Sex interacts with age-dependent change in the abundance of lice-infesting Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis).

Sex-biassed and age-biassed parasite infections are common in nature, including ectoparasites-vertebrate host systems. We investigated the effect of Amur Falcons' sex, age and body size on the abundance of their lice at a migratory stopover site, where the falcons' habitat use and behaviour are more homogeneous across sex and age categories than during the breeding season. We sampled Amur Falcons in Nagaland, India at major roosting sites in 2016. We applied generalized linear models (with negative binomial distribution and log-link) to model the abundance of their two most numerous lice (Colpocephalum subzerafae and Degeeriella rufa) using the host age category (juvenile or adult) and wing length, both in interaction with sex, as explanatory variables. The abundance of C. subzerafae was only affected by host age, being nearly four times higher on juveniles than on adults. Juveniles were also more infested with D. rufa than the adults. Additionally, the abundance of the latter species was lower on adult male Falcons as compared to adult females. A juvenile bias in ectoparasite infestations is common in nature, probably due to juveniles being immunologically naïve, more resource-limited and may be inexperienced in body maintenance behaviours like preening and grooming. On the other hand, female-biassed infestations are much rarer than male-biassed infestations. We briefly discuss the possible causes of female-biassed infestations on Amur Falcons reported here, and in the closely related Red-footed Falcon and Lesser Kestrel as reported in the literature.

Three new species of Idiops Perty, 1833 (Araneae: Idiopidae) from India.

Three new species of the front-eyed trapdoor genus Idiops, viz., Idiops joida sp. nov. from the Western Ghats of Karnataka, I. mettupalayam sp. nov. from the foothills of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and I. oriya sp. nov. from Odhisa, are described. Natural history information for all these species is provided as is an identification key to Idiops species from South and Southeast Asia.

Description of a new genus and five new species of tube-dwelling spider family Segestriidae (Araneae: Synspermiata) from Odisha, India.

The six-eyed spider family Segestriidae is poorly documented from India, with only five species belonging to two genera. Here we describe a new genus, Indoseges gen. nov. with five new spp. viz. I. malkhangiri sp. nov., I. sushildutta sp. nov., I. chilika sp. nov., I. narayani sp. nov. and I. satkosia sp. nov. from Odisha. The first two spp. are described based on both male and female specimens and the rest on females only. The new genus resembles the genus Ariadna Audouin, 1826; still, males differ with respect to first leg spines, shape and position of apophysis and in the palp structure, and females having distinct spination in palp tarsi and femur of first two legs, and in the genitalia structure. Along with a distribution map of the Segestriids of India this paper also provides natural history information about the new genus, a discussion on its relationship with Ariadna, and the putative synapomorphies that define its placement in the subfamily Ariadninae.

Three new species of tube-dwelling spider genus Ariadna Audouin, 1826 (Araneae: Segestriidae) from India.

The tube-dwelling spider family Segestriidae is represented in India by only two species, Ariadna nebulosa Simon, 1906 and Segestria inda Simon, 1906. Both species are known only from their type localities. For about 96 years, there has been no report of these spiders from the Indian subcontinent. Here, we describe three new species based on female specimens from India. Ariadna vansda sp. nov. from Gujarat; A. molur sp. nov., and A. chhotae sp. nov. from Karnataka.