Western Ghats Of Peninsular India Research Articles

On the occurrence of Riccia atromarginata Levier and R. boliviensis Jovet-Ast (Ricciaceae: Marchantiophyta) in the Western Ghats of India

Riccia atromarginata, a species of broad distribution known from Africa, America, Europe and Asia, was recently collected in the Sirumalai Hills of Southern Western Ghats in Peninsular India and is the first record for the country. The earlier report of this species made by Karadakatti et al. (2023) from the Western Ghats of Karnataka is incorrect. Examination of their herbarium specimen UASB-5452 was found to contain two species—R. boliviensis and the common R. billardierei. Riccia boliviensis, a new record for the Western Ghats, is also reported here. A detailed description of R. atromarginata with images and a distribution map are provided for the indigenous population.

On the regional-scale variability in flow duration curves in Peninsular India

Abstract. Peninsular India is a unique region with major mountain ranges that govern regional atmospheric circulation and precipitation variability, the monsoons, and regional geology at range of timescales and process scales. However, the landscape and climatic feature controls on streamflow variability at a regional scale using flow duration curves (FDCs) – compact descriptions of streamflow variability that offer a window into the multiple, interacting processes that contribute to streamflow variability – have received little attention. This study examines the suitability of the partitioning of (1) an annual streamflow FDC into seasonal FDCs and (2) a total streamflow FDC into fast- and slow-flow FDCs to unravel the process controls on FDCs at a regional scale, with application to low-gradient rivers flowing east from the Western Ghats in Peninsular India. The results indicate that bimodal rainfall seasonality and subsurface gradients explain the higher contribution of slow flow to total flow across the north–south gradient of the region. Shapes of fast and slow FDCs are controlled by recession parameters, revealing the role of climate seasonality and geological profiles, respectively. Systematic spatial variation across the north–south gradient is observed, highlighting the importance of the coherent functioning of landscape–hydroclimate settings in imparting a distinct signature of streamflow variability. The framework is useful to discover the role of time and process controls on streamflow variability in a region with seasonal hydro-climatology and hydro-geological gradients.

Striped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India in the collection of London's Natural History Museum and their implications for taxonomy and distribution

Striped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India in the collection of London's Natural History Museum and their implications for taxonomy and distribution

A new species of Cigaritis Donzel, 1847 (Lycaenidae, Aphnaeinae) from the southern Western Ghats of Peninsular India

A new species Cigaritis meghamalaiensis sp. nov. (Lycaenidae, Aphnaeinae) is described from the Meghamalai hills of the Periyar landscape of the southern Western Ghats. Images of adults and illustrations of male genitalia are presented. Information on myrmecophilous immature stages is provided and its ecology is discussed. The new species is very distinct from all the known Cigaritis species in WG, and is diagnosed based on the following combination of characters–upper side of both wings marked extensively in blue; discal and post-discal bands on forewing underside conjoined and lying parallel from their origin at the costa; post-basal band in hindwing underside continuous and not broken into three smaller bands and this post-basal band ends at vein1b, is not continued along it to reach discal band. The discal and post-discal bands on the underside of the forewing is conjoined and lying parallel from their origin at the costa which is a unique feature that distinguishes the new species from all other Cigaritis species occurring in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. A key to all known species of Cigaritis from the Western Ghats is provided.

Rediscovery and systematics of Rhinophis fergusonianus Boulenger, 1896 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from Indias Western Ghats.

The shieldtail snake Rhinophis fergusonianus Boulenger, 1896 was previously known only from the holotype specimen collected approximately 130 years ago from an imprecise Indian locality (Cardamom Hills). We report the rediscovery of this species from four localities, from low-elevation hills on both sides of the Palghat Gap in the southern part of the Western Ghats of peninsular India. We document new specimens of R. fergusonianus and provide a reassessment of the systematics of the species based on external morphology and DNA-sequence data. We also provide a revised key to the identification of Indian species of Rhinophis.

Taxonomic notes on Davidioides martini Fraser, 1924 (Odonata: Gomphidae) and description of its female from Western Ghats, Peninsular India

A note on the rare dragonfly Davidioides martini Fraser, 1924, is provided with an update of its distribution range, status, ecology, and the description of its so far unknown female. This species is endemic to the Western Ghats of Peninsular India and seems to be a rare one as is indicated by the paucity of published records, some of which are shown to be doubtful and in need of corroboration.

Factors structuring patterns of Ephemeroptera (mayflies) species assemblages in different segments of the Western Ghats of peninsular India—a snapshot

Species assemblage patterns of the mayflies (Ephemeroptera) in different segments of the Western Ghats (WG) of peninsular India including those on “sky islands” are presented. An updated checklist of species of WG mayflies is provided and sorted by traits of individual species and supplemented by personal observations. Comparisons are made in this context with patterns of current distribution of some ancient lineages of myriapods, amphibians and birds from the WG focusing on relative roles of geographical barriers (gaps), paleoclimatic, eco-evolutionary scenarios and anthropogenic impacts. This is to highlight the need to prioritize conservation of this rapidly shrinking precious biological heritage. Future work on molecular aspects of intra- and interspecific diversity of mayflies, which are “sentinels of inland water ecosystem health” should be augmented in tune with current research trends in montane “sky islands” especially from adjacent Oriental tropics.

On the taxonomy of Uropeltis petersi (Beddome, 1878) (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) and description of a new, closely related species from the Western Ghats of India.

A new species of the uropeltid snake genus Uropeltis Cuvier, 1829 is described from the environs of Munnar in the Anamalai hils of the Western Ghats of peninsular India. Uropeltis tricuspida sp. nov. superficially resembles the poorly known and closely related U. petersi, but differs from that species in having more ventral and subcaudal scales, and a tri- rather than bicuspid posterior tip to the terminal scute.

A review of Macromia Rambur, 1842 (Odonata, Macromiidae) of Western Ghats, with taxonomic notes on Macromia miniata Fraser, 1924 and M. irata Fraser, 1924

A review of the genus Macromia Rambur, 1842 (Odonata, Macromiidae) of Western Ghats of Peninsular India is presented with its updated distribution. An attempt is made to collate the scattered data in peer-reviewed literature published to date and is supplemented with field data gathered by the authors over two decades. Although Macromia is represented by nine species including six endemics in the Western Ghats, not much has been published on them from the region. Macromia irata Fraser, 1924 was described from Coorg but was rarely reported in peer-reviewed literature since its very brief original description by Fraser in 1924. The detailed morphology including that of the genitalia of M. irata is discussed. A revised classification based on the species groups and a key to the species of Macromia of the Western Ghats of Peninsular India is provided. To quantify the ratios of the number of the prenodal and postnodal veins in Odonata, a new nodal range expression called Standardised Species Nodal Range (SSNR) and a new index termed Standardised Species Nodal Index (SSNI) is also proposed.

A new genus and species of Leptopsaltriini (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from the Agasthyamalais of the Western Ghats in Peninsular India

A new genus and species of Leptopsaltriini (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from the Agasthyamalais of the Western Ghats in Peninsular India

A new species of Dravidogecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the under-surveyed Periyar Plateau of the Southern Western Ghats in Peninsular India

We describe a new species of Dravidogecko from the poorly-inventoried Periyar Plateau of Southern Western Ghats, Peninsular India. The new species Dravidogecko beddomei sp. nov. is characterized by: precloacal-femoral pores 46‒52; scales across belly 31‒33; supralabials 9–11; infralabials 8–9; lamellae on digit IV of pes 10–11. Additionally, the new species is divergent (>13%) from its related congeners. Like its congeners, the new species is currently known only from its type locality and its vicinity – the Devar Malai, Kakki Reservoir – and Sivagiri Hills in the Periyar Plateau of Southern Western Ghats. This discovery further increases the list of new reptiles described from this under-studied massif in the Southern Western Ghats.

Oxyrrhynchium speciosum (Brid.) Warnst. (Brachytheciaceae: Bryophyta) – new to the moss flora of India from the Western Ghats

Oxyrrhynchium speciosum (Brid.) Warnst. which was known so far from Africa, Europe, New Zealand and China and Russia in Asia, has been discovered in some pockets of the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. This discovery adds one more species to the moss flora of India. A description with figures, a distribution map and a key to distinguish O. speciosum from the other indigenous species are provided.

Description of a new Pangasius (Valenciennes, 1840) species, from the Cauvery River extends distribution range of the genus up to South Western Ghats in peninsular India.

A new species of the genus Pangasius, is described based on 17 specimens collected from the Cauvery River, India. It can be distinguished from its sister species from South and Southeast Asia, by its widely placed, small and rounded vomerine and palatine tooth plates, longer maxillary and mandibular barbels, greater vertebrae count 50 (vs. 44-48), and smaller caudal peduncle depth (6.5-8.2% SL vs. 9.89-13.09% SL). The tooth plates of the new species closely resembles that of Pangasius macronema but can be clearly distinguished from the latter by having lesser gill rakers (16-19 vs. 36-45); a smaller eye (2.4-4.4% SL vs. 5.2-9.6% SL); and larger adipose-fin base (1.5-2.9% SL vs. 0.1-1.2% SL). The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene sequence of the new species shows the genetic divergence of 3.5% and 5.1% from P. pangasius and P. silasi respectively, the two sister species found in South Asia and India. The species delimitation approaches, Poisson Tree Processes (PTP) and assemble species by automatic partitioning (ASAP) clearly resolved that the P. icaria is distinct from its sister species. Phylogenetic position of the species with its sister species was evaluated using maximum likelihood and Bayesian analysis. The discovery of this previously unknown species of genus Pangasius from the Cauvery River of peninsular India indicates important biogeographical insight that this genus migrated till the southern division of Western Ghats.

A new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from the Brahmagiri Hills, Kerala, India

A new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 is described from Brahmagiri hills of Coorg landscape of the Western Ghats in Peninsular India. The new species Protosticta francyisp. nov., is a congener of P. antelopoides Fraser, 1931 and P. ponmudiensis Kiran, Kalesh & Kunte, 2015, occupying a similar microhabitat, but distributed north of the major biogeographical divide, the Palghat Ga p. The new taxon is distinguished from all other Protosticta of Western Ghats by the presence of long prothoracic spines in the males, the structure of the tip of the male cerci and genital ligula. A revised key to the species of Protosticta of Western Ghats is provided based on mature males.

First record of Proceratium Roger, 1863, Zasphinctus Wheeler, 1918, and Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India, description of three new species, and implications for Indian biogeography

Three new ant species from the genera Proceratium Roger, 1863, Zasphinctus Wheeler, 1918, and Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 are described from the Western Ghats of southern India. This is the first report of Proceratium and Zasphinctus from peninsular India and the first record of Vollenhovia from the Western Ghats mountain range proper. Proceratium gibbosum sp. nov. is described from Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala, being the first record of the stictum species group from the Indian subcontinent; it differs from other members of the stictum group by the mesonotum bearing a prominent rounded dorsal hump (tumulus) and petiole devoid of ventral tooth. The first record of the genus Zasphinctus Wheeler, 1918 from the Indian region is also presented here, with a description of a new species. Zasphinctus sahyadriensis sp. nov. differs from all known Afrotropical and Asian Zasphinctus by a combination of characters including clypeal area with single median tooth, occipital margin being regular in outline, and head sculpture sparsely punctate. The occurrence of the genus Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 is confirmed from peninsular India, with the description of the female castes of Vollenhovia keralensis sp. nov. We provide ecological notes on these new taxa. In addition, separate identification keys based on the worker caste are also presented to Indo-Malayan species of Proceratium, Afrotropical-Indomalayan species of Zasphinctus, and Vollenhovia of the Indian subcontinent. The biogeographical implications of the presence of these three genera are also discussed in relation to plate tectonics of the Indian subcontinent.

A new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from Western Ghats, India

A new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 is described from Anamalai Hills of southern Western Ghats in peninsular India. The new species is distinguished from its regional congeners by the posterior lobe of the prothorax being devoid of spines; anterior 1/3rd of S8 pale yellow, the marking not connected dorsally; S9 completely black; caudal appendages short, sinuous, and only twice the length of S10, cerci with a small blunt basal tooth; the tip of the superior lobe of cerci not bilobed but straight, paraprocts beveled at the tip, not clubbed; pterostigma of both wings trapezoidal with maximum length less than twice the breadth, forewing with nine & hindwing with eight postnodals, and the structure of male genital ligula. The new species is described from Peechi Wildlife Sanctuary on the northwestern flanks of the Anamalai hills. A key to the identification of Protosticta of the Western Ghats is provided based on mature males.

Cudraflavone C from Artocarpus hirsutus as a Promising Inhibitor of Pathogenic, Multidrug-Resistant S. aureus, Persisters, and Biofilms: A New Insight into a Rational Explanation of Traditional Wisdom.

Artocarpus hirsutus Lam., or wild jack, a perennial tree of the Western Ghats of peninsular India, serves as a rich source of flavonoids. The indigenous knowledge of this multipurpose flora chronicles the efficient property of its bark as a natural treatment for various skin infections. Herein, we describe a rational explanation of this traditional knowledge via a broader evaluation of inhibitory activity of one of its phytoconstituents, cudraflavone C (Cud C), a prenyl flavone isolated from stem bark against diverse multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus along with decidedly potent synergy combinations with a standard drug, gentamycin, especially against gentamycin-resistant S. aureus NRS 10119. Cud C exhibited equipotent MIC (4 μg/mL) against a varied array of MDR strains comprising MRSA, VRSA, and VRE and was nontoxic toward eukaryotic cells with a sizable selectivity index (SI 25-50). Cud C displayed concentration-dependent bactericidal activity against planktonic cells, an excellent biofilm disruption property exceeding that of levofloxacin and vancomycin against preformed S. aureus biofilm, and an enhanced capability to kill intracellular S. aureus more potently than vancomycin, thus exemplifying its position as an antibacterial lead candidate. In addition, S. aureus was unable to generate resistance to Cud C even after exposure for more than 40 days, whereas it generated resistance to levofloxacin within ∼20 days of exposure. Therefore, the naturally occurring prenylflavone Cud C can be accounted for as one of the reasons for the reported antibacterial properties of the bark of A. hirsutus. Taken together, detailed biological studies propose that Cud C can be considered as an effective antibacterial drug candidate against MDR S. aureus, which is fast becoming a significant threat to public health worldwide.

Pan Indian Presence of RISHI MARKANDEY --- Glimpses into his Life, Victory over Death, Sites Associated with him, and Tips for Longevity and well being

The concept of One Nation in the vastly diverse population that inhabits the Indian sub-continent, is unique among world civilizations. This feeling of nationalism is as old as the Vedas, and was inculcated and nurtured by some ancient seers and saints. Foremost among them is Rishi Markandeya, whose imprint is not just found all over the Indian landmass, but also traverses all the way to Indonesia and Bali. Markandey is also unique among seers because he is venerated among all the mainstream Indian religious traditions, namely Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Devi cults and ascetic orders. From his birth in the Himalayas, to his severe penance in the dense jungles of the Western Ghats of peninsular India, to the ashrams along the Narmada and Ganges, and going upto the Eastern coast at Jagannath Puri, the Indian sub-continent is strewn with sites named after the great Rishi. The present paper attempts to list out some of these sites, and the accompanying geographical features, in an effort to highlight the immense accomplishments of the Rishi, encompassing fields as diverse as geology, hydrology, philosophy, herbal medicine, music, sacred chanting, goddess worship, astrology and horticulture.

Chemical weathering and carbon dioxide consumption in a small tropical river catchment, southwestern India

Studies done on small tropical west-flowing river catchments located in the Western Ghats in southwestern India have suggested very intense chemical weathering rates and associated CO2 consumption. Very less studies are reported from these catchments notwithstanding their importance as potential sinks of atmospheric CO2 at the global scale. A total of 156 samples were collected from a small river catchment in the southwestern India, the Payaswini–Chandragiri river Basin, during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in 2016 and 2017, respectively. This river system comprises two small rivers originating at an elevation of 1350 m in the Western Ghats in peninsular India. The catchment area is dominated by biotite sillimanite gneiss. Sodium is the dominant cation, contributing ~ 50% of the total cations, whereas HCO3− contributes ~ 75% of total anions. The average anion concentration in the samples varied in the range HCO3− > Cl− > SO42− > NO3− > F−, whereas major cation concentration varied in the range Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+. The average silicate weathering rate (SWR) was 42 t km−2 y−1 in the year 2016 and 36 t km−2 y−1 in 2017. The average annual carbon dioxide consumption rate (CCR) due to silicate rock weathering was 9.6 × 105 mol km−2y−1 and 8.3 × 105 mol km−2 y−1 for 2016 and 2017, respectively. The CCR in the study area is higher than other large tropical river catchments like Amazon, Congo-Zaire, Orinoco, Parana and Indus because of its unique topography, hot and humid climate and intense rainfall.

Status, abundance, and seasonality of butterfly fauna at Kuvempu University Campus, Karnataka, India

A survey was conducted to record the diversity, status, and occurrence of butterfly species in the Kuvempu University Campus, Jnana Sahyadri, Shivamogga District, Karnataka during February 2010 to January 2011. A total of 115 species of butterflies in 77 genera, belonging to five families were recorded. Nymphalidae comprised the highest number of species, followed by Lycaenidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae, and Hesperiidae. The study area hosts 14 species of butterflies protected under various schedules of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Nine species recorded are endemic to the Western Ghats of peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Hence there is an urgent need to protect this habitat by adapting long-term monitoring programs to manage and conserve the butterfly diversity.