Compatible plant-aphid interactions: how aphids manipulate plant responses.

The Western Ghats of India and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot is often regarded as one unit because of shared biogeographical history. However, recent studies suggest that certain faunal components, particularly in the wet zones are distinct. This article looks at the existing information on species richness and endemicity of taxa in both regions. Data are available on some taxa but not on others, and many taxa have not received equal attention in both regions. The natural ecosystems of this hotspot are under threat and urgent conservation action is needed, especially in augmenting the protected area network. There is also the need for increasing the level of scientific collaboration in biodiversity studies between the two countries.

A brief overview of the Western Ghats - Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot

Seasonality, extractive foraging and the evolution of primate sensorimotor intelligence.

Results The analyses of generic composition and community structure were congruent, supporting a strong affinity between the Western Palaearctic ant fauna and modern Indomalayan and Australasian assemblages, and of a widespread Holarctic ant palaeofauna, and affinity between fossil Caribbean and modern Neotropical faunas. In addition, neither generic composition nor community structure of fossil assemblages showed evidence of taphonomic bias towards arboreal taxa.

Integration of global fossil and modern biodiversity data reveals dynamism and stasis in ant macroecological patterns

Seed dressing pesticides on springtails in two ecotoxicological laboratory tests

The seasonality of litter insect abundance and its relationship with rainfall was analyzed in a wet evergreen forest on the windward side of south Western Ghats. Monthly litter samples were collected using Berlese funnels during 4 seasons of a year: southwest monsoon season June—August), northeast monsoon season (September—November), summer (March -May) and pre-summer season (December—February). Insect fauna as a whole showed no seasonal variation in abundance, however, some individual insect orders showed significant seasonal variation. Overall insect fauna and individual orders were distributed independently relative to rainfall. All insect orders with the exception of Psocoptera were present during all four seasons. Coleoptera (42%) was the dominant group in all seasons followed by Formicidae (12.3%), insect larvae (10.1%), Collembola (9.2%) and Thysanoptera (8.9%). Exceptionally high abundance of Ptiliidae contributed to the unprecedented abundance of litter Coleoptera. The aseasonality of litter insect fauna as a whole is attributed to year-round availability of rainfall and the absence of severe summer conditions.

https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-insect-science/volume-9/issue-46/031.009.4601/Seasonality-of-Litter-Insects-and-Relationship-with-Rainfall-in-a/10.1673/031.009.4601.pdf

Seasonality of Litter Insects and Relationship with Rainfall in a Wet Evergreen Forest in South Western Ghats

The diversity of litter ant assemblages in evergreen, deciduous and Shola evergreen (Shola) forest vegetation types of the Wayanad region of the Western Ghats was assessed employing conventional and taxonomic diversity indices. Non-dependence on quantitative data and the ability to relate the phylogenetic structure of assemblages with ecological conditions of the habitat, and to ascertain priorities for conservation of habitats, makes non-parametric taxonomic diversity measures, such as variation in taxonomic distinctness Lambda(+) and average taxonomic distinctness Delta(+), highly useful tools for assessment of litter ant biodiversity. Although Delta(+) values saturated leading to closer values for the 3 litter ant assemblages, Lambda(+) proved to be a more dependable index. Evenness in taxonomic spread was high in ant assemblages in deciduous forests and low in evergreen forests compared to the regional master list. Low Lambda(+) of ant assemblage in deciduous forests indicates that among the 3 forest vegetation types, deciduous forests provided the most favorable habitat conditions for litter ants. Low evenness, as is indicated by Lambda(+) in evergreen forests, was attributed to the presence of a group of taxonomically closely related ant assemblage more adapted to prevail in moist and wet ecological conditions.

https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-insect-science/volume-7/issue-6/031.007.0601/Biodiversity-Analysis-of-Forest-Litter-Ant-Assemblages-in-the-Wayanad/10.1673/031.007.0601.pdf

Biodiversity Analysis of Forest Litter Ant Assemblages in the Wayanad Region of Western Ghats Using Taxonomic and Conventional Diversity Measures

Seasonal pattern in the resource quality of freshly fallen leaves in a wet evergreen forest floor of Western Ghats was assessed. High resource quality litter was shed during monsoon seasons and low quality litter during the summer season. We propose that the observed variations are related to nutrient source-sink interactions during summer periods and pulse of increased soil nutrient availability and uptake during rainy season, resulting from wind-mediated green leaf fall. Significant seasonal variations in the nutrient content of fresh litter suggest complex decomposition patterns during different seasons of a year.

Seasonal variation in the litter chemical quality of a wet evergreen forest in the Western Ghats

The evaluation of extraction efficiency of the widely employed sampling methods for the extraction of ground-dwelling Coleoptera indicate that pitfall traps tend to overestimate large Coleoptera whereas the quadrate extraction methods (Berlese and Winkler extraction methods) entrap small ones. In a quest for the most effective sampling method for ground dwelling Coleoptera in a tropical montane evergreen forest in the Western Ghats, the efficiency of pitfall trap, Berlese and Winkler extraction methods were evaluated. Results showed that pitfall trap addressed the active beetles groups (Carabidae, Chrysomelidae, Leiodidae, Ptiliidae, Scydmaenidae and Staphylinidae) while quadrate extraction methods captured more of the beetles associated with moisture and sheltered areas (Curculionidae, Histeridae, Hydraenidae and Latridiidae). When cost and time constraints limit the sampling, the Berlese extraction method is the best single quantitative sampling method and pitfall trap is ideal for qualitative ...

Anto Anu

Papers

Seasonality of Litter Insects and Relationship with Rainfall in a Wet Evergreen Forest in South Western Ghats

Biodiversity Analysis of Forest Litter Ant Assemblages in the Wayanad Region of Western Ghats Using Taxonomic and Conventional Diversity Measures

Seasonal variation in the litter chemical quality of a wet evergreen forest in the Western Ghats

Effectiveness of pitfall trapping, Winkler and Berlese extraction methods for sampling ground-dwelling Coleoptera in tropical montane cloud forests.