We present a systematic, updated checklist of larval host plants of the butterflies of the Western Ghats, a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot. This includes recent new records, with a total of approximately 834 plant species/groups belonging to 88 families that are used by 320 butterfly species of the Western Ghats (the host plant records for 16 species are unknown). A reverse list is also provided as a reference to plant species-wise plant-butterfly associations. This work highlights the diversity of plant species on which the endemic and other butterfly species of the Western Ghats depend.
Eight species of parasitic wasps were bred from various stages of five species of hesperiids viz. Thoressa evershedi (Evans), Pelopidas mathias (Fabricius), Udaspes folus (Cramer), Borbo cinnara (Wallace) and Caltoris sp. inhabiting Western Ghats, Kerala, India. One new species, Dolichogenidea kunhi Gupta & Kalesh, is described and illustrated from Kerala, India, and its relationship with closely allied species is discussed. This new species was bred from parasitized larvae of Thoressa evershedi (Evans) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Microgastrinae braconid species, Apanteles javensis Rohwer and Cotesia erionotae (Wilkinson) were bred from parasitized larvae of P. mathias and U. folus respectively. Brachymeria habui Özdikmen (Chalcididae) was recorded from pupae of U. folus. Two hyperparasitoids, Eurytoma manilensis Ashmead (Eurytomidae) & Pediobius foveolatus (Crawford) (Eulophidae) were bred from larvae of B. cinnara. Egg parasitoid, Ooencyrtus papilionis Ashmead (Encyrtidae) and pupal parasitoid Brachymeria lasus (Walker) (Chacididae) was recorded from Caltoris sp. Information on the parasitoid distribution, brief diagnosis of each species with a habitus photograph for easy identification, host association, host caterpillars, caterpillar host plants, and taxonomic comments are provided.
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