: : MISCELLANEOUS NOTES beensightedwithinfive metresofperennial streams (Daltry available for this species since its description (Daltry and and Martin 1997; Ishwar 2000). The present observation Martin 1997; Vasudevan 1997; Ishwar 2000), which is the reveals that this species may also occur a considerable second forthe Western Ghats ofKerala. distance away from water. The altitude of this locality was 1,450 m msl, and all previous sightings ofM. indicus were ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS within 1,000-1,500m.Thisindicatestherestricteddistribution of this species with respect to altitude. Though the present WethankJamesZacharias,WildlifeWarden,Eravikulam recordlieswithinthedistributionalrangeofthisspecies,lack NationalParkandtheDistrictForestOfficer,Munnarforlogistic of precise locality data makes the present observation supportinthefield.S.K.Dutta,UtkalUniversity,Bhubaneswar noteworthy. This is also one of the four reliable records offeredcommentsonanearlierdraftofthemanuscript. REFERENCES Boulenger, G.A. (1890): The Fauna of British India. Reptilia and India. 126 pp. Amphibia. Taylorand Francis, London, xvii + 541 pp. Ishwar, N.M. (2000): Melanobatrachus indicus Beddome, 1878, Daltry,J.C. &G.N. Martin(1997): Rediscoveryoftheblacknarrow- resightedattheAnaimalaiHills,southIndia.Hamadryad25(1): mouthed frog, Melanobatrachus indicus Beddome, 1878. 50-51. Hamadryad 22(1): 57-58. Vasudevan, K. (1997): Rediscovery of the black microhylid Dutta, S.K. (1997): AmphibiansofIndiaandSri Lanka(Checklist & (Melanobatrachus indicus). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94: Bibliography). Odyssey Publishing House, Bhubaneswar, 170-171. 18. NEW RECORD OF THE SIMPLE ASCIDIAN STYELA PLICATA (LESUEUR 1823)' V.K. Meenakshi2andS. SenthamaraT 'Accepted, December 29, 2004 ^Department of Zoology, A.PC. Mahalaxmi College for Women, Tuticorin 628 002, Tamil Nadu, India. Email: [email protected] ’Ameen Teacher Training Institute, Puthur, Somasipadi, Thiruvannamalai 606611, Tamil Nadu, India. — A simple ascidian Styelaplicata (Lesueur 1823) is plicata DeKay 1843, p. 259, Styela gyrosa: Heller 1877, reportedforthefirsttimefromTuticorinharbour,TamilNadu, p. 255,Styelagyrosa: Herdman 1882.p. 155,Styelaplicata India.OnlytwospeciesofthegenusStyelahavebeenreported Traustedt 1883a, p. 123, Styela plicata: Traustedt 1883b, earlierfromIndia(Renganathan 1981; Krishnanetal. 1989); p. 478, Styelaplicata: Traustedt 1885, p. 44, Styelapinguis: boththespeciesreported,StyelabicolorandStyelacanopus Herdman 1899, p.40, Tethyum plicatum: Hartmeyer 1909, , occurasfoulingorganismsinTuticorinandBombayharbour. p. 1359, Tethyumplicatum: Van Name, 1912, p. 569, Styela plicata: Huntsman 1912, p. 149, Styela plicata: Huntsman Styelaplicata (Lesueur 1823) Occurrence and distribution: Numerous specimens werecollectedfromtheshelteredwatersofTuticorinharbour (8° 48' N, 78° IT E), seen attached to piers, pilings, other harbour installations, corals and also from the pearl oyster cages suspended at a depth of4-5 m. This species has been previouslyreportedfromAustralia HartmeyerandMichaelsen ( 1928;Kott 1952, 1972a,b,c, 1975),HongKong(Tokiokaand Nishikawa 1975; Kott and Goodbody 1982), western Indian Ocean(Michaelsen 1918),Japan(Tokioka 1960),WestIndies (Van Name 1921, 1930, 1945), Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea (Harant 1927a, b; Harant and Vernieres 1933; Heller 1877) andeasterncoastofNorthAmerica(Van Name 1912;Huntsman 1912, 1913). Synonymy:AscidiaplicataLesueur 1823,p.5,Ascidia 106 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (1), Jan-Apr 2007 : : MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 1913, p.489,Styelaplicata: Redikorzev 1916,p. 191.Styela deeply curved (Fig. 1). Stomach is long and occupies more plicata: Michaelsen 1918, p. 36, Styela plicata: Van Name than halfof the ascending limb of the primary loop. It has 1921, p. 435, Styela plicata Harant 1927a, p. 243, Styela manyfinelongitudinalfoldsarrangedparallel tooneanother plicata: Harant 1927b, p. 7, Styelaplicata: Van Name 1930, onitsexternalsurface. Rectumrunsparalleltothedescending p.492,Styelaplicata: HarantandVemieres 1933,p. 31,Styela limbofthe primary gut loop and extends anteriorly towards plicata: Van Name 1945, p. 295, Styela plicata Kott 1952, the base of the atrial aperture. The anus is deeply lobed. p. 216, Styelaplicata: Tokioka 1960, p. 213, Styelaplicata: There are two gonads on the left and four on the right, Millar 1966,p. 370,Styelaplicata: Kott 1972a,p. 185,Styela radiating from the atrial aperture. Each gonad has a central plicata: Kott 1972b,p.239,Styelaplicata: Kott 1972c,p.254, tubular, long ovary bordered by branched testis follicles Styelaplicata: Kott 1975, p.13, Styelaplicata: Tokioka and attachedtothebodywall.Endocarpsarecrowded,distributed Nishikawa 1975,p.338,Styelaplicata: Kott 1985,p. 1 16. on the body wall along both sides ofthe intestine, enclosed Taxonomy: Class: Ascidiacea, Order: Pleurogona, in the gut loop and on the body wall between the gonads. Suborder: Stolidobranchia, Family: Styelidae, Subfamily: REMARKS Styelinae. Description: Individualsupright,cylindrical,fixedby the posteriorendoftheirbody. Sizeofthe specimen 1-4cm. The firm, slightly translucent yellowish orange test, Animalssessile,withoutanyrootsorstalks.Testfirm,slightly heavily pigmented short conical siphons, deeply curved gut translucent,yellowishorangewithepibiontslikeDidemmum loop, crowded endocarps, long branched testis follicles psammathodes and Distaplia nathensis attached to the distributedalongthe lengthoftheovary arecharacteristicto surface. Surfaceofthetestwith many faintlongitudinaland thespecies.Thisspeciesisbeingreportedforthefirsttimein circularcreases. Branchial apertureterminal, atrial aperture Indian waters. The specimen studied has been deposited in antero-dorsal. Apertures on very short conical siphons the Museum of A.RC. Mahalaxmi College for Women heavily pigmented. Siphon lining with prominent flattened (Regn.No.APCMAS2002). spines. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Internalstructure:Thebodywall isthickandhaswell developed circularmusclescrossed by longitudinal muscles radiating from the siphons. Dorsal tubercle has a U-shaped The authors are grateful to Dr. T.K. Renganathan, slit directed anteriorly with both horns turned in. There are Retired Professor ofZoology, V.O. Chidambaram College, 4widebranchialfoldswith 18-25internallongitudinalvessels Tuticorin for his kind help in confirming the identification, crowded on the folds and 6-10 between the folds. There are andtothescientistsatCMFRI,Tuticorinforthesamplesand 5-6longstigmataineach mesh. Gut loop is very narrow and totheUGC,NewDelhiforfinancial assistance. REFERENCES DeKay, J.E. (1843): Zoology ofNew York. Part 5. Mollusca. Albany. Australian Museum. Australian Museum. Sydney Catalogue 17: 271 pp. 1-594. Harant, H. (1927a): La faune ascidiologique de Banyuls et de Celte: Huntsman, A.G. (1912): Holosomatous ascidians from the coast of essalderevisiondesascidiesdelaMediterraneeoccidentale.Annls. Western Canada. Contr. Can. Biol. Fish. 1906-1910: 103-185. Inst. Oceanogr. Monaco 4: 209-251. Huntsman,A.G. (1913):TheclassificationoftheStylediae.Zool.Anz. Harant, H. (1927b): Introduction synoptique une faune do France de 41: 482-501. Tuniciers I. Ascidies Stolobrachiates. Annls. Inst. Oceanogr. Kott, P. (1952): Ascidians of Australia; 1. Stolido-branchiata. and Monaco 508: 1-10. Phlebobranchiata. Aust. J. mar. Freshw. Res. 3: 206-333. Harant, H. & P. Vernieres(1933):Tuniciers-Fascicule 1.Ascidies. Kott, P. (1972a): The ascidians ofSouth Australia II. Eastern Sector Faune Fr. 27: 1-101. of the Great Australian Bight and Investigator strait. Trans. R. Hartmeyer, R. (1909): Ascidien (Continuation of work by Seeliger) Soc. S. Aust. 96: 165-196. Pp. 1281-1772. In: Klassen and Ordnungen des Tierreichs Kott,P. (1972b): SomesublittoralascidiansinMoretonBayandtheir (Ed: Bronn, H.G. & C.F. Winter). Leipzig. seasonal occurrence. Mem. Qd. Mus. 16: 233-260. Hartmeyer. R. & W. Michaelsen (1928): Ascidiae Diktyobranchiae Kott, P. (1972c): Notes on some ascidians from Port Jackson, Botany and Ptychobranchiae. Fauna Sudwest. Aust. 5: 251-460. BayandPortHackingNSW.Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 97: 241-257. Heller,C.(1877):UntersuchungenuberdieTunicatendesAdriatischen Kott,P. (1975):The ascidiansofSouthAustraliaIII. Northern sector und Mittlemeeres(3).Denkschr.Akad. Wiss. Wien. 37: 241-275. ofthe Great Australian Bight and additional records. Trans. R. Herdman, W.A. (1882): Report on the tunicata collected during the Soc S. Aust. 99: 1-20. voyageofH.M.S. “Challenger”duringtheyears 1873-76. Part 1. Kott, P. (1985): The Australian Ascidiacea. Part I. Phlebobranchia Ascidiae simplices. Zoology 6: 1-296. and Stolidobranchia. Mem. Qd. Mus. 23: 1-440. Herdman, W.A. (1899): Descriptive catalogue ofthe Tunicata in the Kott, P. & I. Goodbody (1982): The ascidians of Hong Kong. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (1), Jan-Apr 2007 107 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Pp. 503-554. In: Proceedings of the First International Marine Ascidians found in the benthonic samples dredged in theAriake Biological Workshop: the flora and fauna of Hong Kong and Sea. 1957-58. Pubis Seto. Mar. Biol. Lab. 8: 205-221. Southern China, Hong Kong, Vol. I (Eds: Morton, B.S. & Tokioka, T. & T. Nishikawa (1975): Contributions to the Japanese C.X. Tseng). Hong KongUniversity Press, Hong Kong. ascidianfaunaXXVII. SomeascidiansfromOkinawawithnotes Krishnan, R., M.R. Chandran & T.K. Renganathan (1989): On the on a small collection from Hong Kong. Pubis. Seto. Mar. Biol. occurrence of four species of ascidians new to Indian waters. Lab. 22: 325-341. Geobiosnew Reports8: 70-74. Traustedt, M.P.A. (1883a): Vestindiske Ascidiae Simplices. Anden Lesueur,C.A. (1823): Descriptionsofseveral newspeciesofAscidia. Afdeling.MolgulidaeogCynthiadae. Vidensk.meddrdansknaturh. J. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad. 3: 2-8. Foren. 1882: 108-136. Michaelsen, W. (1918): Die Ptychobranchen and Diktyobranchen Traustedt, M.P.A. (1883b): Die einfachen Ascidien des Golfes von Ascidiendeswestlichen IndischenOzeans. Jb. hamb. wiss. Anst. Neapel. Mitt. Zool. Stat. Neapel4: 448-488. 35 (2): 1-71. Traustedt, M.P.A. (1885): Ascidiae simplices fra det Stille Ocean. Millar, R.H. (1966): Ascidiacea. Port Phillip Survey. Mem. natn. Vidensk. meddrdansk naturh. Foren. 1884: 1-160. Mus. Viet. 27: 357-375. VanName,W.G.(1912):SimpleascidiansofthecoastsofNewEngland Redikorzev,V.(1916):FaunedelaRusseetdespayslimitrophesfondee andneighbouring BritishProvinces.Proc. Boston. Soc. nat. Hist. principalment sur les collections du musee zoologique de I’ 34: 439-619. Academie Imperiale des Science Petrograd. Tunicies (Tunicata). Van Name, W.G. (1921): Ascidians of the West Indian region and Fauna Rossi 1: 1-336. southeastern UnitedStates. Bull.Am. Mus. nat. Hist. 44: 283-494. Renganathan, T.K. (1981): New record of a simple ascidian Styela VanName,W.G.(1930):TheascidiansofPortoRicoandVirginIslands. bicolor (Sluiter 1887) from the Tuticorin Coast of India. Cun: Scient. Sun: P. Rico 10: 403 -512. Sci. 50: 1008. Van Name, W.G. (1945): The North and South American ascidian. Tokjoka, T. (1960): Contributions to Japanese ascidian fauna XVIII. Bull. Am. Mus. nat. Hist. 84: 1-476. 19. SPIRALLING WHITEFLY ALEURODICUS DISPERSUS RUSSELL (HOMOPTERA: ALEYRODIDAE) INVADES ANDAMANS' G. Shyam Prasad2’3, S. Bhagat2-4andV.Jayakumar2-5 'Accepted April 23, 2007 •Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 744 101, India. Current Address: National Research Centre for Sorghum, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, Andhra Pradesh, India. Email: [email protected] 4Email: [email protected] -'Email: [email protected] Whiteflies, including the Spiralling Whitefly stemandfruits.Thecopiouswhite,waxy,flocculentmaterial AleurodicusdispersusRussell(Hemiptera:Aleyrodidae),pose secreted by the nymphs, readily spreads to adjacent a severe threat to many agricultural and horticultural crops, vegetationbywind.Thisstickyhoneydewfavoursthegrowth both in glass house and field conditions, due to their wide host range. This pest is native to the Caribbean Islands and Table 1: Host range of A. dispersus in the South Andamans CentralAmerica.The SpirallingWhitefly is nowreported to occurinNorthAmerica,SouthAmerica,Asia,Africa,Australia Commonname Scientific name Family and several PacificIslands. Guava Psidium gujava Linn. Myrtaceae In India, it was first reported in 1993, in the Western Banana Musa sp. Linn. Musaceae Ghats,Kerala,Kanyakumaridistrict,TamilNadu(Palaniswami Papaya Carica papaya Linn. Caricaeae et al. 1995). It later spread to parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, RedGram Cajanas indicus Spreng. Leguminoseae Karnataka,AndhraPradeshandMaharashtra(DavidandRegu Curry Leaf Murraya koenigii SI. Rutaceae Cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz Euphorbiaceae 1995;Palaniswamietal. 1995;Ranjithetal. 1996;Maniand Brinjal Solarium melongena L. Solanaceae Krishnamoorthy 1996;Manietal.2000,2001).TheSpiralling Tomato Lycopersicon escutentum Mill Solanaceae Whitefly isbelievedtohavebeen introduced intoIndiafrom Chilly Capsicum annum L. Solanaceae theMaldivesandSriLanka(Ranjithetal. 1996)throughplant Lady's Finger Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Malvaceae Moench material. Canna Canna indica L. Cannaceae Thepestcanbeeasilyrecognizedbythecharacteristic Tulsi Ocimum sanctum L. Labiatae spiral arrangement of eggs on the lower lamina of leaves, Ageratum Ageratum conywides L. Compositae which can be seen as a white patch. The nymphs and adults Gerbera Gerbera jamesonii Compositae ofSpirallingWhiteflysuckthesapfromthesurfaceofleaves. H. BolusexJ.D. Hook 108 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (1), Jan-Apr 2007