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The present paper describes Filisoma argusum n. sp. (Cavisomatidae), an acanthocephalan parasite infecting the intestine of the spotted scat, Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766), in the south-west coast of India. The prevalence is 18% (mean intensity: 1.61 and abundance: 1–4 worms/host). Filisoma argusum n. sp. is morphologically characterized by a creamy-white, cylindrical, elongate, aspinose, and robust trunk; a collar-like neck; and a cylindrical proboscis with 18–20 longitudinal rows of hooks, with 19–22 hooks/row. Proboscis receptacle long, double-walled. Lemnisci digitiform, equal, longer than proboscis receptacle. Females 79.14 ± 33.69 × 0.593 ± 0.19 mm; males 32.62 ± 2.98 × 0.46 ± 0.071 mm. Males with four cement glands; bulbous muscular copulatory bursa with six digitiform rays. SEM studies revealed smooth hooks, sensory pits, and epidermal micropores. Histopathological changes at the site of parasite attachment included inflammation, hemorrhage, sloughing of epithelium, and detachment of mucosal layer of the intestine. In molecular and phylogenetic analyses, the parasite occupied an independent position within the Cavisomatidae clade with high bootstrap values for both ITS1-5.8S and ITS2, and mt-CO1 regions. Considering the morphologic and morphometric differences with previously described species of Filisoma along with its phylogenetic positioning, the present acanthocephalan is treated as a new species and the name Filisoma argusum n. sp. is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus L.f.) is an economically important, endangered timber species endemic to the restricted forest tracts of the Eastern Ghats, India. Here, we report the occurrence of long horned beetle Xylotrechus smei (Laporte de Castelnau & Gory, 1841) infestation on red sanders for the first time in two plantations located in Telangana, India. Xylotrechus smei is an economically important polyphagous pest with over forty recorded hosts. In red sanders, the infestation percentage ranged from 0.63 to 2.5% across plantations. Infestation was characterized by gradual chlorosis starting from the lower crown followed by complete dying of standing trees, presence of galleries and bore holes in cut stems. In addition, supplementary description of X. smei, including the terminal abdominal segments and genitalia of the sexes, immatures and its illustrations are provided for more authentic identification of this important pest. Further, the identity of the insect as X. smei was confirmed through mtCOI based DNA barcode. Phylogenetic and sequence divergence analyses based on partial mtCOI gene sequence showed that X. smei isolate obtained in the current study was closely related to X. smei isolate WA13 10.01r that was intercepted in wood packaging material in one of the ports of entry of the United States (U.S.). Further studies on devising management strategies for X. smei in red sanders are needed for improving the quality and quantity of the economic produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stethorus aptus Kapur and Stethorus rani Kapur are two important predatory ladybird beetles preying on red spider mite, Oligonychus coffeae Nietner infesting tea in South India. This study re-describes these two predatory beetles since it was found that the original descriptions were scanty. In this study, an attempt has been made on the diagnoses with a detailed description which is supplemented with current terminology, illustrations, coloured images, morphometrics and SEM images of both species. The morphometrics done in the study deals with the length and width of the egg, larvae, pupa and adult of both male and female. Body colour, setae, clypeus, eyes, antennae, scutellum, elytron, abdomen, legs and genitalia were re-described. The present study of the surface morphology with SEM puts forward the differences observed in the size of the punctures on pronotum of two species and the proportion of elytral length versus width as additional diagnostic characters of significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]