Journal of Animal Diversity
Volume:4 Issue: 4, Dec 2022

We sequenced mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene fragments of 84 samples of Odorrana graminea (Boulenger, 1900) sensu lato from 33 sites in southern China. Combining the newly generated sequences and congeneric sequences obtained from GenBank, we reconstructed a molecular phylogeny for the genus Odorrana Fei, Ye and Huang, 1990. Phylogenetic analysis revealed five highly divergent lineages which were paraphyletic within O. graminea sensu lato in southern China. The lineage from Medog and western Yunnan is assigned to O. chloronota (Günther, 1876). The lineage from Hainan, southeastern Guangxi, and southwestern Guangdong corresponds to O. graminea sensu stricto; the lineage from Fujian, Jiangxi, easternmost Guangxi, and northern, central, and eastern Guangdong corresponds to O. leporipes (Werner, 1930); and the remaining two lineages from southern Yunnan represent two cryptic new species. In addition, by checking the type specimens of O. rotodora (Yang and Rao, 2008) we confirmed that O. rotodora is the synonym of O. chloronota.

We report the first record of the Tiger shrike, Lanius tigrinus Drapiez from Bhumtang District in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. The new geographical distribution of L. tigrinus in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in Bhutan, occurring at an elevation greater than 3,000 m is beyond the elevational records of the species in Southeast Asia. This range extension of the Tiger shrike at vast spatial scales, from East Asia to the Eastern Himalayan region of South Asia, provides new scientific insights.

Data on anurans in Davao City watersheds remains depauperate. This study provides the first account of anurans of the Panigan-Tamugan watershed using visual encounter survey (VES) and microhabitat searches along fifteen 10 × 10 m belt transects. A total of 14 species belonging to 11 genera and five families were recorded for all three sampling sites in the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed. Eleven out of 14 anurans species documented in this survey are endemic to the Philippines. Anuran families recorded during the survey included Bufonidae Gray (n= 3), Dicroglossidae Anderson (n= 4), Megophryidae Bonaparte (n= 2), Ranidae Batsch (n= 1), and Rhacophoridae Hoffman (n= 4). Additional records of anurans from this study, namely Fejervarya vittigera (Wiegmann), Occidozyga laevis (Günther), Pelophryne brevipes (Peters), and Philautus worcesteri (Stejneger), increased the number of species known from watershed areas of Davao City, as they were not reported in previous inventories conducted in the city. Species richness data may not necessarily reflect the true number of species in the site. Future studies should include an increased number of transects and man hours. Although the list comprises the limited information on this taxon in watersheds, more inventories are necessary for a full understanding of anuran composition in the city's several watersheds.

In addition to protected landscapes, anthropic land covers (ALCs) can also harbor spiders in human-modified landscapes (HMLs). This study determined the diversity of spiders in seven different ALCs within the University of the Philippines Mindanao campus in order to identify ALCs with the highest priority for spider conservation. Direct sampling methods were employed to collect specimens within 2,000 m2 belt transects. A total of 364 spider individuals belonging to 69 morphospecies from 40 genera and 13 families were documented. Highest species richness was observed from the family Araneidae. Nephila pilipes Fabricius (Araneidae) and Heteropoda venatoria Linnaeus (Sparassidae) were found across sampling sites. Among the ALCs, site 5OGSF (old- growth and secondary forest) had the highest species richness (q0 (26)) while site 7AF (agroforest) had the highest species diversity (q1 (17.16); q2 (13.83)). Site 3CTP (cacao tree plantation) was consistently the least species-rich (q0 (10)) and least diverse (q1 (6.92); q2 (5.54)). The different vegetation density and structural complexity of ALCs on the campus support spider communities in which the highest species richness and diversity were observed in the secondary forest and agroforest, respectively. This paper highlights that spider communities have varying levels of diversity in different small-scale ALCs.

A comprehensive record of reptiles found in the Moyar River Valley Landscape (MRVL) is presented in this manuscript. The observations did not adhere to standardized survey methods, and are based on opportunistic encounters during our vegetation survey in different habitats of the MRVL between December 2017 and December 2019. A total of 135 live individuals and 31 road-killed specimens, representing 37 species of reptiles were recorded of which two species are Vulnerable, 13 are Least Concern and 22 species are Not Evaluated in accordance with the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The recorded species belonged to six families of lizards (Agamidae, Chamaeleonidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, Scincidae, and Varanidae), six families of snakes (Colubridae, Elapidae, Erycidae, Pythonidae, Typhlopidae, and Viperidae), two families of chelonians (Geoemydidae, and Testudinidae), and one family of Crocodylia (Crocodylidae,). The road-killed specimens were recorded between the year 2018 and 2020 and come under Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Though the present work did not follow a specific survey method, the contribution provides baseline information on the reptile diversity of the MRVL and presents interesting findings from the Sathyamangalam and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves in north-western Tamil Nadu, India.

Diversity and abundance of butterfly (Papilionoidea) species were studied intensively between January 2017 and December 2021 from six heterogeneous sites of the newly created Jhargram district in West Bengal state, India. A total of 142 species from all six butterfly families were recorded from the study sites, of which 45 belong to the family Lycaenidae, 42 to Nymphalidae, 29 to Hesperiidae, 14 from Pieridae, 11 from Papilionidae and 1 from Riodinidae. Thirteen of the species observed are new reports from the district. New distributional records of Deudorix epijarbas (Moore, [1858]), Notocrypta curvifascia (C. Felder and R. Felder, 1862) from the southern part of West Bengal are reported. Rachana jalindra (Horsfield, [1829]) is rediscovered from the southern part of West Bengal after a long period. Gangara thyrsis (Fabricius, 1775) is reported from this part of the state for only the second time. Additionally, Cupitha purreea (Moore, 1877), Gerosis bhagava (Moore, [1866]), Sarangesa dasahara Moore, [1866], Celaenorrhinus leucocera (Kollar, [1844]), Rapala pheretima (Hewitson, 1863), Athyma inara Westwood, 1850, Athyma selenophora (Kollar, [1844]) and Tanaecia lepidea (Butler, 1868) are among the other notable species which are reported for the first time from Jhargram district. The statistical analysis of the diversity and abundance of the study sites and the analysis of variance and rarefaction have been performed to study the β-diversity and compare the abundance of the sites in order to understand the heterogeneity of butterfly observations. The distribution by site of the species has also been studied.

The present study was conducted to study avifaunal diversity of Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Junagadh, Gujarat, India. This study was carried out from August 2020 to August 2022. Data collection was done using a point count method and visual encounter method, with opportunistic sighting also included. A total of 276 species of birds belonging to 70 families and 21 orders were recorded from Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary. In the present study out of 70 families, Accipitridae and Muscicapidae were the most dominant families with 24 species each. As per the IUCN status, 261 species are Least Concern, three species are Critically Endangered, one species is Endangered, eight species are Near Threatened and three are Vulnerable. Out of seven foraging guilds, species of birds classified as Insectivores were dominant. The results obtained provide baseline information on the avifaunal diversity of Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, which will help in further conservation implications.

Benthic macrofauna has a pivotal role in the energy flow and material cycles of marine ecosystems. Abiotic and biotic factors determine the presence and distribution of benthic macrofauna. The present study investigated possible relationships between benthic macrofauna and natural abiotic factors along the coastal region of the Gulf of Oman, including the north of Chabahar Bay, Konarak, and Tis. This was achieved through survey of the supra-littoral and intertidal zones at low tide, during the cold and warm seasons. In each zone, nine transects were sampled at random using quadrats. Then, sediment characteristics and macrofaunal abundance were determined. Mollusks and ‎echinoderms had the highest and the lowest species richness, respectively. The average values for the Shannon–Wiener index of the transects at Tis, north of Chabahar Bay, and Konarak were 3.22, 3.28, and 3.20 in the warm season, respectively, while the index reached 3.29, 3.47, and 3.17 in the winter. Regardless of seasonality, the level of biodiversity was at a maximum in the northern part of Chabahar Bay, and Konarak showed the minimum biodiversity. The results of multi-linear regression analysis proposed that non-biological factors are suitable proxies for predicting the levels of species density in the study regions (R2= 0.72, F(6,71) = 2.25, p< 0.05).