ABSTRACT
Based on Indian Himalayan expeditions, the species Abraxas antipusilla Inoue, 1995 is reported for the first time from Eastern Himalaya, India. After two decades, differential diagnoses of males and females are presented in comparison to Abraxas pusilla Butler, 1880. Redescriptions of male and female genitalia are given. An annotated summary on habitat preference and distributional ranges for both species is emphasized within the Indian Himalayan Region.
Subject(s)
Lepidoptera , Moths , Male , Female , Animals , IndiaABSTRACT
The present study discusses the systematic accounts of ten species of the family Notodontidae recorded here for the first time from India. The species were collected from different parts of Indian Himalaya, the majority being reported from the Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. Among these ten species, we present two new combinations under subfamily Spataliinae, viz. Odnarda leechi comb. nov. and Torona lucida comb. nov. based on the affinities in male genitalia structure with these recently upgraded genera compared to the previously considered expanded concept of Biula and Bireta, respectively. Moreover, three genera under subfamily Notodontinae viz. Himalodontosia, Periphalera and Pseudosomera are newly added to the existing Indian Notodontidae fauna with respective species H. mahendra, P. albicauda and P. noctuiformis yunwu. Another five new records include one species of the subfamily Dudusinae - Tarsolepis taiwana, one species of the subfamily Spataliinae - Ogulina ochrocinerea, and three species of the subfamily Notodontinae - Syntypistis synechochlora, S. witoldi and Ptilodon amplius. Thus, the present study updates the Indian Notodontidae richness to a total of 257 species and 15 subspecies (272 species/subspecies including nominotypical subspecies) under 119 genera. Here, we provide species diagnoses with similar congeners along with habitus, genitalia images, information on the bionomy and distribution map for each of these newly recorded species.
Subject(s)
Lepidoptera , Moths , Animals , Genitalia , India , MaleABSTRACT
The Psyra Walker, 1860, is a typical Sino-Himalayan genus of the subfamily Ennominae, currently known by 18 species/4 subspecies globally and 9 species from India. This study aims to revise the taxonomy and ecology of Indian Psyra by providing a morphology-based diagnostic key, highlighting their altitudinal, habitat and seasonal preferences, and modelling their distribution based on current and future climatic scenarios. Here, we describe a new species, P. variabilis sp. nov. and document 4 species and 1 subspecies as new to India, viz. P. gracilis, P. szetschwana, P. dsagara, P. falcipennis and P. debilis debilis, thus updating the global species count to 19 with 14 species/1 subspecies from India. We also submitted partial mitochondrial COI sequences of P. crypta, P. similaria, P. spurcataria and P. gracilis as novel to the global genetic database and calculated the overall genetic divergence was 5.17% within the genus, suggesting strong monophyly. Being a typical montane genus, most of the species of Psyra were active within 2000-2280 m altitude, 10.55-15.7°C annual mean temperature, 1200-2300 mm annual precipitation and 168-179 NDVI. Psyra species were predominant in wet temperate, mixed coniferous and moist temperate deciduous forests, their abundance and richness being at peak during post-monsoon months of October-November. The major bioclimatic variables influencing the overall distribution of the genus were mean temperature of warmest quarter, temperature seasonality and precipitation of coldest/driest quarter. While two of the modelled species were predicted to lose area occupancy under future climatic scenarios, the narrow-specialist, Trans-Himalayan species P. debilis debilis was projected to gain up to 75% additional area in the years 2041-60. The results of this study will be helpful to identify sites with maximum area loss projection in ecologically fragile Indian Himalaya and initiating conservation management for such climatically vulnerable insect species groups.
Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Moths , Animals , Ecology , Forests , TemperatureABSTRACT
The Genus Phlogophora Treitschke, 1825 (Noctuidae: Xyleninae), widely distributed in Palaearctic and Oriental realms, is especially diverse within Indian Himalaya with 12 known species till now. Current communication reports three species new to India viz. P. meticulodina (Draudt, 1950), P. nobilis Hreblay Ronkay, 1998 and P. szecsenyii Hreblay Ronkay, 1998 and a new species P. similis Bandyopadhyay, Mallick, Sanyal Chandra sp. nov., thus bringing the species number to 16 for the country, along with taxonomic key with morphology and genitalia-based diagnosis for all the Indian/Himalayan species. Out of those species, partial mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase I (COI) sequences were generated for 6 species, of which 5 were novel to the NCBI GenBank. The genus had maximum species richness and abundance in Eastern Himalayan Temperate Forest spanning 18002500 m in Central Himalayan landscape of Darjeeling-Sikkim and Nepal. Current Habitat suitability model of six Phlogophora species indicated that temperature dependent variables like Temperature Annual Range, Temperature Seasonality and Elevation are the most contributing factors for their predicted distribution range. The genus comprising of both Polycyclic and Monocyclic species became most abundant during Post-monsoon, in cold (911 C) and humid (8791%) nights, in areas with Annual Mean Temperature ranging within 4.619.9 C and Annual Precipitation of 10002800 mm.
Subject(s)
Lepidoptera , Moths , Animal Distribution , Animals , Ecosystem , Forests , Genitalia , TemperatureABSTRACT
The present work deals with the additional species of Notodontidae recorded from different provinces of Indian Himalaya subsequent to the publication of Catalogue of Indian Notodontidae which provided systematic account of 242 species and 10 subspecies. Current communication comprises: (I) Description of a new species of genus Nerice Walker, 1855, Nerice (Nerice) mishmiensis Mazumder, Raha, Chandra Schintlmeister sp. nov., from Eastern Himalayan landscape of Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, along with a comparative diagnosis with two other congeners viz. N. aemulator Schintlmeister Fang, 2001 and N. upina Alphéraky, 1892; (II) Reporting of 3 species new to the Indian fauna from Eastern and Western Himalaya: Periergos genitale Schintlmeister, 2002, Honveda nepalina Nakamura, 1976 and Syntypistis nigribasalis tropica (Kiriakoff, 1974) with their diagnosis and genitalic illustrations; (III) Addition of 5 species and 1 more subspecies to the existing list from various literature; (IV) Additional distribution records of 40 species detected through primary sampling along with details of the materials examined; among which 3 species viz. Pseudallata laticostalis (Hampson, 1900), Baradesa lithosioides lithosioides Moore, 1883 and Ptilodon flavistigma (Moore, 1879) showed unusual altitudinal records around 3000 m. Thus, altogether Indian Notodontidae fauna has been updated to 247 species (including nominotypical subspecies) and 15 subspecies under 116 genera of 10 subfamilies.
Subject(s)
Moths , Animals , GenitaliaABSTRACT
Unprecedented I2-catalyzed α,α-C(sp3)-H, decarboxylative α-C(sp3)-H, lactonized α-C(sp3)-H, and α,ß-C(sp3)-H functionalized 5- and 6-annulation as well as α-C(sp3)-H activated 6-lactonization of primary aliphatic amines are devised under aerobic conditions. The metal-free sustainable strategy was employed for the diverse construction of valuable five-and six-membered polycyclic N,O-heteroaromatics such as oxazoles, 1,4-oxazines, and oxazin-2-one with a rapid reaction rate and high yield. The viability of this mild nonmetallic catalysis is successfully verified through syntheses of labile chiral heterocyclic analogues. In contrast to the common practice, this method is not limited to use of prefunctionalized amines, directing groups (DGs) and/or transient DGs, metal catalysts, and traditional oxidants. The possible mechanistic pathway of the annulation reaction is investigated by control experiments and ESI-MS data collected for a reaction mixture of the ongoing reaction. The synthesized new compounds are potent organic nanobuilding blocks to achieve valuable organic nanomaterials of different sizes, shapes, and dimensions, which are under investigation for the discovery of high-tech devices of innovative organic nanoelectronics and photophysical properties.
ABSTRACT
A new species of the family Endromidae, Mustilizans zolotuhini sp. nov. is described from Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India. The subspecies, Mustilizans dierli refugialis Zolotuhin, 2007 is recorded for the first time from Sikkim, India. The distribution of the species known from India is mapped. The holotype of the new species is deposited in the Lepidoptera Section, National Zoological Collections, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.
Subject(s)
Lepidoptera , Animal Distribution , Animals , IndiaABSTRACT
The synthetic chemists always look for developing new catalysts, sustainable catalysis, and their applications in various organic transformations. Herein, we report a new class of water-soluble complexes, (Ar-tpy)RuII(ACN)3, utilizing designed terpyridines possessing electron-donating and -withdrawing aromatic residues for tuning the catalytic activity of the Ru(II) complex. These complexes displayed excellent catalytic activity for several oxidative organic transformations including late-stage C-H functionalization of aldehydes with NH2OR to valuable primary amides in nonconventional aqueous media with excellent yield. Its diverse catalytic power was established for direct oxo-scissoring of a wide range of alkenes to furnish aldehydes and/or ketones in high yield using a low catalyst loading in the water. Its smart catalytic activity under mild conditions was validated for dioxygenation of alkynes to highly demanding labile synthons, 1,2-diketones, and/or acids. This general and sustainable catalysis was successfully employed on sugar-based substrates to obtain the chiral amides, aldehydes, and labile 1,2-diketones. The catalyst is recovered and reused with a moderate turnover. The proposed mechanistic pathway is supported by isolation of the intermediates and their characterization. This multifaceted sustainable catalysis is a unique tool, especially for late-stage functionalization, to furnish the targeted compounds through frequently used amidation and oxygenation processes in the academia and industry.
