MicroRNAs and their targets in cucumber shoot apices in response to temperature and photoperiod.

BACKGROUND: The cucumber is one of the most important vegetables worldwide and is used as a research model for study of phloem transport, sex determination and temperature-photoperiod physiology. The shoot apex is the most important plant tissue in which the cell fate and organ meristems have been determined. In this study, a series of whole-genome small RNA, degradome and transcriptome analyses were performed on cucumber shoot apical tissues treated with high vs. low temperature and long vs. short photoperiod. RESULTS: A total of 164 known miRNAs derived from 68 families and 203 novel miRNAs from 182 families were identified. Their 4611 targets were predicted using psRobot and TargetFinder, amongst which 349 were validated by degradome sequencing. Fourteen targets of six miRNAs were differentially expressed between the treatments. A total of eight known and 16 novel miRNAs were affected by temperature and photoperiod. Functional annotations revealed that "Plant hormone signal transduction" pathway was significantly over-represented in the miRNA targets. The miR156/157/SBP-Boxes and novel-mir153/ethylene-responsive transcription factor/senescence-related protein/aminotransferase/acyl-CoA thioesterase are the two most credible miRNA/targets combinations modulating the plant's responsive processes to the temperature-photoperiod changes. Moreover, the newly evolved, cucumber-specific novel miRNA (novel-mir153) was found to target 2087 mRNAs by prediction and has 232 targets proven by degradome analysis, accounting for 45.26-58.88% of the total miRNA targets in this plant. This is the largest sum of genes targeted by a single miRNA to the best of our knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: These results contribute to a better understanding of the miRNAs mediating plant adaptation to combinations of temperature and photoperiod and sheds light on the recent evolution of new miRNAs in cucumber.

An annotated catalogue of Indian Lasiocampidae (Lasiocampoidea, Lepidoptera).

We catalogue 100 species (including nominotypic subspecies) and five subspecies in 35 genera of Lasiocampinae, Lasiocampidae from India. This represents 5% of the 1,952 species of Global Lasiocampidae. Information on types (locality and depository), synonymy, diversity and distribution in different biogeographic zones of India alongwith global records, contribution of various authors on Indian Lasiocampidae is provided. Apart from seven doubtful records, clarifications are given as remarks wherever needed. Additionally, Streblote alpherakyi (Christoph, 1885) and Odontocraspis collieri Zolotuhin & Witt, 2000a are reported for the first time from India.

An updated Catalogue of Cossoidea (Lepidoptera) from India.

We catalogue 165 species in 81 genera representing six families of Cossoidea present in India. Sesiidae is the most dominant family in India, consisting 89 species in 38 genera, followed by Cossidae with 47 species in 28 genera, Brachodidae with 13 species in six genera, Metarbelidae with 12 species in seven genera, Ratardidae with three species in single genus and the Dudgeoneidae is known by single species. A comprehensive data on the species diversity of all the families of Indian Cossoidea, with information on type species, type locality, synonyms, clarifications, and distribution in different parts of India and Globe, are provided.

Albright hereditary osteodystrophy: Delay in the diagnosis of a rare disorder due to restricted medical services.

A teenage Afghan girl presented with seizure. Clinical features and laboratory investigations revealed elevated serum parathormone, high phosphate levels with low serum calcium. In third-world countries, diagnosis of rare disorders, such as Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), can usually be delayed due to scarcity of standard medical and diagnostic services.

Contribution to the Erebidae fauna of the Great Nicobar Island, India with description of two new species (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea).

In the present paper, we describe two new species, Garudinia shompen sp. nov. (Arctiinae) and Plusiodonta nicobarensis sp. nov. (Calpinae) and report five new species records for India: Nishada sambara (Moore, 1859), Teulisna chiloides Walker, 1862 (Arctiinae), Tamba cosmoloma Prout, 1928, T. occidinawa Holloway, 2005 (Boletobiinae) and Anoba rigida (Swinhoe, 1895) (Anobinae), collected from the Great Nicobar Island. Except Garudinia, all the other taxa studied herein are documented for the first time from the Great Nicobar Island. Detailed description of new species, diagnoses of all the included species with similar congeners along with habitus images and genitalia illustrations and their distributional notes are provided.

A new species in the genus Chadisra Walker (Notodontidae: Periergosinae) from the Great Nicobar Island, India.

A new species, Chadisra curvipenis N. Singh, Ahmad Raha, sp. nov. is described from the Great Nicobar Island, India, and its detailed description along with habitus images, male genitalia illustrations and diagnoses with similar congeners are provided. A complete checklist of the genus with distributional records and a distribution map are given.

A new species of genus Trilocha Moore, [1860] from Great Nicobar Island, India (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea, Bombycidae).

In this paper, we describe a new bombycid, Trilocha nicobari N. Singh Ahmad, sp. nov., distributed in Great Nicobar Island. The new species is diagnosed with all its congeners. A checklist and a taxonomic key to the known species of Trilocha is provided.

A new species of the genus Thespea Solovyev and four newly recorded species of Limacodidae from India (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea).

Thespea aka, sp. nov., is described as new from Arunachal Pradesh, India. Additionally, four species are recorded for the first time from India: Melinaria pseudorepanda kalawensis (Orhant, 2000) and Parasa julikatis Solovyev Witt, 2009, recorded in Arunachal Pradesh, and Thosea lutea Heylaerts, 1890 and Mambarona congrua (Walker, 1862), recorded in Great Nicobar Island. Diagnosis and distribution are provided for all taxa listed and the males and their genitalia are illustrated.

A new species of genus Neoaloa Singh Kirti, 2015 from Bihar, India (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Arctiini).

A new species, Neoaloa cernyi Singh Joshi, sp. nov. is described from Gular-Ghat of Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bihar, India. Additionally, the original combination of Aloa collaris Hampson, 1891, comb. rev. is restored.