The phenomena of colour aberration (albinism, leucism, piebaldism, melanism, hypomelanism, and blue-eyed colour morph) is reported in various mammalian species throughout the world including India. A total of 239 such instances in Indian mammals was tabulated in this study along with maps showing locations of the records. The records from 1886 to 2017 (till July) were gathered from published scientific literature, magazines, and images uploaded on various websites. The records were reviewed along with their order-wise and family-wise representation and were analyzed. Appropriate identification of colour aberration was attempted on the basis of any presented evidence. Altogether, 56 (out of 421) mammalian species belonging to eight orders and 19 families were reported to exhibit various types of colour aberrations, amounting to 13.3% of the total mammalian species found in India. Of these, albinos constituted 21.8%, leucistic 14.2%, piebald 5.4%, melanistic 25.5%, hypomelanistic 18.4%, and blue-eyed white morph 1.3%; the remaining 13.4% was undetermined. The study highlights 1) the absence of records of colour aberrations in the largest mammal family Vespertilionidae, which contrasts with studies elsewhere, 2) the persistent occurrence of albinos in Spotted Deer and Blackbucks in Gujarat, 3) the high number of melanistic leopards in India over the years and recent instances of melanistic Asian Golden Cats in Sikkim, 4) regular records of hypomelanism in Gaurs of the southern Western Ghats except in the last few years. Overall, a need for further studies in colour aberration in mammals is urged.
A new genus of freshwater crab, Ghatiana, with two new species, Ghatiana aurantiaca and Ghatiana hyacintha, and a new species of Gubernatoriana Bott, 1970, are described from the Western Ghat Mountains in Maharashtra State, India. Ghatiana is most similar to Gubernatoriana by its wide, highly arched carapace and by the shape of the male abdomen. Nevertheless, the new genus can be distinguished from Gubernatoriana by the broadness of carapace, length of male abdomen, shape of sixth abdominal somite, length of telson and length of G1 terminal article. Ghatiana aurantiaca sp. nov. and G. hyacintha sp. nov. are distinguished by differences in body colour, carapace width, and G1 morphology, whereas Gubernatoriana triangulus sp. nov. is distinguished from two other known species [Gubernatoriana gubernatoris (Alcock, 1909) and Gubernatoriana pilosipes (Alcock, 1909)] by its triangular G1 subterminal segment and by its carapace morphology. Keys to the species of both the genera are provided. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:36BAA1EA-DC15-4B06-BA09-7BD26C63FF54
The present study reports a leaf gall midge, Procontarinia robusta Li, Bu & Zhang of Mango, Mangifera indica L. from India. It is being reported for the first time from India. Earlier, this species was reported from China, Indonesia and East Timor. A brief diagnosis of its immature stages and coloured images are given to facilitate easy identification.
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