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A new species Cigaritis meghamalaiensis sp. nov. (Lycaenidae, Aphnaeinae) is described from the Meghamalai Hills of the Periyar landscape of the southern Western Ghats. Images of adults and illustrations of male genitalia are presented. Information on myrmecophilous immature stages is provided and its ecology is discussed. The new species is very distinct from all the known Cigaritis species in WG, and is diagnosed based on the following combination of characters–upper side of both wings marked extensively blue in males; discal and post-discal bands on forewing underside conjoined and lying parallel from their origin at the costa; post-basal band in hindwing underside continuous and not broken into three smaller bands and this post-basal band ends at vein1b, is not continued along it to reach discal band. The discal and post-discal bands on the underside of the forewing is conjoined and lying parallel from their origin at the costa which is a unique feature that distinguishes the new species from all other Cigaritis species occurring in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. A key to all known species of Cigaritis from the Western Ghats is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of cicada is described from south India. The new taxon, Purana cheeveeda Sadasivan sp. nov. is easily differentiated from all the other known species of the Purana tigrina species group based on its operculum apex not reaching beyond the anterior margin of sternite 3; tubercles on sternite 4 black and almost as large as those on sternite 3; relatively short rostral length reaching unction of abdominal sternite II and sternite III; the absence of dark fasciae on the transverse grooves of postclypeus, forewing venation, basal lobes of pygofer with large diverging triangular spines and the characteristic pentagonal uncus of the male. The status of Purana tigrina (Walker, 1850) from South India is discussed. The topotypes of the taxon commonly identified as P. tigrina from south India did not match the morphology of the holotype of P. tigrina. In addition, the study of the type specimen of P. tigrina demonstrated that the external morphology and male genital characters of the holotype of P. tigrina match that of P. tigrina from the Malayan region. Hence the type locality is mislabelled. This common taxon from southern India which has been traditionally misidentified is described here as a new species of Purana. As per Articles 76A.1.4 and 76A.2, of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1999), the type locality of P. tigrina is hereby corrected as Malaysia. Based on the findings, P. tigrina is removed from the south Indian cicada fauna. The new species has some features common to both the Purana carmente group and Purana tigrina group, but most characters agree to Purana tigrina group, hence is tentatively placed in this group. The characters based on coloration may not be useful in species group classification in Purana, hence structural features like male genitalia and venation are taken to revise the existing species group keys. A modified key to the Purana species groups and members of the P. tigrina species group is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The butterfly fauna of Silent Valley National Park (SVNP) and its buffer zone in Kerala is discussed. Of the 335 species listed from the Western Ghats (WG) and 326 from Kerala, 269 species were recorded from inside the boundaries of the core of SVNP, while an additional 21 species were confirmed from its buffer zone making a total of 290 species as an aggregate for SVNP and its environs. This included 19 species of Papilionidae, 26 Pieridae, 85 Nymphalidae, one Riodinidae, 82 Lycaenidae, and 77 Hesperiidae. Thirty-one species were strictly endemic to the Western Ghats and 63 species were listed in schedules of WPA 1972, and 19 species were in the IUCN Red Lists. The region harbours 89% of all butterflies of Kerala (326 species), and 87% of those seen in the Western Ghats (335 species). About 11% of butterfly fauna of SVNP is endemic to the Western Ghats. Silent Valley and adjoining regions have 86% of all IUCN Red listed species listed for Kerala and the WG. The region also holds 91% of the species listed under WPA known from Kerala and 90% of those listed from WG. Thus, SVNP and its environs are one of the richest regions with respect to butterflies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]