Vol. 21 (2), June, 2019 BIONOTES Nicéville (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Nachrichten des Entomologichen Vereins Satyrinae) from the Western Himalaya, India. Apollo 32 (3/4): 105 – 108. A NOTE ON ISCHNURA NURSEI (MORTON, 1907): THE FIRST RECORD FROM NEPAL (ZYGOPTERA: COENAGRIONIDAE) MILAN ARYAL Butwal-13, Devinagar, Rupandehi, Nepal [email protected] Reviewer: Parag Rangnekar Introduction The Odonata survey was carried out in Morton (1907) described a damselfly species Jagadishpur lake and Baanganga river of from Deera, India; since he was not certain Kapilvastu, Nepal, between January, 2019 and about the generic placement, he published it as April, 2019.The Odonates were observed and Ischnura? nursei. Laidlaw (1919), assigned photographed between 09:00 hr and 15:00 hr. this unusual species to genus Rhodischnura during low wind, warm and sunny weather. Laidlaw, 1919 because it differs in appearance Ischnura nursei was photographed on 24 from all known members of genus Ischnura February, 2019 at 14:04 hr and on same day at Charpentier, 1840. Dumont (2013) 14:37 hr along the shoreline of Jagadishpur demonstrated in a worldwide DNA analysis of Lake (27°37'19.41"N &83° 5'41.54"E). Two 24 Odonata species that I. nursei belongs to male individuals of I. nursei were the ‘pumilio clade s.l.’ and is a real Ischnura. photographed. The first individual was Due to its bright red, yellow and black colours observed basking on a blade of grass (Fig. 1) on the abdomen, and turquoise on the thorax, and the other was observed on the stem of a I. nursei is an enigmatic damselfly. Until shrub (Fig 2). The species is an extremely 2011, the known distribution of I. nursei was small, low-flying damselfly, which rests limited to India and Pakistan (Nair 2011; Zia frequently. The species was identified by et al. 2011); Dumont et al. (2011) published consulting available literature, viz., keys the first record from Iran; Feulner & Judas (Fraser, 1933) and field guides and books (2013) published the first record for the United (Nair, 2011; Subramanian, 2009) and also Arab Emirates; Bashar et al. (2014) published from the online resources the first record for Bangladesh and Kunz (http://indianodonata.org) and then confirmed (2015b) reported it from Oman. The record of by experts. I. nursei documented here is the first record In the field, the male of this extremely small for Nepal. species was identified at once by the Observations characteristic zonation of the abdomen, which 37 Vol. 21 (2), June, 2019 BIONOTES is tri-coloured in a typical “Belgian” or 1907; Fraser, 1920; Laidlaw, 1916, 1919) “German” flag pattern, viz. red, yellow, and (Fig. 1 & 2). The male appendages are black on the dorsum and sides (Fig. 1 &2). The comparatively simple, rather uniformly light pterostigma on the fore wing is larger than on brownish in colour. the hind wing and reddish in colour (Morton, Figs. 1&2: Two different males of Ischnura nursei Result and discussion Feulner & Judas, 2013); the record of I. nursei Since its description in 1907, I. nursei was is not surprising as it was recorded from known from Pakistan and from all arid areas Jagadishpur Lake (Nepal) which is an artificial of Northwestern, Central, and Eastern India lake and located adjacent to Northwestern (Nair, 2011; Zia et al., 2011). It is absent on India. This record is an addition to known the less arid Indian Peninsula (Subramanian, Nepalese fauna and extends the known 2005; Subramanian et al., 2011). The distribution of this species to Nepal. Pakistani records were updated only recently Acknowledgement (Zia, 2010; Zia et al., 2011). In addition to the The author is highly grateful to Department of westward extension of the known range to Forest, Nepal for the permission to carry out Iran, UAE and Oman, I. nursei was recorded this survey and to Mrs. Karen Coniff for her eastwards too: Nair (2011) reported it twice precious help during confirmation of the from Odisha (India), and Bashar et al. (2014) species and to Mr. Kritagya Gyawali, Mr. published the first two records from Manoj Sharma, Ms. Shristee Panthee and Ms. Bangladesh. Kumar et al. (2015) found it Smarika Bhattarai for support. fairly common throughout the year in References Northeast India. The record of I. nursei from Bashar K., M.S. Reza, M.A. Razzak, K.M.Z. Nepal fills the distribution gap between known Rahman, P. Goda & A.J. Howlader. 2014. eastward distribution to Bangladesh and Faunistic study of Odonata (Dragonfly & known westward distribution to Oman. Since Damselfly) in some selected regions of artificial habitats like water reservoirs and Bangladesh. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2 (4): 1–6. smaller dams are used by I. nursei (Nair, 2011; 38 Vol. 21 (2), June, 2019 BIONOTES Dumont, H.J., M. Kiany & S. Sadeghi. 2011. legions Argia and Agrion. Rec. Indian. Mus. First record of Rhodischnura nursei (Morton) 16: 169-195. from Iran (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica 40: 251–254. Morton, K.J. 1907. Odonata collected by Lt. Dumont, H.J. 2013. Phylogeny of the genus Colonel Nurse, chiefly in north western India. Ischnura, with emphasis on the Old-World taxa (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. 1907: 303-308. Odonatologica 42: 301–308. Nair, M.V. 2011. Dragonflies & damselflies of Feulner, G.R. & J. Judas. 2013. First UAE records of two Odonata: the dragonfly Orissa and Eastern India. Wildlife Organ- Urothemis thomasi and the damselfly isation, Forest & Environment Department, Ischnura nursei. Tribulus 21: 4–13. Government of Orissa. Fraser, F.C.1920. Notes on Indian dragonflies, 1: a description of the dimorphic females of Subramanian, K.A. 2005. Dragonflies and Rhodischnura nursei Morton. Rec. Indian damselflies of Peninsular India – A Field Mus. 19(2): 31-33. Guide. Project Lifescape. Indian Academy of Fraser, F.C. 1933. The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, Odonata. Vol. 1. Sciences, Bangalore, India. Taylor & Francis, London. Subramanian, K.A. 2009. Dragonflies of Kumar, D.B., S. Uddipta & Ch. Phalgun. India- A field guide. Vigyan Prasar, India, 180 2015. Diversity, distribution and abundance of pp. damselfly (Zygoptera) of Kapla Beel, wetland of Barpeta District; Assam, India. Subramanian K.A., F. Kakkassery & M.V. International Research Journal of Biological Nair.2011. Chapter 5: The status and Sciences 4: 69–76. distribution of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) of the Western Ghats. In: Molur, S., Kunz, B. 2015b. First record of Ischnura nursei Morton, 1907 from Oman (Odonata: K.G. Smith, B.A. Daniel, & W.R.T. Darwall, Coenagrionidae). Libellula 34 (1/2): 117– (eds.) The Status and Distribution of 124. Freshwater Biodiversity in the Western Ghats, Laidlaw, F.F. 1916. Noteson Indian Odonata. India. Cambridge, UK and Gland, Rec. Indian Mus. 12(4): 131-132. Switzerland: IUCN, and Coimbatore, India: Laidlaw, F.F. 1919. A list of the dragonflies Zoo Outreach Organisation: 63–72. recorded from the Indian Empire with special Zia, A. 2010. Biosystematics of damselflies reference to the collection of the Indian (Zygoptera: Odonata) of Pakistan. Depart- Museum, 2: the family Agrionidae, B: the ment of Entomology; Faculty of Crop and 39 Vol. 21 (2), June, 2019 BIONOTES Food Sciences, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agri- (Zygoptera: Odonata) of Pakistan: Part I. culture University, Rawalpindi. Thesis. Journal of Insect Science 11: 1–27. Zia, A., M. Naeem, M.A. Rafi, F. Naz, S. Af- sheen & M. Ilyas. 2011. Damselflies A NEW ELEVATION RECORD FOR THE INDIAN TORTOISESHELL BUTTERFLY AGLAIS CASCHMIRENSIS (KOLLAR [1844]) (LEPIDOPTERA: NYMPHALIDAE) FROM ARUNACHAL PRADESH, INDIA MINOM PERTIN & ROSHAN UPADHAYA Society for Education and Environment Development Miao, Changlang District, Arunachal Pradesh, India 792 122 [email protected] Reviewer: Peter Smetacek The Himalaya and associated mountain ranges m elevation (Kehimkar, 2016). The larval rise from nearly sea level in the plains of hostplants are species of Urtica L. Assam, India to 8848 m elevation in Nepal. A specimen of the species was photographed The proximity to the tropics and the variety of at Miao (230 m), Changlang District, vegetation types clothing these mountains has Arunachal Pradesh, on 30 May, 2019 around enabled their colonisation by a vast variety of noon, when it was settling on cowdung outside creatures. The distribution of many of these is a cowshed. Although the species is known to restricted to certain altitudinal belts. In the visit flowers, it usually does not settle on dung case of Troidine butterflies, the presence of (Peter Smetacek pers. comm.) their foodplants have been shown to be a The present record is around 170 m lower than major factor governing their altitudinal its previous known lower limit mentioned by distribution (Smetacek, 2011). Kehimkar (2016). It is possible that the The Indian Tortoiseshell Aglais caschmirensis specimen photographed belongs to a resident (Kollar, [1844]) is a species population, since the larval hostplant, species of nymphalid butterfly found in the northern of Urtica, grows abundantly in the area. regions of the Indian subcontinent, primarily References in the Himalaya from Kashmir to Arunachal Irungbam, J., H. Huidrom & B. Soibam. 2017. Pradesh (Kehimkar, 2016). Irungbam et al. Range extension of the Indian Tortoiseshell (2017) reported the species from Manipur. It Aglais caschmirensis aesis (Fruhstorfer, 1912) has among the widest altitudinal distributions Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) into the hills of of any butterfly, being found from 400 – 5,360 40 .