New records,synonyms and combinations for oriental Sarcophagidae (Diptera), with updated checklists for Cambodia,India, Taiwan,Thailand and Vietnam

Faunistic records of 29 flesh fly species are presented, and the following new country-level records are provided: 12 species (Senotainia albifrons, Eremasiomyia macularis, Asceloctella calicifera, Pseudothyrsocnema caudagalli, Liosarcophaga dux, L. kohla, L. scopariiformis, L. tuberosa, Parasarcophaga misera, Sarcosolomonia harinasutai, S. shinonagai, Seniorwhitea princeps) new to Cambodia, one species (S. shinonagai) new to India, one species (Brachicoma devia) new to Taiwan, two species (Myorhina thinhi, L. tuberosa) new to Thailand, and two species (E. macularis, P. caudagalli) new to Vietnam. Based on critical revision of all published records and on new data presented herein, 215 species of Sarcophagidae are listed from Cambodia (16 species), India (138), Taiwan (63), Thailand (98) and Vietnam (49). One new subjective generic synonym is proposed: Shinonagaella Verves, 1997 = Lehisca Kurahashi and Tan, 2012, syn. nov. Altogether, total of 21 new subjective synonyms and 16 new combinations are proposed.     

Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Ponera Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera,Formicidae), with the description of a new species from India

Four species of the ant genus Ponera Latreille, 1804, are recorded from India. The present study reports one new species Ponera sikkimensis sp. n., a divergent population of Ponera indica Bharti & Wachkoo, 2012 and one new record, Ponera paedericera Zhou, 2001 from India. An identification key and distributions for the four known Indian species of Ponera based on the worker caste are provided.     

Mixacarus (Phyllolohmannia) pectinatus sp. n. (Acari,Oribatida, Lohmanniidae), a new species of oribatid mites from India

A new species of oribatid mites (adult and juvenile instars), Mixacarus (Phyllolohmannia) pectinatus sp. n., is described from India. The new species differs from the majority of species of the subgenus in the absence of distally dilated setae and narrower leaf-shaped setae on dorsal and ventral body sides.     

Review of the green lacewing genus Chrysacanthia Lacroix with a new species from Nigeria (Neuroptera,Chrysopidae)

The genus Chrysacanthia Lacroix (Chrysopidae: Belonopterygini) is reviewed and a new species is described from Nigeria. With the addition of the new species described herein, the genus contains four Old World species known from Madagascar, Nigeria, India, Thailand and China.     

A new high-elevation scorpion species of the genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae) from the Himalayas,India

A new high-elevation scorpion species of the genus Scorpiops is described from the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Scorpiops spitiensis sp. nov. is the second highest-elevation scorpion species in Asia and the first one from India occurring at elevations above 4200 m. The new species closely resembles Scorpiops petersii, but it can be distinguished from it based on a suit of characters, one of which is the presence of 16 trichobothria on the external aspect of the patella, which is unique to the new species.     

A new species of pterodectine feather mites (Acarina,Analgoidea, Proctophyllodidae) from the Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra (Passeriformes,Nectariniidae) in Meghalaya,India

The article describes a new species of the feather mite subfamily Pterodectinae from the Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra Temminck, 1826 (Passeriformes, Nectariniidae) in India. Pedanodectes angustilobus sp. n. differs from all known Pedanodectes species by having opisthosomal lobes short, at base wider than long, roughly rounded apically in males, and strongly elongated and narrowed lobar region with wide terminal appendages in females. A key to species of the genus Pedanodectes is presented.     

Description of two new species of ectoparasitic mites of Podapolipus and Podapolipoides (Acari: Podapolipidae) on Oxya sp. from West Bengal,India

Two new species, Podapolipus husbandi and Podapolipoides channabasavannai, collected on Oxya sp. from West Bengal, India are described and illustrated.     

Lophomyrmex terraceensis,a new ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the bedoti group with a revised key

Lophomyrmex terraceensis sp. nov. is described from India. This species belongs to the bedoti group of the genus Lophomyrmex, which is characterized by a pronotum with lateral irregular marginations. The new species can be separated from other species within this group by the presence of sub-parallel, blunt and thick propodeal spines of almost uniform diameter and by an obliquely truncate petiolar node.     

Microhyla laterite sp. nov., A New Species of Microhyla Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from a Laterite Rock Formation in South West India

In recent times, several new species of amphibians have been described from India. Many of these discoveries are from biodiversity hotspots or from within protected areas. We undertook amphibian surveys in human dominated landscapes outside of protected areas in south western region of India between years 2013–2015. We encountered a new species of Microhyla which is described here as Microhyla laterite sp. nov. It was delimited using molecular, morphometric and bioacoustics comparisons. Microhyla laterite sp. nov. appears to be restricted to areas of the West coast of India dominated by laterite rock formations. The laterite rock formations date as far back as the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary and are considered to be wastelands in-spite of their intriguing geological history. We identify knowledge gaps in our understanding of the genus Microhyla from the Indian subcontinent and suggest ways to bridge them.     

A new iridescent tarantula of the genus Thrigmopoeus Pocock, 1899 from Western Ghats,India

A distinctive new species of ground burrowing tarantula from Western Ghats endemic genus Thrigmopoeus is described from Kerala State, India. Thrigmopoeus psychedelicus sp. nov. differs from putative species of the genus in the adults being black overall with a metallic blue lustre on the carapace and abdomen. Females of Thrigmopoeus psychedelicus sp. nov. exhibit polychromatism. Juveniles and sub-adults are paler with vibrant maroon colouration on its abdomen whereas adult females are much darker and lack vibrant colouration as sub-adults.     

A new species of the genus Sulawesifulvius Gorczyca,Chérot, & ?tys, 2004 (Insecta,Heteroptera, Miridae,Cylapinae) from India

A new species, Sulawesifulvius indicus sp. n., is described from Bangalore, India. It is easily separated from the type species Sulawesifulvius schuhi Gorczyca et al., 2004, the only other species of the genus, by the small size, dorsal coloration, and the male genital structures. The discovery of a new species of Sulawesifulvius in southern India considerably extends the distribution of the genus, previously recorded only from Sulawesi, Indonesia.     

A new species of the `Copidognathus tricorneatus' group (Acari: Halacaridae) from India

A new species of the Copidognatus tricorneatus group, C. andhraensis is described on the basis of the specimens collected among the phytal samples from Visakhapatnam, India (Bay of Bengal). Similarities and dissimilarities with the related species are discussed. This is the first record of C. tricorneatus group from India.     

Taxonomic notes on fruit flies of tribes Schistopterini and Eutretini (Diptera: Tephritidae: Tephritinae) in India,with description of a new species of Rhabdochaeta de Meijere

Rhabdochaeta nigroapicalis David, Hancock and Sachin, sp. n., is described from Assam, NE India. A key to all species of Schistopterini and Eutretini recorded from India is provided and taxonomic notes on previously described species are included. DNA barcode sequences of Calloptera asteria (Schiner), Rhabdochaeta pulchella de Meijere, Rhabdochaeta nigroapicalis David, Hancock and Sachin, sp. n. and Rhochmopterum venustum (de Meijere) were obtained and reported. Phylogenetic analysis using 62 mtCOI sequences of Tephritinae revealed Schistopterini to be a monophyletic group and the new species closely related to Rhabdochaeta pulchella, justifying its placement in Rhabdochaeta de Meijere.http://zoobank.org/A97337B3-E2BD-460D-BA62-6D3D4A1A60A2     

Redescription of Heterodea zeae,the Corn Cyst Nematode,with SEM Observations

Heterodera zeae, the corn cyst nematode, is redescribed and illustrated with comparative details and measurements of females, cysts, and larvae from Maryland, USA; and India. Scanning electron micrographs o f specimens from the United States are also presented. Revised measurements for the larval stylet and new diadnostic characters, especially in the cyst cone, for H. zeae are given. The relationship of H. zeae to close species is discussed.     

Craterellus indicus sp. nov., a new species associated with Cedrus deodara from the western Himalayas, India

Craterellus indicus is proposed here as a new species, resulting from a morphological and molecular study on the diversity of Cantharellaceae in the western Himalayan region of India. The species is characterized by a pale brownish to creamish pileus and a smooth to folded hymenium that is distinctly detached from the stipe apex. There are no clamp connections. The combination of characters makes this species distinct from other known species of Craterellus. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of partial large subunit (LSU) and the ITS region of the nuclear ribosomal operon supports its position as a new species.     

A new species of the genus Timalinyssus Mironov, 2001 (Acarina,Psoroptidia) with a key to known species

The article describes a new species of the feather mite family Pteronyssidae (Acarina: Psoroptidia) from the Gray Sibia Heterophasia gracilis (McClelland) (Passeriformes, Leiothrichidae) in India (Meghalaya, Jaintia Hills, Shnongrim village). Males of Timalinyssus wahlangi sp. n. differ from those of all Timalinyssus species by having the horseshoe-shaped epiandrum with a short anterior extension. Females of the new species differ from those of all previously known species of the genus in having the hysteronotal shield with deep lateral incisions between e2 and f2 setae. A key to all species of the genus Timalinyssus is presented.     

Reconstructing the history of introduction and spread of the invasive species, Lantana, at three spatial scales in India

This study sought to reconstruct the history of Lantana invasion and spread in India by considering two questions; (a) from where, by who, and when were Lantana species introduced into India? and (b) given its long history in the country, is it still spreading or more or less stable? We critically evaluated the archival and historical information on plant imports by the European powers into India during the period before and after British colonization. We then reconstructed the path of spread by analyzing the spatio-temporal patterns of occurrence and distribution of Lantana in India at both the national and local scale using a GIS platform. The spread of Lantana across the globe started as early as the 1690s. The European colonial powers moved the plants from Latin America to Europe and to their colonial countries in the early 1800s. Lantana species were introduced in India from 1807 onwards and thereafter the colonial powers moved this plant across the country. Following its introduction into India, the spread of Lantana across the country, either through subsequent multiple introductions from Europe to different British cantonments, or through moving the plants between cantonments within India, were reasonably rapid spanning only a few decades. In the absence of a rigorous control program, the spread of Lantana has gone on unabated and thereby impacting both wildlife and biodiversity.     

Additions to Gliocephalotrichum species (anamorphic Hypocreales) from fruit litter of the medicinal plant Terminalia chebula in the Western Ghats, India

Two species of Gliocephalotrichum were isolated from fallen fruits of the medicinal plant Terminalia chebula collected from the forests of Western Ghats, India. On the basis of morphological characters and ITS1–5.8S–ITS2 sequence similarity, the fungi have been identified as Gliocephalotrichum longibrachium and G. bulbilium. For the former species, this is the first report of its occurrence from India, whereas the latter, showing significant morphological variability, has been known previously from India.     

Two new species and three new record species of family Limacodidae from northeast India (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea)

Caissa kashungii sp. n. and Squamosa wungchanngamii sp. n. are described as new Limacodidae from India. These new species are illustrated with images of the adults and male genitalia and compared with similar species. Additionally, three species S. chalcites Orhant, 2000, Cania (Paracania) robusta Hering, 1931 and Rhamnosa (Rhamnosa) convergens Hering, 1931 are recorded as new to India from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. Diagnosis and distribution are provided for all taxa listed and the males and their genitalia are illustrated.LSID codewww.zoobznk.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:32CDB346-275D-4C66-906C-656FC613E195.