Review of the genus Calotelea Westwood, 1837 (Platygastroidea: Scelionidae) of India.

The genus Calotelea Westwood, 1837 (Scelionidae) of the Indian region is revised. Fifteen new species of Calotelea - C. andamanensis sp. n., C. aurea sp. n., C. brevinotaularis sp. n., C. hodgsoni sp. n., C. kannagiae sp. n., C. lambodara sp. n., C. longistriata sp. n., C. mandavyai sp. n., C. marykingsleyae sp. n., C. microtrichiana sp. n., C. nigriventris sp. n., C. oloftoreni sp. n., C. sibyllamerianae sp. n., C. sushrutai sp. n. and C. trikona sp. n. - are described and imaged. Images of previously described species, C. auriventria Sharma, 1978 and C. immaculata Sharma, 1982, are also provided. Calotelea cameroni (Masner, 1965) is revalidated and redescribed as Probaryconus cameroni Masner, 1965 status revalidated based on morphological characters. Keys to females and known males of Indian species of Calotelea are furnished. While sexual dimorphism with differently coloured males and females has been reported earlier in some species of Calotelea, intrasexual colour dimorphism among females of a species is reported here for the first time.

Review of the genus Isolia Förster (Platygastroidea: Platygastridae: Sceliotrachelinae) with description of two new species from India.

Two new species of Isolia Förster viz. I. bhima Veenakumari and Buhl sp. n. and I. bandoola Veenakumari and Buhl sp.n. are described and illustrated from India. The generic concept of Isolia has been expanded with additional characters. Supplementary characters have been provided to the original descriptions wherever required. All species (except I. longistriata Alekseev), including the six Palearctic species (I. biroi Szabó, I. dobrogica Popovici Buhl, I. foersteri Szabó, I. hispanica Buhl, I. mongolica (Kozlov) and I. santosi García Pujade-Villar) and the two Oriental species (I. indica Buhl and I. kalingae Veenakumari Buhl) have been imaged. Isolia striatitergitis Szabó is transferred to the genus Fidiobia Ashmead, and the images are provided. Isolia kalingae is treated as a junior synonym of I. indica. A key is furnished to differentiate genera in the Isolia-cluster and the species of Isolia treated here.

Neotype designation and redescription of Inostemma indicum (Platygastroidea: Platygastridae) parasitizing ivy gourd gall midge.

Inostemma indicum Mani, a parasitoid of Neolasioptera cephalandrae Mani (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), collected from stem galls of ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt (Cucurbitaceae)) was described by Mani in 1941. The original description is scanty and ambiguous, with little diagnostic value. The holotype, a dissected female mounted on a slide, is lost. It is redescribed with illustrations and a neotype is designated. The previously unknown male is also described.

A new sexually dichromatic species of Telenomus Haliday (Platygastroidea: Scelionidae) from India.

A new species of Telenomus which is sexually dichromatic is described and imaged from India.

Two new species of Apteroscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) from India.

Two new species of Apteroscelio Kieffer, a previously monotypic genus, are here described, illustrated and keyed. Affinities between Apteroscelio and other scelionine genera are discussed. The male of this genus is imaged and described for the first time.

A new Indian species of Pardoteleia Kozlov & Lê (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae: Scelioninae) and first description of the male.

Pardoteleia, a monotypic genus was described by Kozlov and Lê (1988). A new species Pardoteleia flava from India is now described and imaged. The hitherto unknown male of this genus is also described and imaged for the first time. Pardoteleia prater, the type species is redescribed and imaged with intraspecific variations in the Indian specimens.

Chakra, a new genus of Scelioninae (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) from India, along with description of a new species.

A new genus and one new species of Scelioninae (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Platygastridae) is described and illustrated from India: Chakra Rajmohana and Veenakumari, gen. nov. and Chakra sarvatra Rajmohana and Veenakumari, sp. nov. The new genus is most similar to Opisthacantha Ashmead and differs from it in the presence of a unique sculpture on the head and mesosoma: large and round tubercles separated by sinuous, narrow furrows; the position of lateral ocelli; the dorsally extended prominent interantennal prominence and the fore wing with stigmal and postmarginal veins distinctly longer than the marginal vein.

The life cycle and immature stages of Kallima albofasciata, the endemic Oakleaf, in the Andaman Islands (Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal).

Kallima albofasciata Moore 1877 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), a species of Oakleaf butterfly reported for the first time from the Andaman Islands in 1874, was recognized as an insular endemic in 1877. Studies so far indicate that it is restricted to the contiguous islands of South and Middle Andamans. On these islands it apparently has a very localized distribution, giving rise to fears that it may be vulnerable and could face the threat of extinction with increasing developmental pressures on its habitat. Though it was reported to be extinct in 1993, its presence has since been documented and is currently protected by law in India. Nevertheless, nothing is known about the immature stages, its larval food plants or life history, and very little is known about its habitat and periods of occurrence on the islands. Here, details of all these aspects of this little-known butterfly of the Andaman Islands are presented. This should prove useful in the formulation of a conservation strategy for this iconic Oriental butterfly.