Pleurostict scarabs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): new distributional records in Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India

Based on the specimens present in Zoological Survey of India, (Jabalpur), the paper presents new distributional record of 12 species of Pleurostict Scarabaeidae, comprising eight species of Rutelinae, two species of Cetoniinae, one species each of Melolonthinae and Dynastinae from Arunachal Pradesh (India)

A new species of the genus Epistaurus (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from Central India

Epistaurus tinsensis sp. n. is described from Chhattisgarh, India. A key to the species of the genus from India is also provided

Nature versus nurture: A case report comparing the clinical and cephalometric pattern in twins

Malocclusion is a manifestation of genetic and environmental interaction on the development of the orofacial region. Orthodontists may be interested in genetics to help understand why a patient has a particular occlusion. Orthodontists usually assume that the genetic factors are of major significance to the development of malocclusion. Studies of twin similarities have lent support to this concept. Twin study is one of the most effective methods available for investigating genetically determined variables of malocclusion. Discordancy is a frequent finding in dizygotic twins. However, discordancy in monozygotic (MZ) twins is a rare finding. Here, we report the case of MZ female twins aged 16 years and a comparison of the clinical and cephalometric pattern was done in both the twins. The present case shows discordancy between MZ female twins in relation to their extraoral and intraoral findings. The purpose of this study of MZ twins is to assess the genetic and environmental components of variation within the cranio-dento-facial complex

A Comparative Analysis Of COVID-19 Mortality Rate Across the Globe: An Extensive Analysis of the Associated Factors

Background: The vast variation in COVID 19 mortality across the globe draws attention to potential risk factors other than the patient characteristics that determine COVID-19 mortality, this study aimed to analyze and apply evidence-based explanation for the impact offactors associated with COVID-19-related mortality.Subjects dan Method: This was a cross sectional study of global database for wide set of factors associated with COVID-19 mortality, ranging from disease related co-morbidities, socioeconomic factors, healthcare capacity and government policy and interventions. Data for population, total cases, total COVID mortality, tests done, and GDP per capita were extracted from the world

Complementary feeding at 4 versus 6 months of age for preterm infants born at less than 34 weeks of gestation: a randomised, open-label, multicentre trial

Background Evidence on the optimal time to initiation of complementary feeding in preterm infants is scarce. We examined the effect of initiation of complementary feeding at 4 months versus 6 months of corrected age on weight for age at 12 months corrected age in preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation. Methods In this open-label, randomised trial, we enrolled infants born at less than 34 weeks of gestation with no major malformation from three public health facilities in India. Eligible infants were tracked from birth and randomly assigned (1:1) at 4 months corrected age to receive complementary feeding at 4 months corrected age (4 month group), or continuation of milk feeding and initiation of complementary feeding at 6 months corrected age (6 month group), using computer generated randomisation schedule of variable block size, stratified by gestation (30 weeks or less, and 31–33 weeks). Iron supplementation was provided as standard. Participants and the implementation team could not be masked to group assignment, but outcome assessors were masked. Primary outcome was weight for age Z-score at 12 months corrected age (WAZ12) based on WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study growth standards. Analyses were by intention to treat. The trial is registered with Clinical Trials Registry of India, number CTRI/2012/11/003149. Findings Between March 20, 2013, and April 24, 2015, 403 infants were randomly assigned: 206 to receive complementary feeding from 4 months and 197 to receive complementary feeding from 6 months. 22 infants in the 4 month group (four deaths, two withdrawals, 16 lost to follow-up) and eight infants in the 6 month group (two deaths, six lost to follow-up) were excluded from analysis of primary outcome. There was no difference in WAZ12 between two groups: –1·6 (SD 1·2) in the 4 month group versus –1·6 (SD 1·3) in the 6 month group (mean difference 0·005, 95% CI –0·24 to 0·25; p=0·965). There were more hospital admissions in the 4 month group compared with the 6 month group: 2·5 episodes per 100 infant-months in the 4 month group versus 1·4 episodes per 100 infant-months in the 6 month group (incidence rate ratio 1·8, 95% CI 1·0–3·1, p=0·03). 34 (18%) of 188 infants in the 4 month group required hospital admission, compared with 18 (9%) of 192 infants in the 6 month group. Interpretation Although there was no evidence of effect for the primary endpoint of WAZ12, the higher rate of hospital admission in the 4 month group suggests a recommendation to initiate complementary feeding at 6 months over 4 months of corrected age in infants less than 34 weeks of gestation

Bolboceras bilaspuricans (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Bolboceratinae), a new species from Chhattisgarh, India

Gupta, Devanshu, Chandra, Kailash (2016): Bolboceras bilaspuricans (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Bolboceratinae), a new species from Chhattisgarh, India. Zootaxa 4103 (3): 295-300, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4103.3.

Tropiorhynchus annandalei Gupta & Chandra 2017, new species

<i>Tropiorhynchus annandalei</i> Gupta & Chandra, new species <p>(Figs. 4–5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 31–33, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 53)</p> <p> <b>Type locality.</b> India, Maharashtra state, Pune district, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, 19.1319°N, 73.5538°E.</p> <p> <b>Type material (7 specimens).</b> Holotype, male: “ India, Maharashtra state, Pune district, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, 19.1319°N, 73.5538°E, 1.xi.2012, collected by K. Chandra and Bulganin Mitra ” (ZSCI registration number: 22708/H4A). Paratypes (5 males, 1 female): same data as holotype (ZSCI registration number: 22709/H4A to 22714/H4A). The specimens bear a red printed label: “ <i>Tropiorhynchus annandalei</i> sp. nov., HOLOTYPUS [or PARATYPUS], Devanshu Gupta & Kailash Chandra det. 2016”.</p> <p> <b>Type depository.</b> All the type specimens are deposited in the collection of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata (ZSCI).</p> <p> <b>Description</b> (holotype, male). <b>Size.</b> Length from clypeus to pygidium: 12.0 mm, width across humeri: 5.4 mm.</p> <p> <b>Shape.</b> Elongate and parallel sided.</p> <p> <b>Colour.</b> Head, pronotum, and legs green; pygidium greenish black; elytra yellow with brownish-black markings, elytral suture entirely black. Elytral intervals 1 and 2 with a transverse band in middle and at end, elytral interval 3 brownish black with small yellow area in middle and at base, elytral interval 4 dark brownish black with a yellow strip present after interval 4; lateral sides entirely brownish black; setae white.</p> <p> <b>Head</b> (Fig. 9). Surface densely rugose, anterior portion smooth. Clypeus at apex rounded, at mid-disc with longitudinal ridge, not reaching to frontoclypeal suture. Frontoclypeal suture slightly curved in middle; frons rugopunctate, punctures fine at posterior portion; a group of white setae arising near margin of eyes.</p> <p> <b>Pronotum</b> (Fig. 13). Surface finely punctate; punctures saucer shaped, fine, not densely packed; edges of punctures near anterior portion not merged. Surface near base medially smooth; anterior angles pointed, posterior angles rounded, lateral sides rounded, side at base weakly sinuate. Posterior margin beaded, bead vanishing medially; a group of setae present at anterior angle, in middle and at posterior angle.</p> <p> <b>Elytra</b> (Fig. 17). Striae punctate; intervals convex and smooth, intervals 1 and 2 broad; stria 1 reaching to posterior margin, other striae vanishing before reaching posterior margin.</p> <p> <b>Scutellum</b> (Fig. 17). Traingular, broad at tip, surface finely punctate.</p> <p> <b>Pygidium (</b> Fig. 21). Strongly arched and convex, medially smooth, laterally rugose.</p> <p> <b>Venter.</b> Surface densely setose, setae white; mesosternum not produced.</p> <p> <b>Legs</b> (Figs. 31–33, 36, 40, 44). Protibiae bidentate, tibial teeth near apex. Longer claw of protarsi and mesotarsi spilt apically (Figs. 36, 40); metatarsal claws simple (Fig. 44); meso- and metatrochanter with sharp tooth (Figs. 32, 33); tooth on protrochanter absent (Fig. 31).</p> <p> <b>Aedeagus</b> (Figs. 48, 52). Parameres nearly straight (in lateral view); apex of parameres blunt, and markedly separated (in frontal view) (Fig. 48); ventral plate nearly straight without a raised lamina in middle; apex of ventral plate without a hooked process (Fig. 52).</p> <p> <b>Female (paratype)</b> (Fig. 53). Differs from male in elytra rather broad, surface yellow, comparatively lessdeveloped elytral markings, legs comparatively short, metafemora broad, metatrochanter with less-developed spines.</p> <p> <b>Collecting circumstances.</b> Handpicked from grasses (Fig. 53).</p> <p> <b>Distribution:</b> Only known from type locality (Fig. 5).</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> The species is named in the honor of Dr. Thomas Nelson Annandale, founder Director of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.</p> <p> <b>Differential diagnosis.</b> <i>Tropiorhynchus annandalei</i> is distinguished by the unique structure of aedeagus, elytral markings, medially smooth and laterally rugose pygidial surface, and tooth on protrochanter nearly absent.</p> <p> The new species belongs to the genus <i>Tropiorhynchus</i> based on the following set of diagnostic characters: clypeus produced into a truncate rostrum; pronotum broadly transverse, more-or-less setose; pygidium convex; protibiae bidentate, teeth sharp; mesotibiae and metatibiae narrowing slightly towards apex, scarcely spinose; tarsal claws long, slender, and unequal; mesosternum not produced beyond mesocoxae.</p> <p> The new species is similar to <i>T</i>. <i>podagricus</i> and <i>T</i>. <i>umbrinus</i> as it has a clypeus with a longitudinal ridge in middle; pronotum with setae present only near anterior margin, anterior angles acute, posterior angles blunt, lateral side at posterior margin straight; and mesosternum not produced.</p> <p> The new species is the only species in the genus in which the ventral plate of the aedeagus is nearly straight and without a hooked process at tip (Fig. 52). The other species of the genus exhibit a ventral plate with a hooked tip (Figs. 49–51). Furthermore, <i>T. orientis</i> exhibits an anteriorly straight ventral plate with a raised lamina in middle and tip with a small pointed hook (Fig. 49). As discussed by Machatschke (1954), the ventral plate in <i>T</i>. <i>podagricus</i> is strongly curved with its tips pointed (Fig. 50) whereas in <i>T</i>. <i>umbrinus</i>, the ventral plate is filamentous, slightly curved with the tip strongly pointed and beak shaped (Fig. 51). See Table 1 for the identification of <i>T. annandalei</i>, <i>T. orientis</i>, <i>T</i>. <i>podagricus</i>, and <i>T</i>. <i>umbrinus</i>.</p>Published as part of <i>Gupta, Devanshu & Chandra, Kailash, 2017, Tropiorhynchus annandalei (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), a new species from Maharashtra, India, pp. 509-522 in Zootaxa 4337 (4)</i> on pages 510-512, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4337.4.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/1034252">http://zenodo.org/record/1034252</a&gt

TWO NEW RECORDS OF GENUS ONTHOPHAGUS LATREILLE, 1802 (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE) FROM MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA

The genus Onthophagus is the predominant genus of the family Scarabaeidae. The present paper deals with new records of two species of the genus Onthophagus viz. 0. spinifex Fabricius, 1781 and 0. hindu Arrow, 1931 from Madhya Pradesh

Tropiorhynchus umbrinus Machatschke 1954

<i>Tropiorhynchus umbrinus</i> Machatschke, 1954 <p>(Figs. 3, 5, 8, 12, 16, 20, 28–30, 39, 43, 47, 51)</p> <p> <i>Tropiorhynchus umbrinus</i> Machatschke, 1954: 62, fig. 1b (lateral side of pronotum); fig. 2a (metathoracic leg), 4a– b, (frontal view paramere, lateral view aedeagus), fig. 5 (endophallus); Machatschke 1957: 180, plate 6, fig. 4a (habitus dorsal view, male), 4b (habitus ventral view, male), 4c (protarsi, male); Machatschke 1972: 254.</p> <p> <i>Tropiorhynchus umbrinus</i> form <i>cruciata</i> (unavailable name): Machatschke 1954: 62.</p> <p> <i>Tropiorhynchus umbrinus</i> form <i>flava</i> (unavailable name): Machatschke 1954: 62.</p> <p> <b>Material examined</b>. India, Maharashtra State, Bombay, 1 male, (ZSCI registration number: 2416/16). <b>Distribution</b> (Fig. 5). India: Maharashtra (Bombay, Khandala).</p>Published as part of <i>Gupta, Devanshu & Chandra, Kailash, 2017, Tropiorhynchus annandalei (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), a new species from Maharashtra, India, pp. 509-522 in Zootaxa 4337 (4)</i> on page 514, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4337.4.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/1034252">http://zenodo.org/record/1034252</a&gt