast Asia and in India it is reported

from Uttarakhand to Assam valley, eastern Peninsula, and

the Andamans. It is a winter visitor to southern Western

Ghats up to Sri Lanka, and breeds in Kerala (Rasmussen

and Anderton 2012).

The area of our observation is Tadoba Andhari

Tiger Reserve. Often referred to as “The Land of Tigers”,

Tadoba National Park lies in Chandrapur district in north-

eastern Maharashtra. In 1955, 116.54 sq. km was declared

a National Park. Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary was created in

the adjacent forests in 1986, and in 1995, the park and the

sanctuary were merged to establish the present Tiger Reserve.

The core area of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) is

625.40 sq. km and the buffer area is 1,101.77 sq. km, totalling

727 AW sq. kam.

On April 09, 2015, during a wildlife Safari in TATR,

near Kasarbodi-Shivanzari area in Kolsa range (20° 10’

53.5" N; 079° 28' 35.4” E), at 08:12 hours, the first author

GB noticed one medium-sized bird perched on top of a tree.

He managed to photograph the bird before it suddenly flew

away. Then with the help of the photograph and field guides

(Ali and Ripley 1983; Grimmett et al. 1999; Rasmussen

and Anderton 2012), the bird was identified as Black Baza

Aviceda leuphotes. As per eBird data, this bird was reported

in southern Western Ghats from Goa to Kerala, with a few

sightings from southern India. The most recent sighting in

Maharashtra was reported in 1987 at Bhimashankar, Pune

(Rane and Borges 1987). This bird was never noticed in the

Vidarbha forest (Anon. 2009; D’ Abreu 1935). So, this rare

raptor is reported for the first time from Tadoba Andhari

Tiger Reserve, District Chandrapur, as well as for the first

time from Vidarbha region.

REFERENCES

AulS. & S.D. Riptey (1983): A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the Indian

Subcontinent. Oxford University Press, Bombay. Pp. 183.

Anon. (2009): Checklist of Birds Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

VNHS Center, Nagpur.

D’Asreu, E.A. (1935) : A list of the birds of the Central Provinces.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 38(1): 95-116 .

GRIMMETT R., C. INskipp & T. INskipp (1999): Birds of the Indian

Subcontinent. Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

Rane, U. & R. Borces (1987): Sighting of the Black crested Baza

(Aviceda leuphotes) at Bhimashankar. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.

84(3): 679.

RASMUSSEN, P.C. & J.C. ANDERTON (2012): Birds of South Asia. The

Ripley Guide. Vols 1 and 2, 2nd edition. National Museum

of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State

University, and Lynx Edicions, Washington, D.C., Michigan, and

Barcelona.

5. SIGHTING OF A JUVENILE WHITE-TAILED EAGLE AT JOR BEED CARCASS DUMP,

BIKANER, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

Asir N. Kuan!

‘Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Dr. Salim Ali Chowk, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra,

India. Email: [email protected], [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104934

A juvenile White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla was

sighted on December 22, 2014, at Jor Beed carcass dump

about 10 km from Bikaner, Rajasthan, during a BNHS camp.

The bird was observed to be restless and shifted its position

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

several times. It was observed feeding on carrion for a few

minutes. The White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla breeds

in Europe and North Asia, and migrates southwards in winter.

It is a rare winter visitor to India (Rasmussen and Anderton

2005) occurring from west and south Pakistan eastwards

to Assam, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It is also recorded from

Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Odisha (Manakadan et al. 2011). It

is essentially a sea eagle, but can wander from the coast up

large rivers and large water bodies (Ali and Ripley 1987; del

Hoyo et al.1994; Manakadan et al. 2011).

There is only a single published record of this species

from the state of Rajasthan, from Keoladeo National Park,

Bharatpur (Dukes et al. 1975). However, there have been

photographic records of a juvenile bird from Tal Chhapar

Wildlife Sanctuary, in December 2012 by Gobind Sagar

Bhardwaj and November 2012 by Sudhir Garg (Oriental Bird

Images 2014). Also, there have been several photographic

records of the bird from Jor Beed while this note was in

process for publication, photographs by Sudhir Garg in

December 2014 and by Koshy Koshy in March 2016.

The White-tailed Eagle requires open expanses of lake,

river, and coastal water where it feeds on fish, mammals, and

birds, from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments,

(BirdLife International 2014) but is also known to feed on

carrion (Naoroji 2006). It is, however, unusual for it to be

spotted at Jor Beed, Bikaner, which is in arid and dry habitat.

The Indira Gandhi canal which is not very far from Jor Beed

could have attracted the bird and it could have come to feed

opportunistically on livestock carcasses which were available

in abundance, with Aquila eagles which were seen in good

numbers at the dump. This bird was a juvenile, and young birds

of large raptors are known to wander a lot in search of food.

REFERENCES

Aul, S. & S.D. RipLey (1987): Compact Handbook of the Birds of India

and Pakistan. 2nd edition. Oxford University Press, Delhi.

BirDLIFE INTERNATIONAL (2015): Species factsheet: Haliaeetus albicilla.

Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org. Accessed on January

08, 2015.

DEL Hoyo, J., A. ELtiott & J. SARGATAL (EDS) (1994): Handbook of the

Birds of the World. Vol. 2. New World Vultures to Guineafowl.

Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Dukes, P.A., S.C. Mapce, M.C. Ropinson & C.W. WEstTwoop (1975):

White-tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla (Linn.) at Bharatpur,

Rajasthan. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 72(1): 199.

MANAKADAN, R., J.C. DANIEL & NIKHIL BHOPALE (2011): Birds of the

Indian Subcontinent — A Field Guide. Bombay Natural History

Society and Oxford University Press, Mumbai. Pp. 418.

Naorgl, R. (2006): Birds of Prey of the Indian Subcontinent. Om Books

International, New Delhi, India. Pp. 204-208.

ORIENTAL Birp Imaces (2014): A database of the Oriental Bird

Club. http://orientalbirdimages.org/. Accessed in December

2014.

RASMUSSEN, P.C. & J.C. ANDERTON (2005): Birds of South Asia. The

Ripley Guide. Vols 1 & 2. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx

Edicions, Washington, D.C. and Barcelona.

6. FIRST BREEDING RECORD OF SAKER FALCON FALCO CHERRUG MILVIPES IN INDIA

PANKAJ CHANDAN!**+*, Tags MUNDKUR?’, JIGMET TAKPA*, PUSHPINDER SINGH JAMWAL!>, INTESAR SUHAIL?*,

TSEWANG RyiGzin!’ AND Routt RATTAN!®

'WWF-India, Hemis Complex, Zangsti, Leh 194 101, Ladakh, India.

"De Pas 148, 6836HN Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands. Email: Tae}[email protected]

*Department of Wildlife Protection, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, India. Email: [email protected]

*Email: [email protected]

>Email: [email protected]

°Email: [email protected]

7Email: [email protected]

‘Email: [email protected]

* Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104935

This note summarizes findings on the Saker Falcon

Falco cherrug breeding in 2013 and 2014 in the Tsokar basin

in Ladakh region of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India,

which constitutes the first breeding record in India.

In 2013, Tsewang Rigzin (TR), Assistant Project

Officer of WWF (based at Tsokar Field Station of WWF),

observed a pair of Saker Falcon nesting in an abandoned nest

of the Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius at the top of an old

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

watch tower at Startsapuk tso, close to Tsokar. However, the

nest could not be photographed as it was built on top of the

tower and the damaged stairs prevented safe access.

Startsapuk tso (33° 14’ 55.98" N, 78° 2’ 47.60" E;

c. 4 sq. km area) is an irregularly oval-shaped freshwater

lake, situated at an altitude of 4,641 m above msl. Water is

supplied to the lake from its southern and western end by

Chemur and Nagchuthang, two glacial streams, respectively.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

The outlet of the lake is at its northern side, from where a

small stream feeds into the Tsokar tso. The lake serves as

an important breeding site for several waterbird species,

including Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis, Bar-headed

Goose Anser indicus, Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus,

Common Redshank Tringa totanus, and Brown-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus.

In 2014, the Saker Falcons appeared to have shifted

their nesting site, selecting an old nest of the Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos not far from Thukjay village along Tsokar

lake, that lies about 4 km north of Startsapuk tso. The eagles

had been monitored during the previous three years and were

known to have successfully bred in 2011 and 2012, while they

appeared to have abandoned the site in 2013. In May 2014,

TR had observed that the pair of Saker had taken up residence

and laid four eggs in the Golden Eagle’s nest.

TR also photographed the nest with 3 fledglings on

July 03, 2014 (Ed: photographic evidence provided) and the

falcon family was last seen at the nest on August 13. This

particular Golden Eagle nest was located on a vertical rocky

cliff, about 58 m above the marshy ground. It was situated

close to a Thukjay village (33°22.15'N; 78°0.78'E; c.4,695m

above msl).

On July 11, 2014, Pankaj Chandan (PC) and Taej

Mundkur (TM) visited the area, and first noticed a single

chick from a distance in the nest of the Golden Eagle. Two

adult falcons that were identified as Saker Falcon Falco

cherrug (according to illustrations and descriptions provided

by Grimmett et al. 2011) were calling and flying around. One

bird flew past the nest at least once but did not land during the

short observation time. PC and TM were soon joined by TR

who informed them that a pair of Saker Falcon had occupied

and were indeed breeding in the abandoned eagle nest.

The Saker was observed hunting for voles Alticola

sp., pikas Ochotona sp., hare Lepus sp., marmots Marmota

sp. and choughs Pyrrhocorax sp. in the open grounds in and

around Tsokar tso by TR.

The arrival and departure of the Saker in Ladakh

appears to be similar to that of other northern summer

breeders, such as the Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis.

They arrive in Tsokar in March—April and leave by October—

November.

Until now, the Saker was regarded as a passage migrant

in Ladakh (Naoroji 2007; Pfister 2004), although Kovacs et

al. (2014) refer to the possibility of its breeding in Ladakh

and in a distribution map of the species have included Ladakh

within a narrow band along the northern Himalaya eastwards

to central China as a breeding area, without offering any

proof of the species nesting here. Elsewhere in the country,

it is recorded from Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,

Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh as

a passage migrant or as a rare winter visitor (Naoroji 2007;

Pfister 2004).

The Saker breeds across a large part of northern

Eurasia, with the nearest reports from western China,

Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Eastern Russia in Asia and further

westwards to the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Ukraine in

Europe (BirdLife International 2014; Cramp and Simmons

1980; Dixon 2009; Snow and Perrins 1998).

The species has witnessed a population decline of about

50% during the past 20 years due to various anthropogenic

activities, mainly because of trapping along the migration

routes and decreased prey availability (BirdLife International

2014). Kovacs et al. (2014) have collated extensive

information that indicates a mixed trend of the breeding

population across its range. Nevertheless, given its precarious

current global status, the Saker is listed as Endangered IUCN

2014) and listed in Appendix | of Convention on Migratory

Species (CMS), of which India is a signatory and in the CMS

Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of

Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MoU)

of which India is a range state. It is also listed in Appendix

II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species (CITES), of which India is a signatory.

The Tsokar valley lies within the Changthang Cold

Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and provides an important

breeding habitat for several threatened and near threatened

species of birds and animals, including the Tibetan Wild

Ass Equus kiang kiang. With the latest observations of the

nesting of the Saker Falcon here for the first time in India,

urgent steps are needed to ensure protection of the species

and its nesting habitat in these high altitude wetlands.

Surveys in other valleys in Ladakh are needed to evaluate

the current status of the species in the region and identify

other breeding locations that should also be protected.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors appreciate the support and encouragement

of Mr. Ravi Singh, Dr. Asad R. Rahmani, Shri A.K. Singh,

Dr. Sejal Worah, Prof. Afifullah Khan, Dr. Dipankar Ghose,

Mr. Dawa Tsering, and Mr. Mohd. Kazim in this work.

REFERENCES

BirDLireE INTERNATIONAL (2014): Species factsheet: Falco cherrug.

Downloaded from http://www. birdlife.org on 06/08/2014.

Cramp, S. & K.E.L. Simmons (1980): The Birds of the Western

Palearctic. Vol. 11. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 695 pp.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Dixon, A. (2009): Saker Falcon breeding population estimates. Part 2:

Asia. Falco: 4-10.

GRIMMETT, R., C. Inskipp & T. INskipp (2011): Birds of the Indian

Subcontinent. 2nd edn Oxford University Press, London. 528 pp.

Kovacs, A., N.P. WittiaAms & C.A. GALBRAITH (2014): Saker Falcon

Falco cherrug Global Action Plan (Saker GAP), including a

management and monitoring system, to conserve the species. CMS

Raptors MoU Coordinating Unit, Abu Dhabi. CMS Technical

Series No. XX, Bonn, Germany.

IUCN (2014): The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014. Version

2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on November 16,

2014.

Naorou, R. (2007): Birds of Prey of the Indian Subcontinent. Om Books

International, New Delhi.

PrisTER, O. (2004): Birds and Mammals of Ladakh. Oxford University

Press, New Delhi.

Snow, D.W. & C.M. PErrins (1998): The Birds of the Western Palearctic.

Vol. 1: Non-Passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

7. WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN AMAURORNIS PHOENICURUS NESTING ON A TREE

C. GANGADHARAN MENON!

‘Bungalow No. 1, Sumitra Bhavan, Wadhavli Village, Off C. Gidwani Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, Maharashtra, India.

Email: [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104936

There is a large tamarind tree behind my house in

Chembur, Mumbai, which is frequented by arboreal bird

species. In the middle of July 2013, distinct krr-kwak-kwak,

krr-kwak-kwak calls of White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis

phoenicurus were heard from a bush near the tree. This was

surprising as the closest waterbody was c. 1 km away and

the next one c. 3 km from this site. After a week, we spotted

the waterhen in our garden, and a couple of days later, the

same(?) bird was sighted again with four hatchlings walking

along with her.

In August 2013, contact calls of White-breasted

Waterhen were heard again, one originating from the tamarind

tree and the other from the ground. Later, it was observed that

the waterhen on the ground flew to a height of about 6 m to

the tree, and then climbed up the tree with difficulty to join the

other bird in the dense foliage, where there was a nest, a dense

compact structure made of reeds. Over the days, the pair could

be occasionally seen from a distance, taking turns in plucking

tamarind leaves and the leaves of a large bougainvillea growing

on the tree to line the nest. It was even noted that one of the

birds was in hot pursuit of a crow that came close to the nest.

The tree was about 18 m, and the nest was at a height

of 12 m, and about one kilometre from the nearest wetland.

The White-breasted Waterhen is reported to nest either on the

ground in tangled undergrowth along wetlands or in a shrub

or bamboo clump up to 2 to 3 m from the ground, sometimes

well away from water (Ali and Ripley 1987; del Hoyo et

al. 1996). Hence, sighting of nesting at a height of 10 m up

in a tree is a new and significant record. Probably, the loss

or disturbances to the nesting habitat is responsible for this

pair opting to nest so high in a tree, and this may affect the

survival chances of young from such nesting sites.

REFERENCES

Aut, 8. & $.D. RipLey (1987): Compact Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Oxford University Press, Delhi.

DEL Hoyo, J., A. ELLiott & J. SARGATAL (EDS) (1996): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 3. Hoatzins to Auks, pp. 182. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

8. SIGHTING OF COMMON BLACK-HEADED GULL CHROICOCEPHALUS RIDIBUNDUS LINNAEUS,

AND WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER ARDENNA PACIFICA (GMELIN)

FROM SOUTH ANDAMAN, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR IS., INDIA

C. SIVAPERUMAN!*-*, P. NAVEEN KUMAR? AND G. GOKULAKRISHNAN!4

‘Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Port Blair 744 102, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India.

"Department of Environment & Forests, Port Blair 744 102, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India.

Email: [email protected]

3Email: [email protected]

‘Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104937

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands, popularly known

as Bay Islands, are situated in the Bay of Bengal, midway

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

between peninsular India and Myanmar, spreading like a

broken necklace in a north-south direction. These islands

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

are located between 6° 45’—13° 41’ N and 92° 12’-93° 57’ E.

The archipelago consists of 572 islands that lie 193 km away

from Cape Negrais in Myanmar, 1,255 km from Kolkata and

1,190 km from Chennai. The total geographical area of

Andaman & Nicobar Is. is 8,249 sq. km, and the climate

is typical of tropical islands of similar latitude. It is always

warm, but with sea-breezes. Andaman & Nicobar Is.

constitute a globally important biodiversity hotspot. Due to

isolation from the mainland, endemism is very high in all

taxa including avifauna (Andrews 2001; Das 1999a, b; Rao

et al. 1980). A total of 284 bird species were reported from

Andaman & Nicobar Is., belonging to 56 families under

17 orders (Sivaperuman ef al. 2010). As a part of major

ecological studies on wetland bird communities in south

Andaman, sponsored by the Science Engineering Research

Board (SERB), Department of Science & Technology,

Ministry of Science & Technology, and INS-Utkrosh,

Ministry of Defence, Government of India, we have

been monitoring this area regularly since 2012. During

these surveys, we recorded two species of birds from

South Andaman which are new records to the Andaman &

Nicobar Is.

Common Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus

ridibundus Linnaeus, 1766

We sighted two individuals of Common Black-

headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Linnaeus (Eds:

photographic evidence provided) in the tsunami-inundated

wetlands of South Andaman (Garacharma; 11°37’ 107” N; 92°

42' 437" E) on March 10, 2015, along with a flock of Pacific

Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva (Gmelin), Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus (Linn.), Common Redshank Tringa

totanus (Linn.), Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus

Pallas, and Little Egret Egretta garzetta (Linn.). Literature

review revealed that Ali and Ripley (1983), Tikader (1984),

Kumar et al. (2005), Grimmett et al. (2011), and Rasmussen

and Anderton (2012) have not reported this species from this

archipelago and the present sighting is the first report from

Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica (Gmelin

1789)

On May 19, 2015, one individual of Wedge-tailed

Shearwater Puffinus pacificus (Eds: photographic evidence

provided) was sighted at Buniyabad, South Andaman

(11° 40'385" N; 92° 43’ 237” E). Its plumage was grey brown

on the upperside, with entirely dark grey brown underparts.

This species is a medium-sized shearwater belonging to

the seabird family Procellariidae. It is sometimes referred

to as Muttonbird. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater is widely

distributed across the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean

between latitudes 35° N and 35° S. It breeds in oceanic

islands: off Japan, Islas Revillagigedo, Hawaiian Islands,

Seychelles, and off Western Australia (BirdLife International

2015; del Hoyo et al. 1992). Review of literature revealed

that only a single individual of this species has been reported

from the west coast of India (Praveen 2014), and none from

Andaman & Nicobar Is. (Ali and Ripley 1983; Grimmett et

al. 2011; Kumar et al. 2005; Rasmussen and Anderton 2012;

Tikader 1984). The individual appears to be an accidental

straggler, which landed on the South Andaman coast due to

the onset of strong monsoon winds.

REFERENCES

Aut, S. & S.D. Riptey (1983): Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan.

Compact Edition. Oxford University Press, Bombay. 737 pp.

Anpbrews, H.V. (2001): Threatened herpetofauna of the Andaman

and Nicobar Islands. Pp. 39-47. Jn: Bambaradeniya, C.N. and

V.N. Samarasekara (Eds): An overview of the threatened

herpetofauna of South Asia. [UCN Sri Lanka and Asia Regional

Biodiversity Programme, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

BirDLIFE INTERNATIONAL (2015): Wedge-tailed Shearwater. http://www.

birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3928. Accessed in

May 2015.

Das, I. (1999a): Biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of the

Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Pp. 43—75. Jn: Ota, H.

(Ed.): Proceedings of the International Symposium on diversity

of reptiles, amphibians and other terrestrial animals on tropical

islands: Origin, current status and conservation. June 1998,

University of Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.

Das, I. (1999b): Noteworthy collection of mammals from Mount Harriet,

Andaman Island, India. Journal of South Asian Natural History

4(2): 181-185.

DEL Hoyo, J., A. ELtiotr & J. SARGATAL (1992): Handbook of the Birds

of the World. Vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks, p. 253. Lynx Edicions,

Barcelona, Spain.

GRIMMETT, R., C. INskipp & T. INskipp (2011): Birds of the Indian

Subcontinent. 2nd edn. Oxford University Press. 528 pp.

Kumar, A., J.P. Sati, P.C. Tak & J.R.B. ALFRED (2005): Handbook on

Indian Wetland Birds and their Conservation. Zoological Survey

of India, Kolkata. 468 pp.

PRAVEEN, J. (2014): Pelagic offshore birding from Southern India 2013.

Sea Swallow 63: 46-48.

Rao, SupBA N.V., A.K. Das & S.C. Mirra (1980): On freshwater

molluscs of Andaman and Nicobar islands. Records of the

Zoological Survey of India 77: 215-244.

RASMUSSEN, P.C. & J.C. ANDERTON (2012): Birds of South Asia:

the Ripley Guide. 2nd edn. National Museum of Natural

History, Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University

& Lynx Edicions, Washington DC, Michigan and Barcelona.

1072 pp.

SIVAPERUMAN, C., C. VENKATRAMAN & C. RAGHUNATHAN (2010): Avifauna

of Andaman and Nicobar Islands: An Overview. Pp. 399-412.

In: Ramakrishna, C. Raghunathan, and C. Sivaperuman (Eds):

Recent Trends in Biodiversity of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

TIKADER, B.K. (1984): Birds of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. 167 pp.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

9. OBSERVATIONS ON THE BREEDING OF THE BROWN FISH-OWL KETUPA ZEYLONENSIS

IN KERALA, SOUTHERN INDIA

T.N. Brnpu! AND PEROTH BALAKRISHNAN~’*

‘Wildlife Research and Conservation Trust, Anupallavi, Chungathara, Nilambur 679 334, Kerala, India.

Email: [email protected]

Division of Conservation Biology, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram 695 562,

Kerala, India. Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104938

Family Strigidae constitutes the true owls or typical

owls which comprise c. 200 species of raptorial birds, having

cosmopolitan distribution throughout the world (Marks et

al. 1999), Due to their nocturnal and cryptic behaviour,

the population status and basic biology of most species is

largely unknown. The Brown Fish-owl Ketupa zeylonensis

is one of the four species of fish owls found in the Indian

subcontinent and distributed south of the Himalaya to

Sri Lanka, Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia. It is

found in many habitats including deciduous, semi-deciduous,

and open evergreen forests, well-wooded lowlands and

sacred groves, mostly in lowlands and up to c. 1,900 m

above msl (Ali and Ripley 1987; Rasmussen and Anderton

2005). The global population has not been quantified, but

the species is reported to be generally uncommon (Marks

et al. 1999). Due to its extremely large range, this species

is listed as Least Concern, but the population is suspected

to be declining owing to continuing habitat destruction

(BirdLife International 2015). Knowledge on the biology of

this species is very scanty (Ali and Ripley 1987). In this note,

we report nest site fidelity, nest site characteristics, nesting

success, and developmental periods of the Brown Fish-owl

from Kerala, southern India. These observations were made

from a semi-natural area with remnants of a Sarpa Kavu

(abode of snakes) located in Mayannur in Thrissur district,

Brown Fish-owls were seen in the study area for the

last 15 years. However, we were able to locate the first nest

only in 2007. From then till 2015, we observed a total of

nine nesting attempts of the species in the same nest site.

The nest was a small crevice without any lining or nesting

material located at the base of two large branches of a Mango

tree Mangifera indica (10° 44’ 59.2" N; 76° 22' 41.2" E)

in all the breeding attempts. The mango tree had a height

of c. 22 m and the nest was placed at a height of 5.2 m.

The vegetation surrounding the nesting tree within 0.04 ha

(11.2 m radius plot) include Areca catechuoides (3),

Artocarpus heterophyllus (1), Azadirachta indica (1),

Cocos nucifera (2), Delonix regia (1), Dimocarpus

longan (1), Mangifera indica (2), Mimusops elengi (1), Olea

dioica (1), Phyllanthus emblica (2), Strychnos nux vomica (3),

Tamarindus indica (1), Tectona grandis (3), three unidentified

tree species and a few shrub species. The nest site was located

within 30 m from a pond with an area of c. 2.5 ha.

The breeding season of Brown Fish-owl starts from

mid-November and ends by mid-April (Table 1). Only

a single clutch per year was found during the nine-year

observation period. Of the nine nesting attempts, in two

clutches the clutch size was two (2008, 2012) and all

remaining clutches had single eggs (mean=1.22+0.44). The

average incubation period was 34.8+1.92 days (range=32—37

Kerala. days, n=5). Nestling period ranged from 43 to 49 days

Table 1: Breeding parameters of Brown Fish-owl Ketupa zeylonensis in Thrissur, Kerala, southern India

Year Breeding season Clutch Incubation Nestling Nesting Remarks

size period period period

2007 December—March 1 - - - One chick fledged

2008 December—March 2 OF 43 80 One chick fledged and one chick lost

2009 November—December 1 - - - Egg lost

2010 January—April 1 32 49 81 One chick fledged

2011 January 1 - - - Egg lost

2012 December—March 2 - - - Two chicks fledged

2013 November—February 1 20 46 81 One chick fledged

2014 November—January 1 34 - - Chick lost

2015 January—March 1 36 - - One chick fledged

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

(mean=46+3 days, n=3). Overall nesting period from the

start of incubation was 80.67+0.58 days (range=80—81 days,

n=3; Table 1). The birds were very shy at the nest site and

moved away from the nest on approach. The birds were found

carrying fish, frogs, Calotes versicolor, rats, and crabs during

the fledgling period. Out of the 11 eggs laid in nine clutches,

7 (63.64%) chicks were fledged. Two eggs and two chicks

were lost and no observations were made on the predators.

The Brown Fish-owl is known to breed in a variety of

habitats including sacred groves, and to nest in old trees like

mango, fig and other large trees, or in a derelict mausoleum or

similar ruins, or cleft in a rocky bank, close to water (Ali and

Ripley 1987). Fidelity to a specific nest site is common in most

species of owls (Marks et al. 1999; Newton et al. 2002). Since

the study birds were not marked, it is not certain whether the

same pair used the nest site for the entire study period. But the

use of the same nest site for nine continuous years indicates

probable long-term nest site fidelity in Brown Fish-owl, as

reported for similar species (Marks et al. 1999). Moreover,

Ali and Ripley (1987) also reported nest site reuse by Brown

Fish-owl. Breeding season of Brown Fish-owl is reported from

November to March, mainly January and February, but as late

as April in Sri Lanka (Ali and Ripley 1987; Marks et al. 1999).

The observations made during this study also fall within these

periods, with the season extending from November to April.

The clutch size of Brown Fish-owl was reported as

1 or 2 (Ali and Ripley 1987; Marks et al. 1999). During

our study, 77.77% nests had single eggs and the remaining

had 2 eggs each. The exact duration of the developmental

periods of Brown Fish-owl are not known till date. Ali and

Ripley (1987), quoting Baker, reported the incubation period

as ‘approximately five weeks’, and fledging after about

7 weeks (KOnig and Weick 2008). Our observations show

that the incubation lasts for 32—37 days and the nestling

period 43-49 days, with an overall nesting period of 80-81

days. These periods are similar to those of other fish owls

like Blakiston’s Fish-owl (Marks et al. 1999; Slaght and

Surmach 2008). Due to long developmental periods, the

birds were able to produce only a single clutch per year. To

our knowledge, no information is available on the breeding

success of Brown Fish-owl. During the nine-year study, seven

out of 11 eggs laid in nine clutches reached fledging, giving

a breeding success rate of 63.64%, which is similar to that of

other common owl species (Konig and Weick 2008; Marks

et al. 1999). The observations presented herein indicate that

long-term monitoring can generate a considerable amount of

valuable data on the life history of elusive species.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are grateful to our colleagues at Wildlife Research

and Conservation Trust, and Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical

Botanic Garden and Research Institute, for encouragement and

support during this study and comments on the manuscript.

REFERENCES

Aut, S. & S.D. Ripcey (1987): Compact Handbook of the Birds of India

and Pakistan. 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Delhi.

BirDLIFE INTERNATIONAL (2015): Species factsheet: Ketupa zeylonensis.

Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org. Accessed on April

02;.2015.

Konia, C. & F. Weick (2008): Owls of the World. 2nd edn. Christopher

Helm, London. 528 pp.

Marks, J.S., R.J. CANNINGS & H. MIKKoLA (1999): Family Strigidae

(Typical Owls). Pp. 76—242. In: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliot & J. Sargatal

(Eds): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 5: Barn-Owls

to Hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Newton, I., R. KAVANAGH, J. OLSEN & I. TAyYLor (EDS) (2002):

Ecology and Conservation of Owls. CSIRO Publishing, Australia.

369 pp.

RASMUSSEN, P.C. & J.C. ANDERTON (2005): Birds of South Asia: the

Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. 688 pp.

SLAGHT, J.C. & S.G. SurMAcH (2008): Biology and conservation of

Blakiston’s fish owls in Russia: a review of the primary literature

and assessment of the secondary literature. Journal of Raptor

Research 42: 29-37.

10. SIGHTING OF GREY HYPOCOLIUS HYPOCOLIUS AMPELINUS IN

NARARA MARINE NATIONAL PARK, GUJARAT, INDIA

NOSHERWAN SETHNA! AND KUNAL MUNSIFF2*

'626, Homavazir Road, Dadar Parsi Colony, Mumbai 400 014, Maharashtra, India. Email: [email protected]

°202 A Wing, Manish Building, S.V. Patel Road, Opp. Gokul Hotel, Borivali (West), Mumbai 400 092, Maharashtra, India.

Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104939

The Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus is a small

passerine bird. It is the sole member of the genus Hypocolius,

placed in the family Hypocoliidae. This slender, long-tailed

bird is found in the dry semi-desert region of northern Africa,

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and western India (Ali et al.

1996; Grimmett et al.2014; Kazmierczak 2006; Pande et al.

2003; Rasmussen and Anderton 2012). It forages mainly on

fruits, and migrates southwards in winter (Grimmett ef al.

2014; Rasmussen and Anderton 2012).

Grey Hypocolius is an uncommon winter migrant to

Kutch only, in Gujarat. It is mainly seen in small numbers

near Fulay village, near Nakhatrana in the Banni region of

Kutch, India. Several papers about Grey Hypocolius from

Kutch have been published in various journals (including

the JBNHS). There is an earlier sighting record of Grey

Hypocolius in 1931 in Kihim, Mumbai (Ali 1931). There

is a stray report on sighting of this bird near Tarkarli in

Maharashtra in the period 2011—2012 (Sinnarkar et a/. 2013).

On February 26, 2015, around 08:00 hrs, while birding

near the mangroves in Narara Marine National Park near

Jamnagar (Gujarat) (22° 28’ 1.5” N; 69° 43’ 29.1” E), we

noticed a group of three birds calling and flying into a bush.

They were identified as Grey Hypocolius. The birds were

not shy and were flying between and perching on the upper

branches of Salvadora persica bushes and Prosopis bush.

We observed and photographed them for around 20 minutes

after which they finally flew out of sight. Two of them were

males, and we are unsure of the sex of the third, as we did

not view it clearly.

All the recent records of Grey Hypocolius in India were

only from Fulay village in Kutch. Hence, sighting of Grey

Hypocolius in Narara Marine National Park, Jamnagar has

become very important. The approximate distance between

Fulay Village and Narara NP is 147 km. We believe this is

the first sighting of the Grey Hypocolius in Jamnagar area.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thanks to the staff of Narara Marine National Park

for their help and co-operation.

REFERENCES

Aut, S. (1931): The occurrence of the Grey Hypocolius (Hypocolius

ampelinus) in North Konkan. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 34(4):1061.

Au, S. & S.D. RipLey (1996): A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the

Indian Subcontinent. 2nd edn. Bombay Natural History Society

and Oxford University Press. pp. 151.

GRIMMETT, R., C. INskipp & T. INskipp (2014): Birds of the Indian

Subcontinent. 2nd edn. Oxford University Press. 314 pp.

KAZMIERCZAK, K. (2006): A Field Guide to the Birds of India, Sri Lanka,

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. Om Book

Service, India.

PANDE, S., S. TAMBE, C. FRANcIS & N. SANT (2003): Birds of Western

Ghats, Kokan and Malabar (Including Birds of Goa). Oxford

University Press and Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai.

238 pp.

RASMUSSEN, P.C. & J.C. ANDERTON (2012): Birds of South Asia: the Ripley

Guide. Vols 1 and 2. 2nd edn. National Museum of Natural History

— Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University and Lynx

Edicions, Washington, D.C., Michigan and Barcelona. Vol. 2.332 pp.

SINNARKAR, K., P. FERNANDEZ, A. HULE & R. DAtvi (2013): Bird

Diversity of Tarkarli, An Eco-Tourism Destination in Maharashtra.

Ecosystem Services and Functions of Birds. Proceedings of the

Second International Conference on Indian Ornithology. Salim

Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History — Coimbatore,

India. 228 pp.

11. WHITE-CAPPED RIVER-CHAT PHOENICURUS LEUCOCEPHALUS (VIGORS):

FIRST RECORD FOR JHARKHAND STATE, INDIA

ANWARUDDIN CHOUDHURY!

'House No. 7, Islampur Road, Near Gate No. 1 of Nehru Stadium, Guwahati 781 007, Assam, India.

Email: [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104940

The | White-capped River-chat Phoenicurus

leucocephalus (Vigors) is a common bird of the Himalaya

and north-eastern hill states. It is an altitudinal migrant

breeding above 1,800 m in the Himalaya, descending to lower

elevations including plains at the edge of the mountains (Ali

and Ripley 1987; Grimmett et a/. 2011). It is a conspicuous

black and rufous bird with white cap, and rufous tail with a

black terminal band. It haunts streams in hills, mountains,

and on the edge of the plains.

Here I report a recent observation from Sahibganj district

of Jharkhand, India. On December 21, 2014, I drove from

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

Sahibganj to Moti Jharna, a waterfall in the Rajmahal Hills,

which marks the north-eastern corner of Chhotanagpur Plateau.

It is a popular tourist destination with a waterfall and stream

that flows to the Ganga river. It is about 12 km from Sahibganj

town. From a certain point, we had to walk to reach the falls.

There were Rhesus Macaques Macaca mulatta, which I tried

to observe and also a small cave where a sadhu (mendicant)

was waiting to receive us. Suddenly, a small bird caught my

attention. It flew from a rocky edge to a shrub, when I took a

few photographs with a telezoom (maximum c. 750 mm). Light

was poor as the sun was behind the cliff where the falls are

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

located. Somehow, I saw that a dark bird with white on its head

was perched on top of a thinly foliaged shrub. On my return

to Sahibganj Circuit House, I downloaded the photos and to

my utter surprise found that it was a White-capped River-chat!

All its characters were visible, black and rufous coloration,

white cap, and rufous tail with black terminal band (Eds:

photographic evidence provided). The location is somewhat

midway between the towns of Sahibganj and Raymahal. From

Maharajpur village one has to drive through some degraded

habitat to reach the falls (25° 12’ 26” N; 87° 43' 34” EB).

The White-capped River-chat was so far not recorded in

the area (Ali and Ripley 1987; Grimmett et a/. 2011). Hence,

this record is apparently the first for the state of Jharkhand

and also south of the Ganga river.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thank Radha Mohan Rai (Liaison Officer), Babuji

Kisku (Security Officer), and Tinku Kumar (Driver) of

Sahibganj.

REFERENCES

Au, S. & S.D. Riptey (1987): Compact Handbook of the Birds of

India and Pakistan. 2nd edn. Oxford University Press,

Delhi.

GRIMMETT, R., C. INskipp & T. INskipp (2011): Birds of the Indian

Subcontinent. 2nd edn. Oxford University Press & Christopher

Helm, London. 528 pp.

12. NIGHT ROOSTING ON IRON POLES BY THE WHITE-NAPED TIT PARUS NUCHALIS

IN UDAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA

SATISH KUMAR SHARMA!

'Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaisamand Post Office, Udaipur 313 905, Rajasthan, India. Email: [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104941

Sajjangarh Biological Park is being developed on the

eastern outskirts of Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Udaipur,

Rajasthan. As many as 24 enclosures are in progress in

the Biological Park. Except for those of two lesser cats,

all the enclosures are open to the sky, including that of

the Leopard Panthera pardus. Traditionally, leopards are

kept in closed enclosures as this species has the ability to

climb and escape from “open to sky enclosures” if effective

devices are not installed at the top of the vertical fence. In

Sajjangarh Biological Park, 77 rectangular iron poles (made

by welding two iron angles face to face) with a height of

5.0 m, having cross section about 75 mm x 75 mm have been

erected at the periphery of the leopard enclosure to create

a 5.0 m high fence. Chain link mesh of 5” x 5” perforation

has been warped on the vertical poles to encircle the space.

A rectangular iron pipe piece of 1.5 m length is welded on

the top of 63 vertical poles, providing a 45° inward slope

(Eds: photograph provided). Fourteen poles have bifurcated

top (Eds: photograph provided). A continuous steel sheet has

been welded on all the tilted inward tilting pipes to develop

an unholdable strip. The leopard can venture up to the upper

tip of the vertical fence, but cannot cross the inward tilting

fence at the top.

On December 09, 2013, while inspecting the leopard

enclosure of the Biological Park, at about 17:43 hrs, I noticed

a White-naped Tit Parus nuchalis clinging on the uppermost

100

tip of a pole. The bird was entering and quickly coming out

from the opening of the pole. After entering, it peeped out now

and then. These movements were repeated many times by the

bird. It continued these restless movements for 70-80 seconds,

and finally entered the tilted part of the pole and did not return.

I waited at the spot for the next one hour, till it became dark,

but the bird remained inside; obviously it roosted in the pole.

The next day, December 10, 2013, I revisited the same

site to observe the behaviour of the bird again. I remained at

an elevated location to watch the maximum number of poles

at the same time. The bird was again seen entering the same

pipe. Out of 77 poles, 4 were occupied by 4 White-naped

Tits, one in each pole. Only single bent poles were occupied,

while bifurcated poles were avoided.

The White-naped Tit is a hole-nester and rooster. It

commonly roosts in the holes and hollows of stems and

branches of trees. This bird is common in Udaipur district

and many other localities of southern Rajasthan. It is

common in the thorny and Salar (Boswellia serrata) forests

of Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Udaipur district (Sharma

and Koli 2014). There is a paucity of hollows in the trees on

the foothills of Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary (Sharma and

Koli 2014), hence bird seeks to occupy unusual roost sites

like poles, if the opportunity is available.

In tree hollows, thermoregulation is not a problem.

The walls of tree hollows being bad conductors of heat

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

provide better shelter against cold, but iron pipes being

good conductors of the heat absorb heat from the bare tarsi

and claws of the bird. Though the iron hollows are not good

roosting sites, paucity of natural hollows compels the bird

to do so. Similar records of roosting of this species are also

available in literature (Ali and Ripley 2007).

White-naped Tit Parus nuchalis is an Indian endemic

bird restricted to the thorny forests of northern, central,

southern, and western Rajasthan (Ali and Ripley 2007;

Dookia 2007; Kala 2011; Mehra 2004; Sangha 2008;

Sharma 1998, 2004; Sharma and Koli 2014; Tehsin

et al. 2005; Tiwari 2001); northern Gujarat, particularly

in Kutch area (Ali and Ripley 2007; Hussain et al. 1992;

Joshua et al. 2007; Tiwari 2001; Tiwari and Rahman 1996;

Trivedi 2009) and in an isolated pocket of southern India

(Ali and Ripley 2007; Lott and Lott 1999; Uttangi 1995). To

protect and conserve this species in nature, the importance of

holes and hollows is beyond doubt. In southern Rajasthan,

this species has successfully used nest boxes for breeding

(J. Joshua, pers. comm. 2014). All the artificial holes and

hollows in the natural habitat should be protected to conserve

hole-nester birds, including the White-naped Tit. The internal

and external surfaces of metallic structures which have

suitable holes should be painted with safe paint to make them

thermoregulation-friendly.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author is thankful to the officials of Forest Department,

Rajasthan, for providing help during the present study.

REFERENCES

Au, S. & S.D. RieLey (2007): Handbook of the Birds of India and

Pakistan. 2nd edn. Vol. 9. Oxford University Press, Bombay.

Pp. 175-177.

Dookia, S. (2007): First record of Pied Tit Parus nuchalis in Thar desert

of Rajasthan. Indian Birds 3(3): 112-113.

Hussain, S.A., S.A. AKHTAR & J.K. Trwart (1992): Status and distribution

of White-winged Black Tit Parus nuchalis in Kachchh, Gujarat,

India. Bird Conservation International 2: 115-122.

JosHuA, J., V. GOKULA & S.F.W. SUNDERRAJ (2007): Status of Pied Tit

Parus nuchalis in Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Gujarat, India.

Indian Birds 3(3): 91-93.

Kata, H. (2011): Assessment of the population of White-naped Tit

(Parus nuchalis) and its Thorn Forest habitat in Southern Aravalli

Hills, Rajasthan, India. Final Report, The Rufford Small Grant

Foundation.

Lott, E.J. & C. Lotr (1999): On the occurrence of White-naped Tit

Parus nuchalis in southern India. Forktail 15: 93-94.

MeurA, S.P. (2004): Sighting of White-naped Tit Parus nuchalis at

Udaipur. Newsletter for Ornithologists 1(5): 77.

SANGHA, H.S. (2008): The birds of Sambhar Lake and its environs.

Indian Birds 4(3): 82-97.

SHARMA, S.K. (1998): Avian fauna of Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary.

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 38(2): 25—27.

SHARMA, S.K. (2004): New sight records of Pied Tit Parus nuchalis in

Rajasthan. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 101(1): 162-163.

SHARMA, 9.K. & V.K. Kort (2014): Population and nesting characteristics

of the vulnerable White-naped Tit Parus nuchalis at Sajjangarh

Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India. Forktail 30: 1-4.

TEHSIN, R.H., S.H. TEHSIN & H. TEHSIN (2005): Pied Tit Parus nuchalis

in Pali district, Rajasthan, India. Indian Birds 1(1): 15.

Trwarl, J.K. (2001): Status and distribution of the White-naped Tit

Parus nuchalis in Gujarat and Rajasthan. J. Bombay Nat. Hist.

Soc. 98(1): 26-30.

Trwarl, J.K. & A.R. RAHMANI (1996): The current status and biology

of the White-naped Tit Parus nuchalis in Kutch, Gujarat, India.

Forktail 12: 95-102.

TriveD!, P. (2009): Observations on the globally threatened Pied Tit

Parus nuchalis at Jessore sanctuary, Gujarat. Indian Birds 5(1):

7-10.

Urranal, J.C. (1995): A rare occurrence of the globally threatened White-

naped Tit, Parus nuchalis, in areas of Dharwad, Karnataka, India.

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 36(6): 114-115.

13. ANEW LOW ELEVATION SUMMER RECORD OF BLANFORD’S OR CRIMSON ROSEFINCH

AGRAPHOSPIZA RUBESCENS (BLANFORD) FROM SIKKIM, INDIA

ANWARUDDIN CHOUDHURY!

'House No. 7, Islampur Road, Near Gate No. 1 of Nehru Stadium, Guwahati 781 007, Assam, India.

Email: [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104942

Blanford’s or Crimson Rosefinch Agraphospiza

rubescens (Blanford) has a relatively small range in India

covering central and eastern Himalaya (Ali and Ripley

1987), however, its global range is fairly large, covering the

mountains of south-west and central China (MacKinnon and

Phillipps 2000). It is relatively scarce in India, with a handful

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

of records from Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Elsewhere

in the Subcontinent, there are a few records from Nepal and

Bhutan. Ali (1962) and Ali and Ripley (1987) stated that it is a

scarce resident, subject to vertical movement, in the Himalaya

from central Nepal to Arunachal Pradesh; the same range

is given in Grimmett et a/. (2011). It has seasonal vertical

101

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

movement with birds coming down to medium elevations

in winter.

I report here a recent observation from West Sikkim

district where this bird has been recorded at a lower elevation

than it is known to occur in summer. On June 15, 2014, I

observed and photographed a female Rosefinch at 05:27 hrs.

The location was close to Pemayangtse Guest House near

Pelling (28° 18’N, 88° 15’ E; 2,090 m above msl). The bird was

feeding on the ground near a wall along the connecting road

to The Elgin Mount Pandim Hotel, and occasionally flew to

nearby fencing. It appeared to be a female Rosefinch. It was a

uniform greyish brown or olive-brown, with lighter underparts

without streaks. Its iris was brown and bill grey. While male

rosefinches are normally deeply coloured birds, the females

are not and hence, often difficult to identify in the field. Later

on from close-up photographs, I could identify it as a female

Blanford’s or Crimson Rosefinch. Its rump was reddish (Eds:

photographic evidence provided). Its known lower range in

summer is recorded as c. 2,700 m above msl (Ali and Ripley

1987; Kazmierczak and van Perlo 2000), however, in winter

comes down as low as 1,300 m above msl. In Bhutan, the

normal summer range is from 3,200 m up (Spierenburg 2005).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank Tsering Doma Lepcha of Pemayangtse.

REFERENCES

Aut, S. (1962): Birds of Sikkim. Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

476 pp.

Aut, S. & S.D. Riptey (1987): Compact Handbook of the Birds of India

and Pakistan. Oxford University Press, Delhi. 736 pp + plates.

GRIMMETT, R., C. INskipp & T. INskipp (2011): Birds of the Indian

Subcontinent. 2nd edn. Oxford University Press and Christopher

Helm, London. 528 pp.

MacKinnon, J. & K. Puitiipps (2000): A Field Guide to the Birds of

China. Oxford University Press and Christopher Helm, London.

586 pp.

SPIERENBURG, P. (2005): Birds in Bhutan: Status and Distribution.

Oriental Bird Club, Bedford, UK. 383 pp.

14. SAP-DRINKING BY BIRDS ON TAPPED INDIAN DATE PALM PHOENIX SYLVESTRIS

VISHAL RASAL!

‘Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Dr. Salim Ali Chowk, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, Mumbai 400 001,

Maharashtra, India. Email: [email protected], [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104943

The Indian Date Palm Phoenix sylvestris is a moderate-

sized (7.5—15 m) dioecious tree native to the drier parts of the

Indian subcontinent. Apart from the edible fruits, it is valued

for the sap that oozes from incisions cut into the stem below

the crown, which is consumed as such or processed into an

alcoholic beverage or molasses. The sap is channeled through

a bamboo spout (or other such structure) into a collection

vessel. In this communication, I report an observation on

birds feeding on the exuded sap of a tree in Vasai Fort

(19° 19’ 49” N; 72°48' 54" E), c. 48 km north of Mumbai,

Maharashtra.

During my observations on February 10, 2013 from

8:00—11:10 hrs, I recorded the Black Drongo Dicrurus

macrocercus, Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri, and

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis feeding on the sap of

Indian Date Palm that was flowing through a wooden conduit

into a collecting vessel. The flora in the immediate vicinity

included the Red Silk-Cotton Tree Bombax ceiba, Flame

of the Forest Butea monosperma, and Indian Coral Tree

Erythrina indica, all of which were in full bloom, but were

not visited by the birds. The birds were observed drinking

102

the sap for 10 minutes before they flew away. There were at

least 3-4 birds on inflorescence throughout the observation

period.

This observation is interesting as the birds were tapping

into a food source that would not be normally available to

them, except in case of damage to the trunk due to natural

causes. Ali and Ripley (1987) do not state sap consumption as

a food habit of any of the birds mentioned. These species do

not have the mechanism to obtain sap from tree trunks unlike

some sap-sucking birds like Rufous-bellied Woodpecker

Dendrocopos hyperythrus found in Himalaya, north-east

India and Bangladesh, and North American Sapsuckers

(Sphyrapicus sp.) which specifically drill into bark to tap the

sap (Abdulali 1968; Ripley 1991).

The sap extracted from the palms is usually allowed

to ferment into an alcoholic beverage by spontaneous

fermentation (Barh and Mazumdar 2008), unless the sap is

to be drunk as such, for which lime is put into the collection

vessel to delay the fermentation process. Observations on

feeding and impact of fermented food resource with alcoholic

content on birds are limited (Dennis 1987; Eriksson and

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Nummi 1982; Fitzgerald et al.1990; Mazeh et al.2008). We

did not notice any immediate effects of toddy consumption

on the birds observed. Since the sap was fresh and flowing

into the vessel, it is likely that it was unfermented.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank the ENVIS Centre on Avian Ecology at the

BNHS for providing relevant literature.

REFERENCES

Aut, S. & S.D. Rietey (1987): Compact Handbook of the Birds of India

and Pakistan. 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Delhi. 736 pp.

+ plates.

ABDULALI, H. (1968): Sap sucking by Indian woodpeckers. J. Bombay

Nat. Hist. Soc. 65(1): 219-221.

Baru, D. & B.C. Mazumpar (2008): Comparative nutritive values of

palm saps before and after their partial fermentation and effective

use of Wild Date (Phoenix sylvestris Roxb.) sap in treatment of

anemia. Research Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences

— 3(2): 173-176.

Dennis, J. V. (1987): If you drink, don’t fly: Fermented fruit and sap can

inebriate birds. Birder’s World 1: 15-19.

Eriksson, K. & H. Nummr (1982): Alcohol accumulation from ingested

berries and alcohol metabolism in passerine birds. Ornis Fenn. 60:

2-9.

FITZGERALD, S.D., J.M. SULLIVAN & R.J. Everson (1990): Suspected

ethanol toxicosis in two wild cedar waxwings. Avian Diseases

34(2): 488-490.

MazeH, S., C. Korine, B. PINSHow & R. DuDLEy (2008): The

influence of ethanol on feeding in the frugivorous Yellow-vented

Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos). Behavioural Processes 77(3):

369-375.

Rretey, S.D. (1991): Comments on sap-sucking by woodpeckers in

India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 8&(1): 112-113.

15. THE MOUNTAIN PIT VIPER OVOPHIS MONTICOLA (GUNTHER, 1864)

(REPTILIA: CROTALIDAE) IN MIZORAM, INDIA, WITH A NOTE ON

ITS PECULIAR BEHAVIOUR IN CAPTIVITY

Daya NAND Haarit!

‘Department of Zoology, Government Champhai College, Mizoram 796 321, India. Email: [email protected], [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104944

In India, the Mountain Pit Viper Ovophis monticola is

found mostly in the Eastern Himalaya, from Sikkim, parts of

West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and

up to eastern Arunachal Pradesh. A published record from

Uttarakhand needs confirmation (A. Captain, pers. comm.)

Outside India, it occurs in Tibet, Nepal, China, Myanmar,

Bangladesh, and Thailand (Das 2008; Gharpurey 2006;

Dorsal view

Mathew 2007; Sharma 2003; Shaw and Barker 2000; Smith

2003; Wall 2000; Whitaker and Captain 2008).

In 2002, Harit and Ramanujam (2002) documented

the reptilian fauna of Mizoram state, but did not record the

Mountain Pit Viper. However, the species was later recorded

from Champhai district of the state (Harit 2008). The species

is frequently seen during rainy season and is found on slushy

Lateral view

Fig.1: Ovophis monticola biting its own body

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

103

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

wet ground of the hills, generally among the fallen leaves,

tree twigs, debris, hiding under or near stones and logs. It is

nocturnal and terrestrial in habit (Das 2008).

On July 12, 2013, an individual Mountain Pit Viper was

caught and kept for behavioural studies in a clean transparent

plastic container (11 x 9 x 3 inch) with a perforated cover for

ventilation. The morphologic details of the individual were:

supralabials 10, first supralabials separated from nasals, third

supralabials largest, no sub-ocular shield present, two series

of small scales present between eyes and supralabials, head

scales smaller, inter-nasals comparatively larger than others,

loreal pit present, body scalation 23:23:19, smooth, V-142,

C-51 paired, A-1, eyes small, head scales unequal), and on

the basis of these its identification was confirmed with the

literature cited earlier in the manuscript.

The next morning, the snake was found dead,

appearing to have bitten its own body (Fig. 1). Though a

snake may bite itself (and other animals and handlers) when

stressed and/or kept within a confined space, it usually

retracts after biting, and the reason why it continued to fix

its fangs on its body after biting is unclear. Whether the

actual cause of death was due to the effect of the venom

or due to the fangs having punctured some vital organ

is unclear.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am thankful to the University Grants Commission,

NERO, Guwahati, for providing financial assistance to

conduct the study.

REFERENCES

Das, I. (2008): Pictographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of

India. 62 pp.

GHARPUREY, K.G. (2006): The Snakes of India. Asiatic Publishing House,

New Delhi (Indian Print Edition). 41 pp.

Harit, D.N. (2008): Poisonous snakes (Reptilia: Ophidia) of Mizoram,

North East India. Indian Journal of Environment and Ecoplanning

15(1—2): 379-383.

Harit, D.N. & S.N. RAMANUJAM (2002): Reptilian fauna of Mizoram,

India. Cobra 47: 5—7.

Matuew, R. (2007): Reptilia. Jn: Fauna of Mizoram, State faunal series

14, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. 567 pp.

SHARMA, R.C. (2003): Hand Book of Indian Snakes. Zoological Survey

of India, Calcutta. Pp. 232.

SHAW, SHEBBEARE & BARKER (2000): The Snakes of Sikkim and

Bengal. Asiatic Publishing House, New Delhi. Indian Reprint.

113 pp. |

SmiTH, M.A. (2003): Handbook of Indian Snakes. Cosmo Publications,

New Delhi. Cosmo Print. 509 pp.

WALL, F. (2000): The Poisonous Terrestrial Snakes. Asiatic Publishing

House, Delhi. Indian Print. 45 pp.

WuitTaKer, R. & A. CAPTAIN (2008): Snakes of India — The Field Guide.

Draco Books, Tamil Nadu. Reprint. 344 pp.

16. FIRST REPORT OF MCADAM’S SCORPIONFISH PARASCORPAENA MCADAMSIT

(FOWLER, 1938) FROM INDIAN WATERS

ANIL Mouapatra!~*, PRASAD CHANDRA Tubu!? AND DIPANJAN Ray!*

‘Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Digha 721 428, West Bengal, India.

*Email: [email protected]

-Email: [email protected]

‘Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104945

Genus Parascorpaena Bleeker, 1876 comprises six

valid species and all are distributed in different parts of the

Indo-Pacific region. The genus Parascorpaena differs from

other genera of subfamily Scorpaeninae under the family

Scorpaenidae by the presence of posterior lacrimal spine

which is hooked forward, and mainly cycloid body scales

(Motomura et al. 2009). In Indian waters, Parascorpaena

picta (Cuvier, 1829) was reported as Scorpaena picta which

is the only reported species of this genus from Andaman and

Nicobar Islands (Ramakrishna et al. 2010). During a survey

on “studies of ornamental fauna of the east coast of India”

104

one specimen (SL: 108 mm) was collected by the authors

from Visakhapatnam fishing harbour (17° 41' 885” N; 83° 18’

143” E), Andhra Pradesh, and identified as Parascorpaena

mcadamsi (Fowler 1938) which is a new record from Indian

waters, reported here along with its morphological characters.

The specimen was preserved in 4% formalin and deposited in

MARC, ZSI, Digha museum (Registration Number: MARC/

ZSI/F3573). The biometrics are given in Table 1.

The taxonomic key of Poss (1999) was used for

identification and the measurements and counts follow

Motomura et al. (2009).

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Table 1: Biometry of the Specimen MARC/ZSI/F3573

Proportional measurements In % of Standard Length

Body depth 37.4

Body width 26.8

Head length 44.0

Snout length 10.4

Orbit diameter 10.2

Inter-orbital space 8.6

Head width 29.4

Upper jaw length Zoe

Lower jaw length 21.7

Pre-dorsal length SO

Pre-anal length 69.2

1st dorsal spine 8.6

2nd dorsal spine tier

3rd dorsal spine 1i2

Ath dorsal spine 19.7

5th dorsal spine 19.6

11th dorsal spine 12.0

12th dorsal spine 14.9

1st anal spine 13.6

2nd anal spine PES

3rd anal spine 21a

Pectoral fin length ony

Ventral fin length 29.5

Caudal fin length 24.9

Caudal peduncle depth 11.1

Caudal peduncle length 18.4

In % of Head Length

Snout length Zan

Orbit diameter Boe

Inter-orbital space 19.7

Upper jaw length 50.5

1st dorsal spine 19.7

1st anal spine 30.8

Dorsal fin with 12 spines and 10 rays; anal fin with

3 spines and 5 rays; pectoral fin with 16 spines and pelvic fin

with 1 spine and 5 rays. Small sized fish with compressed

body; anterior profile arched. Mouth large, oblique; maxilla

reaching posterior part of eyes; small, villiform bands

of teeth present on jaw, vomer, and palatine; interorbital

space concave; occiput shallow. Snout steep dorsally; nasal

spines straight and upwardly directed; suborbital ridge with

3 spines, first one behind the eyes, and second and third

close to each other and present posterior to eyes. Nasal spine

small; suborbital spines 3, Ist one short and ventral to eye,

2nd and 3rd close together and posterior to eye. Preopercle

with 4 spines and opercle with 2 spines. Lateral line scales

29: scales above lateral line 6; scales below lateral line 14.

Gill rakers 13 (5+8). Body reddish in colour with irregular

brown patches; under surface of the lower jaw white; all fins

variegated with brown and white.

Parascorpaena mcadamsi was first described as

Scorpaena mcadamsi from Jolo, Philippines, at a depth of

36.576 m (20 fathoms) (Fowler 1938). The characteristics of

the present specimen match well with the description of the

type specimen in having 3 suborbital spines, 16 pectoral fin

rays, and 29 lateral line scales, which confirms the species

as P. mcadamsi. In Indian waters, P. picta was reported from

Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Ramakrishna et al. 2010).

P. mcadamsiis the second species of the genus Parascorpaena

reported from India. However, P. picta can be differentiated

from the present species in many morphometric characters,

i.e. having 2 suborbital spines, greater number of pectoral

fin rays (usually 17, sometimes 16—18), and greater number

of lateral line scales (43-49), whereas in P. mcadamsi there

are 3 suborbital spines, fewer pectoral fin rays (15—16), and

fewer lateral line scales (29-30).

P. mcadamsi is known to be distributed in the

Indo-Pacific region and previously reported from Comoros,

Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion Island, South Africa,

China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Ryukyu Island,

Taiwan, Vietnam, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Marshall

Island, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn,

and Solomon Islands (Froese and Pauly 2014).The

present note is the first report of the species from Indian

coastal waters and extends the range of the species to Indian

waters.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank Dr. K. Venkataraman, Director, Zoological

Survey of India, for providing necessary facilities for the

work. We also acknowledge the help rendered by Mr. Arun

Kumar Kar, field attendant at Marine Aquarium and Regional

Centre, ZSI, Digha, during the survey.

REFERENCES

Fow Ler, H.W. (1938): Descriptions of new fishes obtained by the

United States Bureau of Fisheries steamer “Albatross”, chiefly in

Philippine seas and adjacent waters. Proceedings of the United

States National Museum v. 85 (no. 3032): 31-135.

FRoESE R. & D. PauLy (EDs) (2014): Fishbase. World Wide Web

electronic publication. Online version: www.fishbase.org.

Accessed on August 05, 2014.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

Motomura, H., Y. SAkural, H. SENou & H-C. Ho (2009): Morphological

comparisons of the Indo- West Pacific scorpionfish, Parascorpaena

aurita, with a closely related species, P. picta, with first records

of P. aurita from East Asia (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae).

Zootaxa 2191: 41-57.

Poss, G.S. (1999): Scorpaenidae. Scorpionfishes (also, lionfishes,

rockfishes, stingfishes, stonefishes, and waspfishes). Pp. 2291-—

105

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

2352. In: Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds): FAO species

identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine

resources of the western central Pacific. Vol. 4. Bony fishes part

2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). FAO, Rome.

RAMAKRISHNA, T. IMMANUEL, C.R. SREERAJ, C. RAGHUNATHAN,

R. RAGHURAMAN, P.T. RAJAN & J.S. YOGESH Kumar (2010): An

account of additions to the Ichthyofauna of Andaman and Nicobar

Islands. Rec. Zool. Surv. India, Occ. Paper No. 326: 1-140.

17. HOVER-FLIES (DIPTERA: SYRPHIDAE) IN THE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

COLLECTION, WITH AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THOSE RECORDED FROM

MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

KUMAR GHORPADE!

'Systematic Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, c/o P.O. Box 221, Dharwad 580 008, Karnataka, India.

Email: [email protected]

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104946

Introduction

The Bombay Natural History Society’s insect

collection is dominated by Lepidoptera (moths, butterflies)

and Coleoptera (beetles) based on personal samplings. I was

permitted to see and study the collections of two-winged

flies (true Diptera) in the BNHS collection, on request, and

this note documents material present on the family

Syrphidae — hover-flies or flower-flies. These flies are

currently recognized as valuable plant and crop pollinators,

and the larvae of some of them also perform biological control

of pest Homoptera (insects in agro-ecosystems in India and

elsewhere). Rahmani (2014) wrote an Editorial about insects

and of their important place in our ecosystems.

The BNHS collection of insects, like most other

institutions in India, are composed mainly of material

accumulated by foreign amateur naturalists and professional

entomologists, before India gained independence in 1947.

Newly collected, fresh material, sampled by Indians, is

limited and dependent only on current institutional staff and

their select taxa (Ghorpadé 2012; Khot 2012) mainly for their

postgraduate research. There are less than a dozen specimens

of hover-flies in this collection, which are identified and

reported in this note. This is the next in a series of similar

papers on Syrphidae in the collection of the Panjab University,

Chandigarh (Ghorpadé 2014c) and Punjab Agricultural

University, Ludhiana (Ghorpadé and Pathania 2014). Also

tabled here is a list of Syrphidae (15 genera, 20 species)

so far recorded from the State of Maharashtra, of which I

document two species below as first records for this State,

based on material found in the BNHS collections.

This note is dedicated to late Norman B. Kinnear

(1882-1957), Curator of the Bombay Natural History Society

(1907-1919) and the British Museum (Natural History),

London (1920-1957) for his work on Indian wildlife, and

whose writings were inspiring to the present author during

his formative professional years. See also Prater (1957).

106

In India, except for research on economically important

insects carried out in Agricultural, Veterinary and Medical

institutions, there has been little interest in studying our

abundant insect diversity with a basic science approach

through faunistics studies, except on our butterflies which

are popular and so better studied. I summarized the situation

in my Editorial (Ghorpadé 2012) urging more research

on our insect taxa faunistics in this country of diverse

habitats.

A special publication was brought out (Anonymous

1933) on the Golden Jubilee of the BNHS, which summarized

in some detail the activities of this Society. Part IT dealt with

the Society’s magnificent Journal (1886—), which is in its

112" Volume currently. Scientific papers mentioned in it about

Invertebrates (pp. 27-38), with an imposing ‘frontispiece’

photograph of the lanky naturalist T.R. Bell (see Ghorpadé

et al. 2013 for a tribute; one Syrphidae specimen taken by

him in Karachi, now in Pakistan, was found in the BNHS

collection), detailed papers on all major taxa, including

Diptera about which it was noted that they “deal mainly

with species responsible for the spread of disease in Man and

Beast in India.” Then works on ‘Mosquitoes and Malaria’

were explained but nothing on any other family of true

flies, even the hover-flies that are popular with overseas

naturalists! The results of this paper will corroborate this

sad lacuna below.

Information on the entomologist members of the BNHS

is also available in Salim Ali’s (1979-1984) account of the

founders, builders, and guardians of the Society — chief

of them being E.H. Aitken, N. Annandale, C.T. Bingham,

W.H. Evans, S.L. Hora, N.B. Kinnear, H. Maxwell-Lefroy,

C.L.A. de Nicéville, C. Swinhoe, R.C. Wroughton, and

J.W. Yerbury (g.v.). Insects have been a low priority, little

interest focus for BNHS members until now, and the Journal’s

Editorial Board even lacks a specialist Entomologist! I hope

interest and resultant research on this massive biological

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

group in our subcontinent will increase, since less than half

of our subcontinent’s probably existing species have so far

been named and described, and, tragically, our indigenous

natural habitats and flora are sadly being decimated along

with their undiscovered fauna by current ‘development’

obsessed humans here, aping a commerce-ridden ‘modern’

Western lifestyle.

SYRPHIDAE IN THE BNHS COLLECTION

Dolichomerus crassus (Fabricius, 1787)

Specimen examined: | 9, inpIA: Maharashtra [Bombay

(=Mumbai)], 19.1x.1928, Coll: PF. Gomes.

Remarks: Stout, large black eristaline with distinct red

hind femora especially, and fairly frequent in select habitats,

visiting large flowers.

Lathyrophthalmus obscuritarsis (de Meijere, 1908)

Specimens examined: 16, tNpIA: Maharashtra

[Bombay (=Mumbai)], 12.viti.1911, Coll: N.B. Kinnear.

14, wNpiaA: Karnataka (Mercara, Coorg), 22.x.1918, Coll:

N.B. Kinnear.

Remarks: Common regular eristaline with black vittae

on the mesonotum, and with rat-tailed aquatic larvae. Brunetti

(1915: 230) listed this as “Bombay [Biro].” This species is

considered a junior synonym of megacephalus (Rossi 1974)

vide Dr. F.C. Thompson (in Jitt.). See also Ghorpadé (2015:

29-30)).

Phytomia argyrocephala (Macquart, 1842)

Specimen examined: 19, iNnpIA: Maharashtra,

D 188/24, P.G.

Remarks: Common plains eristaline earlier placed in

the same genus as Dolichomerus crassus, with a broad black

horizontal band on the mesonotum. The label is curious with

no locality or date and the collector is likely to be P.F. Gomes.

Phytomia errans (Fabricius, 1787)

Specimen examined: | 9, INDIA: Maharashtra [Bombay

(=Mumbai)], ??.x.1909, Coll: N.B. Kinnear.

Remarks: This is now placed in the same genus as

Phytomia argyrocephala, but rarer, with basal half, more or

less, of hind femur brownish-orange, contra all black and

without prominent black markings on the mesonotum or

abdomen as in argyrocephala (op. cit.).

Syritta sp.

Specimen examined: | sex?, [damaged specimen].

INDIA: Karnataka (Mercara, Coorg), 12.x.1918,

Coll: N.B. Kinnear.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

Remarks: Specimen so damaged that its sex and

specific identity cannot be established. This is a common

smallish hover-fly that haunts drains and manure where

its larvae are coprophagous or saprophagous, or feed on

decaying plant material and vegetable refuse.

Dideopsis aegrota (Fabricius, 1805)

Specimen examined: 1 2, 1np1A: Maharashtra (Siguri),

10.111.(?), Coll: E. Comber.

Remarks: A large, handsome predacious hover-fly with

black fasciae on wings and a yellow marked black abdomen.

Larvae are of unusual shape for Syrphini. Its prey were listed

in Ghorpadé (1981: 70-71).

Ischiodon scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805)

Specimens examined: | 4, inpia: Maharashtra (Ughar

Lake, Bombay [=_Mumbai]), 21.vi.1917, Coll: N.B. Kinnear.

1', PAKISTAN: Karachi, 22.ix.1903, Coll: T.R. Bell.

Remarks: The most frequent predatory hover-fly

in our agro-ecosystems. Larvae are efficient predators of

injurious aphids, mainly, and its recorded prey were listed in

Ghorpadé (1981: 69-70). Recently recorded from Pakistan

by Ghorpadé and Shehzad (2013). Deoras (1957) reported

it (as “Xanthogramma’’) from the Kurla area of Bombay

(=Mumbai), as identified then by specialist in the British

Museum (Natural History), London.

Discussion

I found just seven species of Syrphidae, of

5 genera, in the BNHS collection, all nine specimens of

these species being old specimens and have placed my

identification labels on each pin carrying the fly. It is a

small collection but needs to be documented as I have

done in this note.

Besides the above nine specimens, one female

specimen from ‘Karnataka, Mercara, Coorg, 31.x.1918,

N.B. Kinnear’ was present in the Collection, but was in

very poor condition, and I could not make an accurate

identification, of the genus. It may be “Spheginobaccha?”

then but am not sure. This is a fairly rare Microdontinae

genus, unknown from below the Himalaya and NE India

(Ghorpadeé 2014a) and I may be wrong.

In Table I, I list all Syrphidae so far recorded from

Maharashtra, 20 species of 15 genera (Ghorpadé 2014b).

This 1s disappointing for such a large State where agriculture

and horticulture is widely practiced in the countryside and on

the ghats (see Ghorpadé et al. 2011: 84). Like this Society’s

collection, those of Agricultural Universities, and others,

in Maharashtra need to be examined and documented, if

collected and preserved in their institutional collections.

107

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Table 1: Checklist of Syrphidae recorded from Maharashtra, India

Eristalinae [6 Genera, 10 species]

Monoceromyia eumenioides (Saunders, 1842)

Dolichomerus crassus (Fabricius, 1787)

Lathyrophthalmus aeneus (Scopoli, 1763)

Lathyrophthalmus arvorum (Fabricius, 1787)

Lathyrophthalmus obliquus (Wiedemann, 1824)

Lathyrophthalmus obscuritarsis (de Meijere, 1908)

*“Phytomia argyrocephala (Macquart, 1842)

“Phytomia errans (Fabricius, 1787)

Eumerus aurifrons (Wiedemann, 1824)

Syritta indica (Wiedemann, 1824)

Syrphinae [9 Genera, 10 species ]

Serratoparagus serratus (Fabricius, 1805)

Allobaccha sapphirina (Wiedemann, 1830)

Asarkina incisuralis (Macquart, 1855)

Chrysotoxum baphyrum Walker 1849

Dideopsis aegrota (Fabricius, 1805)

Episyrphus viridaureus (Wiedemann, 1824)

Ischiodon scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805)

Macrosyrphus contrater (Wiedemann, 1830)

Sphaerophoria bengalensis Macquart, 1842

Sphaerophoria macrogaster (Thomson, 1869)

* new record for species

References

(Ghorpadé 2014b: 8). Brunetti (1923: 38) gave “two 9 from Matheran. Bombay

Presidency, tii & v. 1899 (Nurse)”

BNHS collection (Ghorpadé 2014b: 8, 2015: 19-20)

2? (Ghorpadeé 2014b: 9); Brunetti (1923: 163) as “Eristalis taphicus, Wied.,” from “Bombay,

21.11.1905; 2.i11.1905, on seaweed.”

(Ghorpadé 2014b: 9, 2015: 27—28); Brunetti (1923: 183) as “It is very common apparently

all over India, in hills and plains, and occurs probably in all parts of the Orient.”

(Ghorpadé 2014b: 9, 2015: 29)

BNHS collection (Ghorpadé 2014b: 9, 2015: 29-30); Brunetti (1923: 191) as “Generally

distributed in India from Kashmir to Bangalore . . . Dr. de Meijere described it from

Singapore and Bombay.”

BNHS collection, new record

(Ghorpadé 2014b: 11, 2015: 40); Brunetti (1923: 253) as “Bombay, 11.x.1912.”

?? (Ghorpadé 2014b: 13, 2015: 52-53); Brunetti (1923: 246) as “Syritta pipiens L.”

“This species is common and generally distributed in both hills and plains in India.”

The species identity needs to be confirmed (indica?) as Bombay specimens will not be

S. pipiens. Brunetti (1923: 248) noted as “Syritta rufifacies, Big.” “

good condition in the Indian Museum from . . . Satara District...” The species identity

also needs to be confirmed.

based on several in

“Poona” (Stuckenberg, 1954: 413); “Igatpuri, Bombay” (Brunetti 1923: 32). Species

identity of latter needs careful study of specimen, if available. (see also Thompson and

Ghorpadé 1992: 15, Ghorpadé 2015: 81-82)

(Ghorpadé 2014b: 17, 2015: 85)

(Ghorpade 2014b: 18, 90-91); Brunetti (1923: 64, as “ericetorum Fabr.”) as “Widely

distributed in India and the East, in both hills and plains, throughout the greater part of

the year.”

(Ghorpadé 2014b: 18, 2015: 96-97)

BNHS collection; Brunetti (1923: 65) wrote: “As widely distributed as A. ericetorum

[= Asarkina incisuralis] in India and the East, both from hills and plains, at almost all

seasons of the year.” See also Ghorpadé, 2015: 103-104.

(Ghorpadé 2014b: 20, 2015: 108-109); Brunetti (1923: 84) as “Syrphus balteatus De

Geer,” “This species is extremely common throughout the whole of the East in both hills

and plains during the greater part of the warm weather.”

BNHS collection (Ghorpadé 1994: 6, 2015: 110-113); Brunetti (1923: 99) as “The species

is common in many parts of India and Assam practically all the year round, and is one

of the most widely distributed Syrphids in the East.”

BNHS collection (Ghorpadé 2014b: 20, 2015: 114-116)

2? (Ghorpadé 1994: 13, 2015: 127-128)

(Joseph 1967 — as “Sphaerophoria poonaensis’; Ghorpadé 1994: 13); “Bombay

Presidency” (Brunetti 1923: 103) as “Sphaerophoria indiana Big.” Certainly misidentified

for macrogaster. See also Ghorpadé 2015: 130

108

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Though more than 75% of all our 500+ syrphid species fly

in the Himalaya and in north-east India, peninsular India has

77 species (of 40 genera) documented (Ghorpadeé, unpubl.

data). So in Maharashtra only just over a quarter of these

peninsular species have so far been recorded, which is

disappointing. Incidentally, one of the first to collect

Syrphidae (and other insects) from Bombay [= Mumbai] was

an entomologist from Hungary, Dr. Biro.

Other than examining available collections in

institutions here in Maharashtra, and in our major insect

collections in JARI (New Delhi), ZSI (Kolkata), and FRI

(Dehradun), I need to look at my personal collections made

in the past 30+ years for specimens taken in Maharashtra,

from March 1980 at Panhala and Radhanagari near Kolhapur,

and in October 1984 in Borivli NP, Bombay, and also later

in Matheran, and in the next three decades, last at Kolhapur

in August 2016. These will be documented by me in another

paper in the near future and should add more species to the

Maharashtra list. Most of my Maharashtra collections have

been made in and around Kolhapur, and on the ghats to its

west, from Amba and Vishalgarh down south to Amboli.

These collections were made in all months of the year, from

March 1980 to August 2016 . Kharakvasla and Mulshi on the

Pune ghats have also been sampled and areas in and around

Nagpur were visited in October 2012.

Checklist of Syrphidae recorded from Maharashtra, India

The following list of 20 species (in 15 genera)

documented from the State of Maharashtra so far are given

below with their current binomens, authorities of species

names, year of first publication and published record

reference(s). Those I have found in the BNHS collection

are noted, and two of these species are new records (with an

asterisk mark) for this State as identified and mentioned by

me in this present publication.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My grateful thanks to Dr. Asad R. Rahmani,

ex-Director, BNHS, for permission to access the insect

collection, Dr. Rahul Khot, Curator, for arranging my

study, and Ms. Neha Mujumdar, Research Assistant,

for actually helping with locating the insect boxes

with Syrphidae specimens and providing all other help

required in the collection room during my visit in

February 2015.

REFERENCES

ALI, S. (1979-1984): Bombay Natural History Society — The Founders,

the Builders and the Guardians. Parts 1-4. J. Bombay Nat. Hist.

Soc. 75(3): 559-569, 6 pls; 78(2): 232-239, 3 pls.; 79(1): 38-46,

2 pls; S0(2): 320-330, 4 pls.

Anonymous (1933): The Bombay Natural History Society. 1883-1933.

1i1+102 pp., figs, photos, maps. Bombay Natural History Society,

Bombay.

BruneTTI, E. (1915): Notes on Oriental Syrphidae : with descriptions of

new species. Part I. Rec. Indian Mus. 11: 201-256.

Brunetti, E. (1923): The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and

Burma. Diptera. Volume 3. Pipunculidae, Syrphidae, Conopidae,

Oestridae. xii+424 pp., 85 figs, 7 pls. Taylor & Francis, London.

Deoras, P.J. (1957): Notes on some insects of Medical importance from

a suburban area of Bombay. Indian. J. Entomol. 18(3): 305-307.

GuHoRPADE, K. (1981): Insect prey of Syrphidae (Diptera) from India

and neighbouring countries: a review and bibliography. Trop. Pest

Manag. 27(1): 62-82.

GHOoRPADE, K. (1986): Section on Insects. Jn: R.E. Hawkins (Gen. Ed.)

The Encyclopedia of Indian Natural History. Bombay Natural

History Society Centenary Publication (1883-1983). Oxford

University Press, Bombay. xiv+620 pp. [Insects Section 109 pp.,

125 figs, 83 photos]

GHORPADE, K. (1994): Diagnostic keys to new and known genera and

species of Indian subcontinent Syrphini (Diptera : Syrphidae).

Colemania No. 3. pp. 1-15.

GHOoRPADE, K. (2012): Editorial: Faunistic studies of Indian Insects — an

urgent requirement. Colemania No. 31. pp. 1-2.

GuorPADE, K. (2014a): Notes on the taxonomy, distributional ranges

and biogeography of some Oriental species of the genus

Spheginobaccha de Meijere (Diptera—Syrphidae—Microdontinae),

together with an appreciation of Alfred Russell Wallace (1823-—

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

1913). Colemania No. 41, pp. 1-14.

GHORPADE, K. (2014b): An updated check-list of the Hover-flies (Diptera

— Syrphidae) recorded in the Indian subcontinent. Colemania No.

44. pp. 1-30.

GuHoRPADE, K. (2014c): On the Hover-flies (Diptera — Syrphidae)

preserved in the collection of the Panjab University, Chandigarh,

and further notes on those from the Indian Punjab and NW. India.

Colemania No. 46. pp. 1-17.

GuHorRPADE, K. (2015): Hover-flies (Diptera—Syrphidae) documented

from the Northwest Frontier of the Indian sub-continent: a

circumstantial history and inclusive bibliography. Colemania 50:

1-151.

GHORPADE, K. & A. SHEHZAD (2013): An annotated checklist and select

bibliography of the Hoverflies (Diptera — Syrphidae) of Pakistan,

Indian subcontinent. Colemania No. 37. pp. 1-26.

GHORPADE, K. & P.C. PATHANIA (2014): Hover-flies (Diptera — Syrphidae)

in the collection of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana,

India, and a Checklist of those known from the Punjab Doab

biogeographical sub-area. Colemania No. 42. pp. 1-8.

GHORPADE, K., K. DurGA PRASAD & S. Pavan (2011): Hover-flies

(Diptera — Syrphidae) of the Coromandel Coast in Andhra Carnatic,

peninsular India. Bionotes (Aligarh) /3(2): 78-86.

GHoRPADE, K., R.R. Patt & M.K. CHANDARAGI (2013): Notes on Hawk

Moths (Lepidoptera — Sphingidae) in the Karwar-Dharwar transect,

peninsular India: a tribute to T.R.D. Bell (1863-1948). Colemania

No. 33: 1-16.

JosepH, A.N.T. (1967): A new Indian species of Sphaerophoria

St. Fargeau and Serville, 1825 (Diptera : Syrphidae). Bull. Ent.

8&(2): 79-80, fig.

Kuot, R. (2012): Guardians of a National Heritage. Hornbill July—

September 2012. pp. 62—64.

109

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Prater, S.H. (1957): Opiruary: Norman Boyd Kinnear 1882—1957.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 54(4): 928-930, photo.

Raumant, A.R. (2014): EprroriaL: Are we heading for an insect-free

world? Hornbill Oct.—Dec. 2014. Pp. 2-3.

STUCKENBERG, B.R. (1954): The Paragus serratus Complex, with

descriptions of new species (Diptera: Syrphidae). Trans. R. ent.

Soc. Lond. 105(17): 393-422, 33 figs.

THOMPSON, F.C. & K. GHORPADE (1992): A new coffee aphid predator,

with notes on other Oriental species of Paragus (Diptera:

Syrphidae). Colemania 5: 1-24, 7 maps, 19 figs.

18. RANGE EXTENSION OF COMMON JAY GRAPHIUM DOSON

(LEPIDOPTERA: PAPILIONIDAE) TO GUJARAT, INDIA

B.M. PARASHARYA!* AND DHAVAL S. PATEL?

‘AINP on Agricultural Ornithology, Anand Agricultural University, Anand 388 110, Gujarat, India. Email: [email protected]

*Voluntary Nature Conservancy, Shriji Niwas, 101, Radha Darshan, Behind Union Bank, Vallabh Vidyanagar 388 120, Gujarat, India.

Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author |

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104947

The Common Jay butterfly Graphium doson

(C. & R. Felder) is known to occur in India, particularly

in southern India up to Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal,

Uttarakhand to Arunachal Pradesh, and the Northeast

(Kehimkar 2008). Its subspecies Dakhan Common Jay

Graphium doson eleius Felder & Felder, 1864 is distributed

largely in the Western Ghats (Saji 2015). Though it is known

to occur in Maharashtra, Shull (1963, 1964) did not encounter

it from the nearby Dang Forest of Gujarat. Even in the

recent past, it was not recorded from Vansda National Park

which is a part of Dang Forest (Bhalodia et al. 2002). The

species was listed as occurring in Gujarat (Parasharya and

Jani 2007), based on a checklist of the butterflies of Western

Ghats received from Dr. K. Kunte (pers. comm.) during 2007,

though it is not mentioned in any other published records on

the butterflies of Gujarat.

Though we had seen this butterfly at several sites around

Anand, Gujarat (22° 32’ N; 72° 58’ E) while preparing the

book BUTTERFLIES OF GUJARAT, we could not collect it or watch

it at close quarters to confirm its identification. We were able

to collect as well as photograph it from 2008 onwards. During

the last seven years, we have recorded it from Anand, Kheda,

Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar districts of Central

Gujarat. It is seen throughout the year, often flying around

and laying eggs on False Ashoka tree or Mast tree Polyalthia

longifolia —a roadside ornamental. It is quite abundant around

Anand, as seen in the collections made by undergraduate

students of agricultural science. Out of 800 butterflies collected

by students, 3.25% were G. doson. One of us (BMP) had

collected a dead though freshly emerged specimen below a

Netted Custard Apple tree Annona reticulata at Rajendranagar,

Hyderabad, during February 2010. This was also an important

record as there are only a few records of the species from

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (Saji 2015).

Though it is known to occur in Maharashtra, particularly

in northern Western Ghats, it was recorded from only four

sites of the thirty sites surveyed by Padhye et al. (2013). Saji

(2015) recorded the species’ presence from eight districts

of Maharashtra. Hence, its occurrence in central Gujarat,

particularly up to Gandhinagar is a northward range extension

of c. 450 km, probably aided by the presence of its larval

host plants. It is quite possible that plantation of Polyalthia

longifolia along the roadside and gardens may have played

a key role in its range extension. It is also possible that with

the help of such larval host plants, the species may spread

further northwest, where it was previously not reported.

REFERENCES

BHALopIA, K., V.J. Bouva, S.M. Dave & V.C. Soni (2002): Butterflies of

Vansda National Park, Gujarat. Zoos’ Print J. 17 (10): 903-904.

KEHIMKAR, I. (2008): The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural

History Society and Oxford University Press, Mumbai. 516 pp.

PADHYE, A., A. PATWARDHAN, A. JADHAV, S. SHELKE, N. MOoDAK,

. Masumpar, K. Cuuays, P. MHASKE, K. Patit, P. KOPARDE,

. Patit, R. DEULKAR, A. SAHASRABUDDHE, P. BANGAL,

. NARVEKAR, S. CHIKNE, R. DHAMALE, S. GAIKWAD, S. PANDE,

. Patit, S. KHATAVKAR, V. VISWASRAO, A. PENDHARKAR,

. MALKAR, H. PoGALe, H. Naik, Z. Mirza, R. SANAP,

. JAGDALE & A. PATWARDHAN (2013): Butterflies of

northern Western Ghats: A compilation of checklists. Ela

ADD>AZ

110

Journal 2(1): 3-22.

PARASHARYA, B.M. & J.J. JANI (2007): Butterflies of Gujarat. Anand

Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat.

Saul, K. (2015): Graphium doson Felder & Felder, 1864 — Common

Jay. In: Kunte, K., P. Roy, S. Kalesh and U. Kodandaramaiah

(Eds): Butterflies of India. v. 2.10. Indian Foundation for

Butterflies. http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/589/Graphium-

doson. Accessed on June 03, 2015.

SHULL, E.M. (1963): The butterflies of South Gujarat. J. Bombay Nat.

Hist. Soc. 60(3): 585-599.

SHULL, E.M. (1964): Supplementary notes on the butterflies of South

Gujarat. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 61(2): 464-466.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

19. ADDITIONS TO LARVAL HOST PLANTS OF BUTTERFLIES

OF THE WESTERN GHATS, KERALA, SOUTHERN INDIA (RHOPALOCERA, LEPIDOPTERA): PART 2

KALEsH, S.'?-* AND SATYA KRISHNA PRAKASH?”

'BN 439, Greeshmam, Bapuji Nagar, Medical College P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 011, Kerala, India.

Email: [email protected]

*Heera Haven, Ulloor, Medical College P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 011, Kerala, India. Email: [email protected]

*Travancore Natural History Society, MBRRA 65, Jyothis, Mathrubumi Road, Vanchiyoor, Thiruvananthapuram 695 035,

Kerala, India.

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104948

Introduction

The study of butterflies is incomplete without the

documentation of their larval host plants. The earlier works

in this realm were by Bell (1909-1927), Wynter-Blyth

(1957), and Sevastopulo (1973), who wrote on the host

plants of Indian Lepidoptera (Kalesh and Prakash 2007).

After a gap of many years, works by Kunte (2000, 2006), and

Kalesh and Prakash (2007) are adding new information

on site-specific host plants, which is of tremendous

importance for the conservation of butterflies of the

Western Ghats.

In the first part (Kalesh and Prakash 2007), we

had reported new records of host plants for 25 species of

butterflies, especially of the southern Western Ghats. In

this note, we report several additions to this ever-growing

list of host plants of more than 60 butterfly species of the

Western Ghats. This also includes host plant data for the

narrowly endemic Travancore Evening Brown Parantirrhoea

marshalli and Nilgiri Tiger Parantica nilgiriensis. The

data presented here is the result of extensive fieldwork,

observations, and larval rearing for the past 10 years in the

southern Western Ghats. The host plant is confirmed only

after successful completion of the lifecycle in all cases. The

Floras referred for identification of the larval hostplants are

Blatter and Millard (1997), Gamble (1967), Ramarao (1914),

Ravi and Mohanan (2004), Renuka (2000), Seethalakshmi

and Muktesh Kumar (1998), Sivarajan and Mathew (1997),

Subramanian (1995), and Nayar et al. (2006). Host plant

utilization was checked against Kunte (2000, 2006), Kalesh

and Prakash (2007), and Robinson et al. (2001).

Taxonomy and scientific nomenclature of butterflies

follows Larsen (1987-1988). Further additions to this larval

host plant list will appear in the third part of this series.

Family Pieridae

1. Eurema blanda silhetana: Sesbania grandiflora

(L.) Poiret (Fabaceae), Vanchiyoor, Thiruvananthapuram;

August 2009. New record for India; recorded in Indonesia

and Thailand earlier.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

2. Cepora nerissa phryne: Capparis brevispina DC.,

(Capparaceae), Kumarapuram, Thiruvananthapuram; July—

August 2009.

3. Belenois aurota: Capparis brevispina DC.,

(Capparaceae), Kumarapuram, Thiruvananthapuram; July—

August 2009.

4. Appias libythea libythea: Capparis brevispina

DC., (Capparaceae), Cleome burmannii Wight & Arn.,

(Cleomaceae), Thiruvananthapuram; July—August 2009.

5. Leptosia nina: Cleome burmanni Wight & Arn.,

(Cleomaceae), Thiruvananthapuram; July—August 2009.

Family Nymphalidae

6. Discophora lepida lepida: Ochlandra travancorica

Benth. (Poaceae), Kallar valley, Thiruvananthapuram; July

2006. Ochlandra scriptoria (Dennst.) Fisch. (Poaceae),

Kottiyoor reserve forests; October 2009.

7. Amathusia phidippus phidippus: Calamus thwaitesii

Becc. (Arecaceae), Kallar valley, Thiruvananthapuram; July

2010.

8. Parantirrhoea marshalli: Ochlandra travancorica

Benth. (Poaceae), Kallar valley, Thiruvananthapuram; July—

October 2004—2011. Ochlandra scriptoria (Dennst.) Fisch.

(Poaceae), Kottiyoor reserve forests; October 2010.

9. Melanitis zitenius gokala: Ochlandra travancorica

Benth. (Poaceae), Kallar valley, Thiruvananthapuram;

October 2005. Ochlandra scriptoria (Dennst.) Fisch.

(Poaceae), Thattekad; October 2007.

10. Melanitis phedima varaha: Spodiopogon

rhizophorus (Steud.) (Poaceae), Kallar valley,

Thiruvananthapuram; October 2005. Setaria sp. (Poaceae),

Ponmudi hills; November 2005.

11. Lethe drypetis todara: Bambusa striata Lodd. ex

Lindl. (Poaceae), Thiruvananthapuram; November 2004.

12. Mycalesis oculus: Oplismenus compositus (L.)

P. Beauv. (Poaceae), Mannavan shola, Idukky; May—June 2007.

13. Orsotrianea medus mandata: Ischaemum indicum

(Houtt.) Merrill (Poaceae), a small herbaceous grass in open

places, edges of roads, Aakulam; August 2005.

itt

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

14. Zipaetis saitis: Ochlandra travancorica Benth.,

Ochlandra scriptoria (Dennst.) Fisch. (Poaceae), Kallar

valley, Thiruvananthapuram; June—July 2009-2011.

15. Ypthima ceylonica: Axonopus compressus

(Swartz) Beauv. (Poaceae), a small to medium sized herb,

Thiruvananthapuram; June 2005.

16. Charaxes solon solon: Pithecellobium dulce

(Roxb.) Benth. (Fabaceae), Chennai; October 2008. Recorded

in Philippines as a host plant by Robinson et al. (2001),

August 2001.

17. Neptis jumbah jumbah: Cassia fistula L.

(Fabaceae), at butterfly garden Thenmalai (=Thenmala);

June 2010; Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Grah.) Mabb.,

(Icacinaceae), small tree in evergreen forest at Bonaccord

in Thiruvananthapuram; May 2008.

18. Neptis hylas varmona: Urena lobata L. (Malvaceae),

a herb in disturbed areas of deciduous forests and scrubland,

Thiruvananthapuram; June 2008.

19. Parantica nilgiriensis: Tylophora indica Metr.

(Asclepiadaceae), a climber, Ponmudi, Thiruvananthapuram;

June 2009.

Family Lycaenidae

20. Acytolepis puspa felderi: Bridelia retusa A. Juss.

(Euphorbiaceae), a medium-sized tree at Aakulam lake,

Thiruvananthapuram; June 2007.

21. Jamides alecto alocina: Inflorescence of Zingiber

zerumbet (L.) J.E. Smith (Zingiberaceae), Kallar valley,

Thiruvananthapuram; June 2008. Recorded in Andamans,

Taiwan, and Japan, according to Robinson et al. (2001).

22. Prosotas nora nora: Allophylus cobbe Blume

(Sapindaceae), shrub in coastal forests, Aakulam lake,

Thiruvananthapuram; November 2009.

23. Anthene lycaenina lycaenina: Allophylus cobbe

Blume (Sapindaceae), a shrub in coastal forests Aakulam

lake, Thiruvananthapuram; November 2009.

24. Arhopala pseudocentaurus pirama: Hopea ponga

(Dennst.) Mabb. (Dipterocarpaceae), large tree at Aakulam

hills, Thiruvananthapuram; November 2009.

25. Arhopala amantes amantes: Hopea ponga

(Dennst.) Mabb. (Dipterocarpaceae), large tree at Aakulam

hills, Thiruvananthapuram; November 2009.

26. Rathinda amor: Calophyllum inophyllum

L. (Clusiaceae), Hopea ponga (Dennst.) Mabb.,

(Dipterocarpaceae), Aakulam lake; April 2006.

27. Zesius chrysomallus: Cassia fistula L. (Fabaceae),

medium-sized tree in Thiruvananthapuram; November 2009.

28. Deudorix epijarbas epijarbas: Harpullia arborea

Radlk. (Sapindaceae), Achankovil Reserve Forest; February

2010.

£22

29. Arhopala alea: Syzygium heyneanum Wall.

(Myrtaceae), small trees found gregariously along water

course at Aaralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kannur; January 2012.

Family Hesperiidae

30. Hasora taminatus taminatus: Derris spp. (Fabaceae),

Ponmudi hills, Thiruvananthapuram; October 2007.

31. Burara gomata: Schefflera venulosa (Wight &

Arn.) Harms and Schefflera wallichiana (Wight & Arn.)

Harms (Araliaceae), medium-sized trees in sholas and

riparian regions, Ponmudi hills, Thiruvananthapuram;

Aaralam Wildlife Sanctuary; and Kalakkad-Mundanthurai

Tiger Reserve; 2011 and 2012. The larvae also feed on

cultivated garden varieties of the plant.

32. Choaspes benjaminii benjaminii: Meliosma

pinnata (Roxb.) Maxim., Meliosma arnottiana (Wight.) Walp.

(Sabiaceae), Thirunelli reserve forests Wayanad, October 2009;

Meliosma pinnata (Roxb.) Maxim., Meliosma simplicifolia

Walp. (Sabiaceae), Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, June—July

2010; and Meliosma pinnata (Roxb.) Maxim. (Sabiaceae),

Mangaladevi, Periyar Tiger Reserve, September 2011.

33. Celaenorrhinus leucocera: Strobilanthes ciliatus

Nees, and Strobilanthes luridus Wight. (Acanthaceae), Kallar

valley, Thiruvananthapuram; June—July 2002.

34. Celaenorrhinus ambareesa: Strobilanthes ciliatus

Nees (Acanthaceae), Pampa valley, Periyar Tiger Reserve;

June—July 2002.

35. Celaenorrhinus ruficornis fusca: Strobilanthes

asperrimus Nees (Acanthaceae), Ponmudi hills,

Thiruvananthapuram; October-November 2002.

36. Coladenia indrani indra: Bridelia retusa (L.)

A. Juss. (Euphorbiaceae), Thespesia populnea (Malvaceae),

medium-sized trees in suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram;

June—October 2009.

37. Caprna ransonnetti potiphera: Urena lobata

L. (Malvaceae), Kallar valley, Chatancode valley,

Thiruvananthapuram; June, 2004.

38. Aeromachus pygmaeus: Cyrtococcum trigonum

(Retz.) A. Camus, Stenotaphrum dimidiatum (L.)

Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) O. Ktze. (Poaceae); small

grasses at Aakulam lake, Thiruvananthapuram; July 2006.

39. Aeromachus dubius dubius: Cyrtococcum

trigonum (Retz.) A. Camus (Poaceae), small grass at Munnar,

Idukky district; October 2009.

40. Ampittia dioscorides dioscorides: Leersia

hexandra Swartz (Poaceae), small grass at Aakulam Lake,

Thiruvananthapuram; October 2004.

41. Halpe homolea hindu: Ochlandra scriptoria

(Dennst.) Fisch. (Poaceae), Kottiyoor Reserve Forests;

October 2009.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

42. Sovia hyrtacus: Ochlandra scriptoria (Dennst.)

Fisch. (Poaceae), Kotttyoor Reserve Forests; June—July 2009.

43. Thoressa astigmata: Ochlandra travancorica

Benth. (Poaceae), Kallar valley, Thiruvananthapuram;

October 2006 and November 2010.

44. lambrix salsala luteipennis: Bambusa wamin

Camus (Poaceae), a medium bamboo cultivated in gardens

of residential areas in Thiruvananthapuram; December 2004.

45. Notocrypta paralysos alysia: Curcuma ecalcarata

Sivaranjan & Indu Balachandran (Zingiberaceae), Shendurney

Wildlife Sanctuary, Thiruvananthapuram; June—July 2008.

46. Notocrypta curvifascia curvifascia: Curcuma

ecalcarata Sivaranjan & Indu Balachandran (Zingiberaceae),

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Thiruvananthapuram; June—

July 2008.

47. Salanoemia sala: Calamus thwaitesii Becc.,

Calamus hookerianus Becc. (Arecaceae), Kallar valley

Thiruvananthapuram; June—July 2006.

48. Udaspes folus: Alpinia calcarata Rosc., Curcuma

ecalcarata Sivaranjan & Indu Balachandran (Zingiberaceae),

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Thiruvananthapuram; June—

July 2008.

49. Suastus minuta bipunctus: Calamus travancoricus

Bedd. ex Hook.f. (Arecaceae), Shendurney Wildlife

Sanctuary; October-November 2009-2011. Calamus

brandisii Becc. (Arecaceae), Athirumala, Agasthyakoodam

Biological Park; October-November 2006.

50. Baracus vittatus: Imperata cylindrica (L.)

P. Beauv. (Poaceae), gregarious grass at Ponmudi hills,

Thiruvananthapuram; June—July 2006.

51. Hyarotis adrastus praba: Calamus hookerianus

Becc. Kallar valley, Thiruvananthapuram, 2006; Calamus

rotang L., (Arecaceae), Aakulam lake, Thiruvananthapuram,

October-November 2004.

52. Quedara basiflava: Calamus hookerianus Becc.

(Arecaceae) Kallar valley, Thiruvananthapuram, July 2003.

Also fed on Calamus rotang L., (Arecaceae), from Aakulam

lake, Thiruvananthapuram, August 2004; in captivity.

53. Matapa aria: Ochlandra travancorica Benth.

(Poaceae), Kallar valley and Shendurney; June 2005-—

2009. Ochlandra scriptoria (Dennst.) Fisch. (Poaceae),

Chenganoor, Aalapuzha, July 2003.

54. Taractrocera ceramas: ceramas: Axonopus

compressus (Swartz.) P. Beauv., Oplismenus compositus

(L.) P. Beauv. Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv.,

Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. (Poaceae), at Ponmudi hills,

Thiruvananthapuram; October 2006.

55. Oriens goloides: Oplismenus compositus (L.)

P. Beauv., Axonopus compressus (Swartz.) Beauv. (Poaceae),

suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram; June 2005.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

56. Telicota colon colon: Phragmites karka (Retz.)

Trin. ex Steud. (Poaceae), large gregarious reeds at water

edges of Aakulam lake, Thiruvananthapuram; June—July

2005-2011.

57. Parnara bada: Brachiaria mutica Stapf (Poaceae),

gregarious tall grass at edges of water and in marshes, at

Aakulam, Thiruvananthapuram; November 2009.

58. Borbo cinnara: Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. ex

Steud. (Poaceae), large reed usually seen in clumps along

waterways and marshes about the lake; October 2005.

Stenotaphrum dimidiatum (L.) Brongn., Stenotaphrum

secundatum (Walter) O. Kuntze, (Poaceae), grass at edges

of water and in marshes, at Aakulam, Thiruvananthapuram;

October 2009.

59. Pelopidas agna agna: Axonopus compressus

(Swartz.) Beauv. (Poaceae), small to medium-sized grass,

Ponmudi; October 2005.

60. Pelopidas mathias mathias: Axonopus

compressus (Swartz.) Beauv., Brachiaria miliiformis (Presl.)

A. Chase, Brachiaria mutica Stapf (Poaceae), Aakulam,

Thiruvananthapuram; June 2004. This has been recorded at

Taiwan earlier by Robinson ef al. (2001).

61. Polytremis lubricans lubricans: I[mperata

cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv., Miscanthus sinensis Anderss.

and Brachiaria mutica Stapf (Poaceae), gregarious tall

grasses at edges of water and in marshes, at Aakulam,

Thiruvananthapuram; March—April 2006.

62. Caltoris kumara kumara: Bambusa striata

Lodd. ex Lindl. (Poaceae), Aakulam, Thiruvananthapuram

2001. Ochlandra travancorica Benth. (Poaceae),

Thiruvananthapuram; November 2000. Ochlandra

scriptoria (Dennst.) Fisch. (Poaceae), Chengannur, Alappuzha,

October 2003; Pampa valley in Periyar Tiger Reserve,

December 2004.

63. Caltoris canaraica: Bambusa striata Lodd.ex

Lindl., Bambusa arundinacea Retz. (Poaceae), Thirunelli

Reserve forests, Wayanad; October 2009. Pseudoxytenanthera

monadelpha (Thw.) Soderstr. & R.P. Ellis. (Poaceae), Periyar

Tiger Reserve; September 2011.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are thankful to Krushnamegh Kunte who patiently

went through the manuscript and checked out the host plant

list with the latest available data in this field. We would like to

thank Prof. Ravi M., Retd Professor of Botany, S.N. College,

Kollam, and Prof. Joemy Augustine, Department of Botany,

St Thomas College, Palai, for their help in identifying the

plants. Special thanks to Prof. E. Kunhikrishnan, Department

of Zoology, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram,

113

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

for his comments on an earlier draft; Dr. M. Jafer Palot,

Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode, and Balakrishnan,

V.C. for their help with the references from Floras. We

are grateful to Jyothy Vijayan, Greeshma S., and members

of Travancore Natural History Society (TNHS), and our parents

for their encouragement and help during larval rearing.

REFERENCES

Batter, E. & W.S. MiLLarp (1997): Some Beautiful Indian Trees.

Bombay Natural History Society, Oxford University Press,

2nd edn. 165 pp., xxi colour plates.

BELL, T.R. (1909-1927): The common butterflies of the plains of India

(including those met with in the hill stations of the Bombay

Presidency). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 19(1)—31(4).

GAMBLE, J.S. (1967): The Flora of the Presidency of Madras. Botanical

Survey of India. 1,389 pp.

KaAcesH, S. & S.K. PrAkasu (2007): Additions to larval hostplants

of butterflies of the Western Ghats, Kerala, southern India

(Rhopalocera, Lepidoptera): Part 1. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.

104(2): 235-238.

Kunte, K. (2000): Butterflies of Peninsular India (India: A Lifescape,

Fascicle 1. Series Editor, Madhav Gadgil), Universities Press,

Hyderabad and Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore. 254 pp.

Kunte, K. (2006): Additions to known larval host plants of Indian

butterflies. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 103(1): 119.

Larsen, T. (1987-1988): The butterflies of the Nilgiri mountains of

southern India (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera). J. Bombay Nat. Hist.

Soc. 84(1): 26-54; (2): 291-316; (3): 560-584. 85(1): 26-43.

Nayar. T.S., A. RASYIA BEEGAM, N. MOHANAN & G. RAJKUMAR (2006):

Flowering Plants of Kerala — A Handbook. Tropical Botanic

Garden and Research Institute, Trivandrum, Kerala. 1069 pp.

Ramarao, M. (1914): Flowering Plants of Travancore. International

Book Distributors. 495 pp.

Ravi, N. & N. MoHANAN (2004): Common Tropical & Subtropical Sedges

and Grasses — An Illustrated Account. Oxford & IBH. 220 pp.

RENUuKA, C. (2000): Field identification key for Rattans of Kerala. Kerala

Forest Research Institute & Kerala Forest Department. 33 pp.

RosInson, G.S:, P.R. Ackery, I.J. KitcHinc, G.W. BECCALONI &

L.M. HerNANDEz (2001): Hostplants of the Moth and Butterfly

Caterpillars of the Oriental Region. The Natural History Museum,

London. 744 pp.

SEETHALAKSHMI, K.K. & M.S. MUKTESH Kumar (1998): Bamboos of India:

a Compendium. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala

and International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing. 342 pp.

SEVASTOPULO, D.G. (1973): The foodplants of Indian Rhopalocera.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 70(1): 156-83.

SIVARAJAN, V.V. & P. MATHEW (1997): Flora of Nilambur (Western Ghats,

Kerala). Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun. 900 pp.

SUBRAMANIAN, K.N. (1995): Flora of Thenmala (& its Environs).

International Book Distributors, New Delhi. 516 pp.

Wynter-Biytu, M.A. (1957): Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay

Natural History Society, Bombay. 523 pp.

20. FIRST RECORD OF STILIGER SMARAGDINUS BABA, 1949 (MOLLUSCA:

SACOGLOSSA: LIMAPONTHIDAE) FROM INDIA

Apte, D.A.!?*, R.D. KAMBOs? AND VISHAL BHAVE!*

y) y)

'Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra, India.

Office of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Marine National Park, Jamnagar 361 001, Gujarat, India. Email: [email protected]

3Emil: [email protected], [email protected]

‘Email: [email protected], [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104949

Introduction

Evolution in the Sacoglossa is closely linked to their

specialized suctorial herbivorous habit. All known shelled

sacoglossans feed on algae of genus Caulerpa (Jensen 1997a).

Stiliger smaragdinus Baba, 1949 is a known associate of

Caulerpa racemosa (Baumgartner et al. 2009). Like many

algal-feeding sacoglossans, S. smaragdinus 1s highly cryptic

and almost invisible on its algal food due to the green

pigments from C. racemosa that are retained in its digestive

system, and help to camouflage it. Thus, little is known about

the species due to its cryptic nature.

Stiliger smaragdinus shows wide though discontinuous

latitudinal distribution along the west Pacific from Japan to

Australia (Jensen 2006). There are only a few records of this

species: Japan (Ichikawa 1993), western Australia (Jensen

1993), Hawaii (http://seaslugsofhawaii.com/species/Stiliger

114

smaragdinus-a.html, 1994), northern Australia (Jensen

1997b), eastern and southern Australia (Burn 2006; Vafiadis

1999), Mariana Islands (Carlson and Hoff 2003), Tanzania to

New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, and the

Philippines (Gosliner et al. 2008), and Singapore (Jensen 2009).

The present study was carried out at Poshitra

2225! DAGON: 9°12! 32.77 EB) and Narara’(22°" 28:

46.33" N; 69° 43' 9.91” E) in the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat,

and Okha (69° 43’ 9.91" N; 69° 4'41.67” E) and Dwarka (22°

14’ 22.07" N; 68° 57' 21.06” E) in the Arabian Sea, Gujarat

(Fig. 1). Poshitra and Narara form an important part of Marine

National Park and Sanctuary. The foreshore at Poshitra and

Narara is dominated by patchy coral reef and rocky shore

with abundant algal growth, while the backshore is dominated

by mudflats and mangroves. Okha and Dwarka, on the other

hand, are mainly rocky shores.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

@ Narara

| @ Poshitra

| @ Dwarka

Water

()Landmass

Fig. 2: Stiliger smaragdinus from Poshitra, Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat

LS 2 alt pg

Py aN

Colour of all specimens dark to light green. Cerata

numerous, bubble-like, with pointed white tips. Both colour

and bladder-shaped cerata perfectly match the host algae

C. racemosa on which it was found almost exclusively.

Cerata are autotomized when disturbed or while preserving.

Rhinophores are rolled or folded, tips of the rhinophores

white and blunt, which is diagnostic (Fig. 2). Pharynx and

radula description match the one given by Jensen (1993).

Pharynx large with finely striated dorsal septate muscle

(Fig. 3). Radular teeth blade-shaped and denticulate

Fig. 1: Map showing area of study

Material and Methods

Opisthobranchs were collected manually in the inter-

tidal region of Poshitra, Gulf of Kachchh, in Gujarat. Out of

four specimens found during the survey, three were collected

and deposited in the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)

opisthobranch collection (BNHS-OPISTHO-972). One

specimen (35 mm) was preserved in 4% Formaldehyde and

the other two (15 mm and 37 mm) were preserved in 95%

Ethanol. The fourth specimen (15 mm) was released back in

its original habitat. Necessary permissions for the collection of

Specimens were procured from Marine National Park authority.

Description

SYSTEMATICS

Order: Sacoglossa Ihering, 1876

Family: Limapontiidae Gray, 1847

Genus: Stiliger Ehrenberg, 1831

Stiliger smaragdinus Baba, 1949 (Figs 2-4)

Synonyms

Hermaeina smaragdina Baba and Hamatani, 1970

Aplysiopsis smaragdinus Burn, 1972 Fig. 3: Pharynx (sm = dorsal septate muscle; am = longitudinal

Ercolanias maragdina, Ichikawa, 1993 ascus muscle; 1 = pharyngeal lips; bg = buccal gland)

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015 £15

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Table 1: Checklist of previously recorded species of family Limapontiidae from India

Sr. No. Scientific Name

Recorded by

Distribution

1 Costasiella cf. kuroshimae Ichikawa, 1993

Costasiella paweli |chikawa, 1993

Ercolania gopalai (Rao, 1937)

Ercolania varians (Eliot, 1904)

Stiliger irregularis Eliot, 1904

Stiliger nigrovittatus Rao & Rao, 1963

=~] tee = 4Cyl eOOe) IND

Ercolania pica (Annandale & Prashad, 1922)

Bhave and Apte 2011

Sreeraj et al. 2012

Rao 1937; Sundaram et a/. 1969

Sundaram et a/. 1969

Sundaram et al. 1969

Rao and Rao 1963

Sewell and Annandale, 1922

Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Mandapam (Palk Bay)

Mandapam (Gulf of Mannar)

Chilka Lake

Fig. 4: Radular teeth of S. smaragdinus

(Fig. 4); ascending limb of radula with 5—6 teeth, descending

limb with 21 teeth, bent over posteriorly in a 35 mm slug.

Discussion

The opisthobranch fauna of Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat,

India, is presently being studied comprehensively under

AICOPTAX-Mollusca and other research programmes (Apte

2013; Apte et al.2010; Bhave and Apte 2013; Carmona et

al. 2014; Parasharya and Patel 2014; Parasharya et al. 2014;

Prasade et al. 2013, 2015; Subburaman et al. 2013).

The sacoglossan fauna of India is little studied and

at present 41 species from 7 families have been reported.

Of these, Family Limapontiidae is represented by 7 species

(Table 1). Genus Stiliger is represented by two species from

India namely Stiliger irregularis and S. nigrovittatus, reported

from Gulf of Mannar. Both these species, however, have never

been reported after the initial description. Marcus and Marcus

(1956) provided a summary of 25 species of Stiliger found

worldwide. However, only 12 species are currently considered

valid (Bouchet and Gofas 2015). The present record adds one

more species of genus Stiliger to Indian waters and extends

the range of S. smaragdinus to India, far westwards from its

present distribution. The nearest location from where it has been

reported is Singapore. Though the reasons of its occurrence

cannot be stated clearly, it may likely be an introduction through

ballast, considering the large scale commercial shipping in the

Gulf of Kachchh region, as well as the abundance of Caulerpa

racemosa which is its host food plant.

Continued work on the opisthobranch fauna in India

can further our understanding on these magnificent denizens

of the oceans.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This note is part of the All India Coordinated Project

on Taxonomy (AICOPTAX)-Mollusca. We are grateful to

the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

(MoEF&CC) for providing funds through AICOPTAX

Mollusca. We thank Pooja, Amruta, Rajesh, Shivbhadra,

Vishwas, and Rajendra for assistance in the fieldwork. We

are also thankful to the authorities of Marine National Park

and Sanctuary for necessary permissions and assistance We

acknowledge the valuable suggestions of anonymous referees.

116

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

REFERENCES

Arte, D.A. (2013): A first record of the benthic form of Stylocheilus

longicauda (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) (Anaspidea: Aplysiidae)

from Gujarat and Maharashtra along the mainland west coast of

India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(17): 5299-5300.

Arte, D.A., V.J. BHAVE & D. PARASHARYA (2010): An annotated and

illustrated checklist of the Opisthobranch fauna of Gulf of

Kachchh, Gujarat, India with 20 new records for Gujarat and

14 new records for India. Part 1. Journal of the Bombay Natural

History Society 107(1): 14-23.

Basa, K. (1949): Opisthobranchia of Sagami Bay. Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo.

Basa, K. & I. HAmatAni (1970): Occurrences of specimens presumably

identifiable with Stiliger ornatus Ehrenberg, 1831, at Seto, Kil,

middle Japan (Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa). Publication of Seto

Marine Biological Laboratory 18(3): 199-206.

BAUMGARTNER, F.A., C.A. Motti, Rocky DEPAUL Nys & A. NICHOLAS

(2009): Feeding preferences and host association of specialist

marine herbivores align with quantitative variation in seaweed

secondary metabolites. Marine Ecology Progress Series 396: 1-12.

BuaveE, V.J. & D.A. ApTE (2013): Chapter 5 — Current

Status of Indian Opisthobranch Fauna. Pp. 63-79. Jn: Venkataraman,

K., C.Sivaperuman, C. Raghunathan (Eds): Ecology and

Conservation of Tropical Marine Faunal Communities. Springer

Verlag, Berlin & Heidelberg.

Boucuet, P. & S. Goras (2015): Stiliger. In: MolluscaBase (2015):

Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://

www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138525 on

February 17, 2016.

Burn, R. (1972): A guide to the Ascoglossa or sap-sucking sea slugs of

Australia. Australian Natural History 17(5): 174-178.

Burn, R. (2006): A checklist and bibliography of the Opisthobranchia

(Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Victoria and the Bass Strait area,

southeastern Australia. Museum Victoria Science Reports 10: 1-42.

Carson, C. & P.J. Horr (2003): The opisthobranchs of the Mariana

Islands. Micronesia 35—36: 271-293.

Carmona, L., V. BHAVE, R. SALUNKHE, M. PoLa, T.M. GOSsLINER &

J.L. Cervera (2014): Systematic review of Anteaeolidiella

(Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Aeolidiidae) based on morphological

and molecular data, with a description of three new species.

Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society 171(1): 108-132.

doi: 10.1111/20j.12129. 132 der TO, TIT 204. 2529.

GosLINer, T.M., D.W. BEHRENS & A. VALDES (2008): Indo-Pacific

nudibranchs and sea slugs: a field guide to the world’s most diverse

fauna. Sea Challengers & California Academy of Sciences, San

Francisco, CA. 426 pp.

Icutkawa, M. (1993): Saccoglossa (Opisthobranchia) from the Ryukyu

Islands. Publication of Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 36(3/4):

119-139.

JENSEN, K.R. (1993): Sacoglossa (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) from

Rottnest Island and central Western Australia. Pp. 207-253.

In: Wells, F.E., D.I. Walker, H. Kirkman, and R. Lethbridge

(Eds): Proceedings of the Fifth International Marine Biological

Workshop: The Marine Flora and Fauna of Rottnest Island, Western

Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth, 1.

JENSEN, K.R. (1997a): Evolution of the Sacoglossa (Mollusca,

Opisthobranchia) and the ecological associations with their food

plants. Evolutionary Ecology 11: 301-335.

JENSEN, K.R. (1997b): Sacoglossa (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia)

from the Darwin Harbour area, Northern Territory, Australia.

Pp. 163-186. In: Hanley, J.R., G. Caswell, D. Megirian and

H.K. Larson (Eds): Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine

Biological Workshop: The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin,

Northern Territory, Australia. Museums and Art Galleries of the

Northern Territory and the Australian Marine Sciences Association,

Darwin, Australia.

JENSEN, K.R. (2006): Biogeography of the Sacoglossa (Mollusca,

Opisthobranchia). Paper presented to the 2nd International

Workshop on Opisthobranchia, ZFMK, Bonn, Germany,

September 20th to 22nd, 2006. Bonner zoologische Beitrage Band

55, Heft 3/4, Seiten. Pp. 255-281.

JENSEN, K.R. (2009): Sacoglossa (Mollusca: Gastropoda:

Opisthobranchia) from Singapore. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology

Supplement 22: 207-223.

Marcus, EveELINE & Marcus Ernst (1956): On two Sacoglossan slugs

from Brazil. American Museum Novitates. Published by the

American Museum of Natural History, New York, No. 1796,

Pp. 1-21.

PARASHARYA, D. & B. PateL (2014): Spawning aggregation of Melibe

viridis (Kelaart, 1858) from Gulf of Kachchh — Western India.

International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications

4(3): 1-5.

PaRASHARYA, D., B. Pate, & H. SAtvi (2014): Further records to the

opisthobranch fauna of India. Cibtech Journal of Zoology 3(1):

19-26.

PrasApbg, A., V. BHAvE, B. Pare, & D.A. Apts (2013): First record of

Thordisa villosa (Opisthobranchia: Nudibranchia: Discodorididae)

from the west coast of India. Marine Biodiversity Records 6: e32.

doi:10.1017/S1755267213000134.

PRASADE, A., B. PaTeL, R. SALUNKHE, V. BHAVE & D.A. ApTE (2015):

A first record of Taringa caudata (Farran, 1905) (Nudibranchia:

Discodorididae) from India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 7(10):

7706-7709. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.04291.7706-9

SEWELL, R.B. & N. ANNANDALE (1922): Fauna of Chilka Lake: The

hydrography and invertebrate fauna of Rhambha Bay in an

abnormal year—Stiliger pica Annandale & Prashad, sp. nov.

Memoirs of the Indian Museum 5: 700-702.

SUBBURAMAN, S., D. ADHAVAN, S. GOWTHAM, DHIRESH JOSHI &

R.D. Kamsos (2013): Checklist of Opisthobranch fauna at Mithapur

reef, Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat. Asian Journal of Marine Science

1(1): 39-42.

SUNDARAM, K.S., R. SARVESAN, K.H. MoHAmMeD & S.L. SHANBHOGUE

(1969): Catalogue of molluscs, prawns, stomatopods and marine

algae in the reference collections of the Central Marine Fisheries

Research Institute. Bull. Cent. Mar. Fish. Res. Inst. 9: 1-23.

VariADIsS, P. (1999): Intertidal sighting of Stiliger smaragdinus

Baba, 1949 — an uncommon mollusc. Victorian Naturalist

116(4): 118.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

117

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

21. SYNCHRONOUS SPAWNING OF THE SEA CUCUMBER HOLOTHURIA (LESSONOTHURIA)

PARDALIS SELENKA, 1867 IN THE ANDAMAN ARCHIPELAGO, INDIA

VARDHAN PATANKAR!*?

‘Current Affiliation: National Centre for Biological Sciences, GK VK Campus, Bengaluru 560 065, Karnataka, India.

Email: [email protected]

Current Affiliation: Centre for Wildlife Studies, 1669, 31st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bengaluru 560 070,

Karnataka, India.

3Oceans and Coasts Program, Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4" Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore 570 002, Karnataka, India.

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104950

Holothurians (sea cucumbers) are known to broadcast-

spawn thousands of gametes and produce large numbers of

zygotes in order to achieve high fertilization success (Simon

and Levitan 2011). The timing of these events is related to

multiple factors: phase of the moon, temperature, salinity,

tidal pressure changes, and nutrient/food availability (Morgan

et al, 2011).

During a four-week expedition to North Andaman,

we observed widespread synchronous spawning of the sea

cucumber Holothuria (Lessonothuria) pardalis Selenka,

1867, on February 19, 2013, the fourth day after full moon,

between 9:00 hrs and 10:00 hrs, at South Reef Island in

Middle Andaman, India (12° 46’ 42.75" N; 92° 39' 15.25" E).

More than 100 individuals released gametes into the water

column in short repeated bursts, creating a distinct cloud on

the reefs between the depths of 12 and 20 m (Fig. 1).

In India, information on sea cucumbers 1s limited

to taxonomic descriptions and commercial importance of

different species. They are protected under the Schedule I

of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. However, they

are heavily exploited due to high demand for Béche-de-mer

from Southeast Asian countries (Advani et al. 2013). Though

they are known for broadcast spawning, there is no record

of a sea cucumber spawning event from Indian waters.

This observation represents the first record of spawning in

sea cucumber Holothuria (Lessonothuria) paradalis, and

contributes to our understanding of reproductive patterns of

the species. More information is needed about the spawning

Fig. 1: Clouds of gametes being released by the Sea Cucumber

Holothuria (Lessonothuria) pardalis

time of different species, for effective protection of sea

cucumbers.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thank Elrika D’ Souza, Saw Yoayela for dive

assistance, Department of Environment and Forests, Port

Blair, for the research permits and all at Andaman and

Nicobar Islands’ Environmental Team (ANET) and Nature

Conservation Foundation (NCF) for their help and support.

REFERENCES

ADVANI, S., A. SRIDHAR, N. NAMBOOTHRI, M. CHANDI & M.A. OOMMEN

(2013): Emergence and transformation of marine fisheries in the

Andaman Islands. Report submitted to Dakshin Foundation and

ANET.

Moreau, S.G., J.W. Waite, S.T. McAFEE, S.D. GAINES & R.D. SCHMITT

118

(2011): Weak synchrony in the timing of larval release in upwelling

regimes. Marine Ecology Progress Series 425: 103-112.

Simon, T.N. & D.R. Levitan (2011): Measuring fertilization success

of broadcast-spawning marine invertebrates within seagrass

meadows. The Biological Bulletin 220(1): 32-38.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

22. SCLERIA MULTILACUNOSA T. KOYAMA AND S. RUGOSA R. BR. (CYPERACEAE):

ADDITIONS TO THE FLORA OF KARNATAKA, INDIA

A.N. CHANDORE!*, N.V. MALPURE” AND S.R. YADAV?

'Department of Botany, Abasaheb Marathe Arts and New Commerce, Science College, Rajapur 416 702, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra,

India. Email: [email protected]

*Department of Botany, S.S.G.M. College, Kopergaon 423 601, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. Email: [email protected]

’Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004, Maharashtra, India. Email: [email protected]

* Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104951

Introduction

The genus Scleria Berg. is represented by about 200

species, some extending to subtropical and warm temperate

regions (Prasad and Singh 2002). Many species of the genus

Scleria are widely distributed in Asia, Australia, and also in

Africa. In India, about 50 taxa are known, of which 27 taxa

(23 species and 4 varieties) are reported from peninsular

India, Andamans, and the rest of Maharashtra (Wadoodkhan

et al. 2007). About 11 species and one variety are reported

from Karnataka state (Prasad and Singh 2002).

During our floristic survey in Karnataka (2005—2010),

we collected some specimens of Scleria Berg. from Belgaum

and Karwar districts of Karnataka. After literature survey

(Karthikeyan et al. 1989; Koyama 1985; Wadoodkhan

2015; Wadoodkhan et al. 2003, 2007) and critical analysis

of specimens, the identity of the species was confirmed

as Scleria multilacunosa T. Koyama and S. rugosa R.Br.

A systematic scrutiny of literature (Prasad and Singh 2002;

Sharma et al. 1984) revealed that these species have so far

not been recorded from Karnataka state. Hence, they are

reported here as new records for Karnataka. The voucher

specimens of both the species are deposited in the

Herbarium of the Botany Department, Shivaji University,

Kolhapur (SUK).

Scleria Berg.

1) Scleria multilacunosa T. Koyama in Bull. Nat. Sci.

Mus. 17(1): 71 f. 3: 1974; Koyama in Dassan. & Fosb. Rev.

Hand. Fl. Ceylon 5: 361. 1985; W. Khan in J. Econ. Taxon.

Bot. 27 (Suppl.) 1222. 2003; W. Khan in J. Econ. Taxon.

Bot. 31 (3): 606. 2007. W. Khan in Cyperaceae WG, WC &

Mahar. 361. 2015. Pl. XV. 80-81 & Pl. XVI. 82.

Tufted annual herbs with purplish fibrous roots. Culms

25-70 cm tall, 1.2—2.0 mm thick, sharply triquetrous, glabrous,

smooth or weakly scabrid on angles, remotely 3 or 4 nodose.

Basal sheaths 1-4 cm long, herbaceous or membranous,

sharply triquetrous without wings, pale green and stained

with purple. Leaves shorter than culm; blade linear, 15—

30 cm long, 3—6 mm wide, flattened, tricostate, herbaceous,

fresh green, glabrous, scabrous on margins, gradually

tapering to acute apex; sheath 3—7 cm long, glabrous,

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

greenish, sharply triquetrous, the angle scabrous, often

narrowly winged; contraligule rounded-truncate, 0.4—

0.7 mm long, ciliate with short rusty-brown hairs. Inflorescence

with 2 to 4 partial panicles, the lowest one at a distance from

the rest and on a long-exserted peduncle, the rest contiguous

at the culm apex; partial panicles subspiciform, 1.0—2.5 cm

long, 0.8—1.5 cm broad, the branches short, flattened with

narrowly winged edges, bearing 3 to 5 pistillate spikelets

and 1 to 3 staminate spikelets, those intermingle. Lowest

leafy bract sheathed for 2 to 3 cm, blade 10—15 cm long, not

surpassing the culm; other bract not sheathed, the blade of the

second bract 3—6 cm long, longer than its subtending partial

panicle, ciliate at base, third and fourth bracts much shorter;

bracteoles setaceous. Staminate spikelets 3-4 mm long,

lanceolate, short-peduncle. Pistillate spikelets 34.5 mm long,

obdeltoid; glumes usually 3, ovate to lanceolate, 3.8-4.3 mm

long, 1.2—2.3 mm wide, acuminate at apex, membranous, pale

green and stained straw-brown, boat-shaped with prominent

green keel ending in a straight cusp at apex. Nut globose, 2—

3 mm long, 1.5—2.2 mm across, rounded at mucronate apex,

the white-ceramic surface irregularly lacunose with many

shallow depressions of varying shape and size; style 1 mm

long, filiform; stigma 3, about 1 mm long. Disk 0.5—0.7 mm

wide, deeply 3-lobed; lobes obovate-oblong, 0.8 mm long,

0.5 mm wide, subcoriaceous, yellowish, suddenly contracted

at cuspidate apex.

Flowering & Fruiting: September—December.

Habitat: This species is found in wet grassland on

the margins of bunds, wasteland, fields, margins of ponds

and lakes.

Specimens Examined: INDIA: Karnataka: Belgaum

district (Khanapur Tehsil, along Anmod-Nerse road),

COU. LAIN, SChandore: hha (SU) Nipant,

Coll.: A.N. Chandore 1921 (SUK); Maharashtra:

Kolhapur district, Kagal, Coll.: W. Khan 4346; Shivaji

University Campus, Coll.: W. Khan 4331; Aurangabad

district, Maihsmal, Coll.: Naik 864; Nagpur district,

Ambakhori, Coll.: W. Khan 4567.

Note: This species can easily be identified by its

irregularly shallow lacunose nut with obovate apiculate disc

lobes. Male spikelet 3—3.5 mm long; nuts 2—2.5 mm long.

119

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

2) Scleria rugosa R. Br. Prod. 240.1810; Govind. in

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 69 (1): 248. 1971; Koyama

in Dassan. & Fosb. Rev. Hand. Fl. Ceylon 5: 363. 1985;

W. Khan in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 27 (Suppl.) 1222. 2003;

W. Khan ef al. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 31 (3): 606. 2007.

W. Khan in Cyperaceae WG, WC & Mahar. 364. 2015. PI.

XVII. 87-88.

Densely tufted, annual herbs with purplish red fibrous

roots. Culms 5—25 cm tall, 1-2 mm thick, acutely three

angled, smooth, pubescent. Basal sheaths 1—5 cm long, straw

brown in colour. Leaves narrowly linear, 3-18 cm long, 1—

4mm wide, flattened, greenish brown, densely hairy, gradually

tapering to acute apex; sheath 1.5—3.5 cm long, glabrous,

pubescent, triquetrous. Inflorescence axillary and terminal with

2 to 3 small panicles, each 1—2 cm long with a few clusters

of spikelets, lateral panicles solitary or binate, more or less

exserted peduncle; peduncles relatively stout; longest leafy

bract suppressing whole inflorescence.Staminate spikelets one

with a short peduncle, 2—2.5 mm long, lanceolate. Pistillate

spikelets broadly obovate 3—4 mm long, glumes ovate, boat-

shaped, 2.5—4.1 mm long, pale green, sometimes tinged red

brown, acute tipped. Nut globular or broadly obovoid-globular,

shorter than subtending glumes, |1.2—1.8 mm long, 1—1.4 mm

broad, rounded at apiculate apex, white, glabrous, sometimes

4—6 faint brown lines on nut; style 1 mm long. Disk broad,

shallowly 3-lobed; lobes semi-orbicular, densely glandular.

Flowering & Fruiting: October-December.

Habitat: Occasionally found in wet grassland

and harvested rice fields in association with Eleocharis

atropurpurea (Retz.) J. Pres] & C. Presl, Eriocaulon

xeranthemum Martius, Rotala densiflora (Roth ex Roemer

et Schultes) Koehne.

Specimens Examined: INDIA: Karnataka: Along Kudra-

Karwar road, 20.x1.2010, Coll.: ALN. Chandore 1915 (SUK);

Maharashtra; Gondia district, Borkanhar, Coll.: W. Khan

4716, 4718, 4720, 4747.

Note: Scleria rugosa R. Br., can easily be identified

with the help of its nut bearing spikelets 3-4 mm long;

inflorescence of small axillary clusters with one terminal

cluster; disc shallowly lobed; nuts smooth; plants densely

hairy throughout.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are thankful to Dr. M.A. Wadoodkhan,

Department of Botany, Majalgaon College, Majalgaon, Beed

district, Maharashtra, for his expert comments on the species.

Dr. A.N. Chandore thanks Science and Engineering Research

Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology

(DST), New Delhi, for financial assistance (File No.:- SR

FT/LS-82/2012), under DST Fast Track Young Scientist

Scheme.

REFERENCES

KARTHIKEYAN, S., S.K. JAIN, M.P. Naver & M. SANJAPPA (1989):

Cyperaceae in Florae Indicae Enumerato: Monocotyledonae, BSI,

Kolkata. Pp. 71-73.

Koyama, T. (1985): Cyperaceae. Pp. 361—362. In: Dassanayake, M.D. &

F.R. Fosberg (Eds): A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon.

Vol. 5. Oxford & IBH, New Delhi.

PRASAD, V.P. & N.P. SINGH (2002): Sedges of Karnataka (India) (Family

Cyperaceae). JEcon. Taxon. Bot., Additional series No. 21.

Scientific Publishers (India), Jodhpur.

SHARMA, B.D., N.P. SincH, R. SUNDARARAGHAVAN & U.R. DESHPANDE

(1984): Flora of Karnataka Analysis. Botanical Survey of India,

Calcutta.

WaApboopkHaN, M.A. (2015): Cyperaceae of Western Ghats, West Coast

and Maharashtra. Dattsons Publishers, Nagpur.

WADOODKHAN, M.A., D.P. CHAVAN & S.M. BHUSKUTE (2003): Seven taxa

of Cyperaceae as new records for India and Maharashtra. J. Econ.

Taxon. Bot. 27(Suppl.): 1222.

WADOODKHAN, M.A., SuDHIR N. SOLANKHE & D.P. CHavan (2007):

Genus Scleria Berg. (Cyperaceae) in Peninsular India, Rest of

Maharashtra and Andaman. J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 27(3): 598-612.

23. ELEOCHARIS ATROPURPUREA (RETZ.) J. PRESL & C. PRESL (CYPERACEAE) —

A NEW RECORD FOR ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS AND A NOTE ON ITS IDENTITY

A.N. CHANDORE!’* M.Y. KAMBLE? AND K.V.C. Gosavr

‘Department of Botany, Abasaheb Marathe Arts and New Commerce, Science College, Rajapur 416 702, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra,

India. Email: [email protected]

*Botanical Survey of India, Southern Regional Centre, National Orchidarium and Experimental Garden, Yercaud 636 602,

Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: mayurkamble1 @rediffmail.com

*Department of Botany, HPT Arts & RYK Science College, Nashik 422 005, Maharashtra, India. Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104952

Introduction

Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retz.) J. Presl & C. Presl,

commonly called Purple Spike-rush, belongs to the family

120

Cyperaceae. Eleocharis atropurpurea is reported here for

the first time from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. The

present note provides a brief description with photographs

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

and a note for easy identification.

During a floristic survey of the Andaman & Nicobar

Islands in 2014, we collected some specimens of Eleocharis

R. Br. After examination of relevant literature and critical

analysis of nut morphology (Hooker 1893; Cook 1996;

Prasad and Singh 2002), the identity of the species

was determined as Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retz.)

J. Pres] & C. Presl. Scrutiny of the literature (Cook

1996; Pandey and Diwakar 2008; Vasudeva Rao 1986)

revealed that this species has so far not been recorded from

Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Hence, it is reported here as

a new record.

Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retz.) J. Presl & C. Presl,

Rel. Haenk. 1: 196. 1828; Clarke in Hook. f,, Fl. Brit. India

6: 627. 1894; T. Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bombay 3: 403. 1958

(Repr.); Karthik. et al., Fl. Ind. Enum. Monocot. 48. 1989;

C.D.K. Cook, Aquat. Wetl. Pl. India 127, f. 121 e-1. 1996.

Scirpus atropurpureus Retz., Obs. 5: 14. 1789.

Annual herb. Stem slender, minutely angular, 4-12 cm

long; up to 0.3 mm thick. Spikelets ovoid to oblong-ovoid 2—

5 mm long, c. 2 mm broad. Glumes membranous, rather loosely

arranged during fruiting, obtuse at apex. Perianth bristles 3—5,

smooth or barbed, persistent, c. 0.7 mm long, white, shorter

than or as long as nut. Ovary obovoid; style bifid for about

half its length. Nut biconvex, obovate, 0.3—0.7 x 0.3—0.5 mm,

chocolate brown to black when mature, with persistent minute

discoid style base and perianth bristles.

Flowering and Fruiting: September—January.

Habitat: Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retz.) J. Pres] &

C. Presl grows in harvested fields and along the margin

of ponds. It is seen in association with Eriocaulon sp.,

Fimbristylis acuminata Vahl, Fimbristylis sp., Rotala sp.,

and Xyris indica L. 7

Distribution in India: Assam, Delhi, Gujarat,

Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Karnataka,

Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,

Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and now Andaman & Nicobar

Islands.

Specimens Examined: inpiA: Andaman & Nicobar

Islands; along the roadside of Port Blair-Manglutant-

Wandoor, 11.1.2014, Coll.: A.N. Chandore 1901 (SUK);

Maharashtra; Ratnagiri district, along Pawas-Adiware road,

29.x1.2014, Coll: A.N. Chandore 1935 (SUK).

Note: Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retz.) J. Presl &

C. Presl can be easily identified by its obovate black nut and

white perianth bristles which are as long as or shorter than the

nut. Several taxonomists have wrongly identified this species

as Eleocharis geniculata (L.) Romer et Schulte in different

herbaria. The species is similar to E. geniculata but differs in

the following characters: 1) Perianth bristles white and as long

as or shorter than nut (as against perianth bristles purplish-

grey and longer than nut in E. geniculata), 2) All glumes

fertile (as against lower two glumes sterile in EL. geniculata),

3) Style base discoid (as against style base conical in

E. geniculata), 4) Spikelets fuscous brown (as against spikelets

straw coloured in FE. geniculata) and 5) Culms generally less

than 12 cm long (as against culms generally more than

12 cm long in E. geniculata).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank Dr. S.R. Yadav, Professor and Head,

Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, for

encouragement. Dr. A.N. Chandore and Dr. K.V.C. Gosavi

thank Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB),

Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi,

for financial assistance (File No.: SR/FT/LS-82/2012 &

SB/FT/LS-130/2012 respectively), under DST Fast Track

Young Scientist Scheme. Dr. M.Y. Kamble is grateful to

Dr. P. Singh, Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, and

Dr. C. Murugan, Head of Office, BSI, ANRC, Port Blair, for

facilities and support. ANC & KVCG thank the Principals of

their respective colleges for laboratory facilities.

REFERENCES

Cook, C.D.K. (1996): Aquatic and Wetland Plants of India. Oxford

University Press, London. Pp. 126-131.

Hooker, J.D. (1893): Flora of British India. Vol. 6. Bishen Singh

Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, U.P. (India). (Repr. ed. 1992).

PANDEY, R.P. & P.G. Diwakar (2008): An Integrated Check-list Flora

of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. J. Econ. Taxon. Bot.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

32(2): 403-500.

Prasap, V.P. & N.P. SincH (2002): Sedges of Karnataka (India).

(Reprinted from J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. Addl Ser. No. 21). Scientific

Publishers, Jodhpur. Pp. 148-150.

VASUDEVA RAO, M.K. (1986): A preliminary report on the angiosperms of

Andaman and Nicobar Islands. J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 8(1): 107-184.

121

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

24. EFFECTIVE MODE OF POLLINATION IN RESPECT OF REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS

OF JATROPHA CURCAS L.

KANAK SAHAt**® AND K.K. Rawat!

'Seed Biology Laboratory, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow 226 001, Uttar Pradesh, India.

"Email: [email protected]

7Email: [email protected]

*Corresponding author

doi: 10.17087/jbnhs/2015/v112i2/104953

Introduction

Jatropha curcas L. is a perennial shrub or small tree

of family Euphorbiaceae, first described by the Swedish

botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753 (Kumar and Sharma 2008)

It originated from South America, probably near Mexico,

was introduced into Africa-Asia by Portuguese traders in the

16th century and later naturalized throughout the tropical,

subtropical to temperate regions of the world, especially

Africa and Asia (Ganesh Ram et al. 2008; Heller 1996;

Sujatha and Prabakaran 1997; Openshaw 2000). In India,

J. curcas 1s adapted to a wide range of climate and soils and

is found in almost all the states. Since it is a drought-resistant

oil yielding crop, it has drawn attention as a sustainable

biofuel source for marginal degraded arid and semiarid

areas (Francis et al. 2005; Jones and Miller 1992; Martin

and Mayeux 1985). Though the mature seeds of J. curcas

usually contain 25—40% crude oil to prepare biodiesel (Heller

1996), the low production per plant due to lack of sufficient

fruit set (Fairless 2007) is a problem. Though some work on

pollination ecology and breeding system of Jatropha curcas

has been done, literature on effective mode of pollination

is still meagre (Abdelgadir et al. 2009; Bhattacharya et al.

2005; Diwakar et al. 2010; Dhillon et al. 2006; Kaur et al.

2011; Solomon Raju and Ezradanam 2002; Yang et al. 2007).

Pollination is a significant requirement of any crop plant

for effective fruit and seed production, and its quality and

quantity are useful in formulating strategies to enhance yield.

Therefore, different pollination experiments were carried out

in the present study on Jatropha curcas to deduce successful

pollination mechanism.

Material and Methods

Study site

The experiments were carried out on 8-10 year old

plants, which were raised at the CSIR-National Botanical

Research Institute (26° 50’ N, 80° 54’ E; 123 m above

msl), Lucknow, India, from seeds collected from diverse

geographical regions of India.

Pollination experiments

To determine an effective pollination system and the

122

pollinator’s role in J. curcas, four pollination experiments

were carried out in the field. For each of these four

treatments, 50 randomly selected inflorescences from each

of 10 randomly selected plants with sufficient male and

female flower buds were taken, tagged, and subjected to the

following pollination treatments:

Exclusion of all types of insects

Male and female flower buds were identified, counted

in each inflorescence, and covered with muslin cloth bags

and sealed to exclude pollinators/insects. Only wind and

dust could enter.

Exclusion of large insects only |

After identification and counting of male and female

floral buds, each inflorescence was bagged with net cloth to

exclude large insects only.

Manual pollination with the pollen of same inflorescence

After identification and counting of male and female

floral buds, each inflorescence was bagged. Every bagged

inflorescence was periodically opened and checked for

opening of male and female flowers, and if so, pollen of

freshly dehisced male flowers was transferred to the receptive

stigmas with a fine brush and the inflorescence was rebagged.

Stigma receptivity was confirmed at anthesis by the Benzidine

test (Galen et al. 1985).

Open pollination exposed to all types of insects

After identification and counting of male and female

floral buds, the inflorescences were tagged and exposed to

all types of insects.

All the experiments were conducted from pre-anthesis

to fruit initiation. Bags were removed when flowers withered

and fruits initiated. The number of fruit sets was counted

against the number of female flowers and the mean of the

results was represented in percent as reproductive success

for each pollination treatment.

Results and Discussion

Bagging with muslin cloth checked pollen transfer by

small insects and honey bees. However, out of an average

of 74.09 female flowers, none resulted in fruit, which

determined pollination failure in the absence of any insect

pollen vector (Table 1). Owing to large and sticky pollen

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Table 1: Experiments conducted to deduce successful pollination system in Jatropha curcas

(average data based on 50 inflorescences for each experiment)

Sl. Type of pollination experiment Avg. no. of male Avg. no. of Avg. no. of Avg. no. of fruit Avg. Reproductive

No. flowers per female flowers female: male per _ initiated per success % per

inflorescence per inflorescence _ inflorescence inflorescence inflorescence

1 Exclusion of all types of insects 74.094+24.66 4.54+2.34 1:16.30£9.09 Nil Nil

2 Exclusion of large insects only 107.75+25.53 7.00#2.58 1:16.3243.42 5.25+0.96 79.58416.69

3 Manual pollination with the pollen 78.75+15.92 6.00+40.82 1313-1321-.54 4.00+2.16 65.83429.86

of the same inflorescence

4 ~~ Emasculated inflorescence 84.14+4.63 4.5741.90 1:21.63+10.38 4.00+1.41 90.00+12.58 -

exposed to all types of insects

grains, their transportation via wind was restricted within the

inflorescence. Bagging with net cloth totally excluded visits

of large insects. In this experiment, pollen transportation

to the stigma could be possible through small insects only,

that showed 79% reproductive success (Table 1). Manual

pollination with the pollen from the same inflorescence

resulted in geitonogamy, which showed 65.83% reproductive

success (Table 1). The inflorescence exposed to all types of

insects had no pollen barrier. However, female flowers were

free to receive pollen load through all types of pollen vectors.

In this experiment, only geitonogamy, i.e. pollen transfer

from the same inflorescence or different inflorescence of the

same plant, and xenogamy, 1.e. pollen transfer from different

plant, might be possible via all types of pollinators. In this

experiment, the plant showed 90% reproductive success

through geitonogamy +xenogamy (Table 1).

Though flowers of Jatropha curcas are unattractive,

they are good sources of pollen and nectar as reward. Due

to the presence of conspicuous nectaries in both male

and female flowers, nectar was easily available to various

kinds of visitors. However, only bees identified as Apis

dorsata, A. mellifera, and A. cerana were observed as

potential pollinators. The flowers are well-adapted to bee

pollination, as the hairy thorax of bees is a suitable adhering

surface during nectar sucking activity (Faegri and van der

Pijl 1970; Michener 2007). Though a few ants, flies, beetles

and bugs were frequently seen visiting the flowers, they

mainly foraged on the reproductive parts and accidentally

participated in xenogamy and geitonogamy. However,

ants were confined to the same plant, thus effecting

only geitonogamy. Insect visitation peak hours were

recorded between 09:00 hours and 14:00 hours, only on

sunny days.

Jatropha curcas is a monoic plant, with unisexual

male and female flowers produced in the same inflorescence.

Usually the flower showed protandry, i.e. male flowers open

first in an inflorescence and are relatively more numerous

than female flowers (Table 1), but on a given day only a

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 112(2), May-August 2015

few male flowers bloomed per inflorescence. However,

non-synchronous male and female flowering, and absence

of mass flowering per plant had provided fewer open female

flowers to the pollinators for pollen transfer. Though the

study revealed up to 90% reproductive success in terms of

fruit set, seed yield was restricted due to smaller number

of female flower formation (Table 1). In addition, owing to

large and sticky pollen grains, pollen transportation via wind

is not possible even within an inflorescence, which is also

reported by Chang-Wei et al. (2007). Large pollen grains of

J. curcas with many verrucae on their exine as adhesive are

suitable for insect pollinators. Though manual geitonogamy,

i.e. pollination with the pollen of the same inflorescence,

had also resulted in fruit formation, natural geitonogamy

without the interaction of any type of insect/pollinator is not

possible to set the fruit, as observed in this experiment that

also ruled out the possibility of wind pollination in J. curcas.

Higher percentage of reproductive success was observed in

the inflorescences which were open to all types of visitors.

However, it is confirmed that the plant relies strongly on

entomophilous pollination, even to facilitate in-crossing. In

the present study, most of the test plants of J. curcas indicated

temporal dioecism because of protandry, but on a given day

only a few freshly opened male flowers were present to attract

visitors and facilitate geitonogamy. Within the inflorescence

female counts were relatively very low when male flowering

reached its peak, but due to pollen loss caused by regular

visits of foraging beetles and ants and low pollen quality,

female flowers of J. curcas still require mass male flowering

along with adequate reliable pollinator activity to facilitate

entomophilous pollination for good reproductive output,

which could not be seen during the study. This hampered

fruit formation.

Conclusion

It is obvious that biotic pollinator interaction is essential

to facilitate pollination in Jatropha curcas as geitonogamous

+ xenogamous pollination via all types of insect pollinators

123

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

is the best mode of breeding for good reproductive

output. Honey bees identified as Apis dorsata, A. mellifera

and A. cerana were observed to be the most suitable

insect pollinators during the study. Such results may be

helpful in formulating the strategies for breeding and

conservation programmes of J. curcas by improving

reproductive output.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are thankful to the Director, CSIR-National

Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, for providing

necessary facilities. Thanks are also due to the Council of

Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India, for

financial support under NMITLI programme.

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ABDELGADIR, H.A., S.D JOHNSON & J. VAN STADEN (2009): Pollinator

effectiveness, breeding system and tests for inbreeding depression

in the biofuel seed crop J. curcas. J. Hortic. Sci. Biotech. 84:

319-324.

BHATTACHARYA, A., K. Datta & S.K. Datta (2005): Floral biology,

resource constraints and pollination limitation in Jatropha curcas

L. Pakistan J. Biol. Sci. 8(3): 456-460.

CHANG-WEI, L., L. Kun, C. You & S. Yoncyu (2007): Floral display

and breeding system of Jatropha curcas L. For. Stud. China 9(2):

114-119.

DHILLON, R.S., M.S. Hoopa, A.K. Hanpa, K.S. AHLAwarT, Y. KUMAR,

SUBHASH & N. SINGH (2006): Clonal propagation and reproductive

biology in Jatropha curcas L. Indian J. Agroforest. 8(2): 18-27.

Drwakar, B.N., H.D. UpApuyaya, S.P. WANI & C.L. LAxmipaTHI GOWDA

(2010): Biology and genetic improvement of Jatropha curcas L.:

A review. Appl. Energ. 87(3): 732-742.

Farcri, K. & L. VAN Der Pu (1970): The principles of pollination

ecology. Pergamon Press, New York. Pp. 291.

Fair ess, D. (2007): Biofuel: the little shrub that could — may be. Nature

449: 652-655.

Francis, G., R. EDIGNER & K. BECKER (2005): A concept for simultaneous

wasteland reclamation, fuel production, and socioeconomic

development in degraded areas in India: Need, potential

and perspectives of Jatropha plantations. Nat. Resour. Forum

29: 12-24.

GALEN, C., R.C. PLowricut & J.D. THompson (1985): Floral biology and

regulation of seed set and seed size in the lily Clintonia borealis

(Ait.) Raf. Am. J. Bot. 72(10): 1544-1552.

GANESH Ran, S., K.T. PARTHIBAN, K.R. SENTHIL, V. THIRUVENGADAM &

M. PARAMATHMA (2008): Genetic diversity among Jatropha

species as revealed by RAPD markers. Genet. Resour. Crop Ev.

55: 803-809.

HELter, J. (1996): Physic nut — Jatropha curcas L. Promoting the

conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops.

International Plant Genetic Resource Institute, Italy, Rome. Pp 1-66.

Jones, N. & J.H. MILLER (1992): Jatropha curcas: A multipurpose species.

for problematic sites. The World Bank, Washington DC, USA,

ASTAG Technical Papers — Land Resources 1: 12.

Kaur, K., G.P.S. DHILLON & R.I.S. Grit (2011): Floral biology and

breeding system of Jatropha curcas in north-western India.

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Kumar, A. & S. SHARMA (2008): An elevation of multipurpose oil seed

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Martin, G. & A. Mayeux (1985): Curcas oil (Jatropha curcas L.): a

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MAPPING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED FOREST OWLET HETEROGLAUX BLEWITTI

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DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND HABITAT SIGNATURE OF THE INDIAN GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL PETAURISTA

PHILIPPENSIS (ELLIOT 1839) IN THE WESTERN GHATS, INDIA

Santhanakrishnan Babu, Honnavalli Nagaraj Kumara and Eluvathingal Antony FAVSON .. .cscsseccnnssex ec eASR sete Sadun ag haancaemaneaee |

DIATOMS IN SUB-SURFACE SEDIMENT CORES FROM MANGROVE FOREST FLOORS OF DELTAIC ISLANDS INSUNDARBANS,

INDIA

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