No abstract

Vagrans egista (Cramer, 1780) is reported for the first time from southern part of West Bengal, India. The Raygar forest of Bankura district in the plateau region is the second locality for the reported species in West Bengal, which extends the distribution range (aerial distance: 525 km) of the species from its known locality, Buxa Tiger Reserve of Alipurduar district in the state. This paper also reports occurrence of Rapala pheretima and Gerosis bhagava in Bankura district for the first time. Importance of an invasive plant, Mikania micrantha has also been discussed as a nectaring plant of butterflies.

Amana angulifera Walker, 1855, a diurnal moth belonging to the family Epicopeiidae, was described from India based on a previously collected specimen. Though type locality was omitted in the original description, in the last decade of the 19th century, the habitat of the moth was mentioned to be Khasi Hills of the present Meghalaya state of India. It is also recorded from Yunnan in southern part of China. After a gap of more than a century, this paper reports the presence of the species again from India, this time in the Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China, filling a sampling gap within its distribution range. Further study of the moth in this region is recommended to fill the sampling gaps and assess its life cycle, population trends, abundance, phenological responses and inter-specific interactions with plants so that conservation measures may be taken up accordingly.

Plumage colouration is important for birds as it helps them in camouflage, mate selection, social signalling and various other physiological and behavioural processes. The most common pigments responsible for colouration are melanins and carotenoids. In a few individuals, colouration is disrupted due to various causes. The most common colour aberrations found in birds are leucism, albinism, melanism, carotenism, schizochroism and dilution whereas xanthochroism is a lesser-known phenomenon. In this article, five records of colour aberrant Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemocephalus are reported. The authors along with the help of citizen scientists observed four individuals with disruptions in plumage colouration from different areas of West Bengal and Assam, India and one from Rajsahi, Bangladesh. Due to the lack of melanins, the birds were mostly yellowish and whitish in colouration with or without some normally coloured feathers on the head and wings. The carotenoid deposition was unaffected in the case of the observed adults and juveniles. These records can be cited as xanthochroistic individuals resulting from leucism. This is the first record of such colour aberration for Coppersmith Barbet from the whole of its distribution range.

Centranthera tranquebarica (Spreng.) Merr. (Orobranchaceae) and Mallotus repandus (Rottler) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) are reported as new host plants of Junonia orithya (Linnaeus, 1758) (Nymphalidae) and Rapala manea (Hewitson, 1863) (Lycaenidae) butterflies from Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, India. Schleichera oleosa (Sapindaceae), a deciduous tree, is reported as new host plant of Coladenia indrani (Moore, [1866]) (Hesperiidae) from Bankura district of West Bengal, India. Defensive mechanism of Junonia orithya larva by rolling itself into a tight spiral is also observed.