Aspects of histology and histochemistry of injured tissues of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill due to feeding by the mirid, Cyrtopeltis tenuis Reut, based on increased activities of proteins, tannins, peroxidases, polyphenol oxidases and acid phosphatases are discussed.

An analysis of the host plant relationships with respect to the red pumpkin beetle, Raphidopalpa foveico//is Lucas is presented based on the role of receptors involved in host selection, the quantitative food utilization on different cucurbitaceous host plants and the biochemical parameters involved in food plant selection. Orientation of the beetles towards the host plants appeared to be profoundly affectedwhen the receptors present on the antennae and mouthparts were ablated or coated. Though significant differences were observed with regard to the quantity of food ingested among different host plants, ingestion of food was higher for mature leaves and flowers compared to young and senescent leaves. Accordingly, mature leaves and flowers showed high nitrogen and proteins, low sugars, moderately high phenols and narrow C/ N ratio compared to other plant parts. The chemosensory receptors present on the antennae and mouthparts were also studied using scanning electron microscope.

Fifty three freshwater habitats located in and around Bangalore (South India) were surveyed for studying the distribution and abundance of prawns. The survey indicated that, the habitats were rich in prawn fauna, harbouring one species of Palaemonid, Macrobrachium lanchesteri (de Man) and 3 species of Atyids, Caridina nilotica (Roux) var benqalensis, Caridina rajadhari (Bouvier) and Caridina weberi var sumatrensis (de Man). Macrobrachium lanchesteri and Caridina nilotica were more widely distributed than Caridina rajadhari and Caridina weberi. The results throw light on the pattern of distribution and species composition of these prawns in relation to the nature of the habitats.

No abstract

The Asian elephant is mostly confined to mountainous ranges and therefore risks population fragmentation if hard protected area (PA) boundaries near steep slopes prevent movement. We tested whether elephant gene flow is (i) controlled by slope and (ii) affected by the interplay between barriers and slope. We used 176 unique genotypes obtained non-invasively from fresh elephant dung to assess individual-by-individual genetic distance across the Western Ghats of India, a biodiversity hotspot. To assess landscape distance, 36 resistance models were produced by transforming a slope raster. Core areas and corridors were calculated from the raster that provided the best correlation between the genetic and distance matrices. The influence of the closure of PAs on gene flow was examined for one region, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The best resistance raster obtained by transforming the slope occupancy model was better than Euclidean distance for explaining genetic distance, indicating that slope partially controls gene flow. Fencing elephant PAs on hilly terrain reduces core areas and disrupts corridors. Consequently, hard PA boundaries abutting slopes can fragment elephant populations, but this can be ameliorated by protecting the adjacent flatter terrain.