New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

New species of mayfly discovered in India

Date:
July 28, 2014
Source:
Entomological Society of America
Summary:
Scientists have discovered a new species of mayfly in the southern Western Ghats, a mountain range along the west coast of India. The larvae have light-brown heads with light-yellow antennae, and they grow to be about 4-5 millimeters in length. Adults are also about five millimeters long, and the males and females both lack hind wings.
Share:
FULL STORY

Scientists have discovered a new species of mayfly in the southern Western Ghats, a mountain range along the west coast of India. In fact, this is the first time that any mayfly belonging to the genus Labiobaetis has been collected in peninsular India.

The new species, called Labiobaetis soldani, "is named in honor of Dr. T. Soldan for his substantial contribution to the understanding of the Ephemeroptera of Palaearctic and Oriental realms," according to the authors of a study that describes the new mayfly in the Journal of Insect Science.

The larvae have light-brown heads with light-yellow antennae, and they grow to be about 4-5 millimeters in length. Adults are also about five millimeters long, and the males and females both lack hind wings.

Labiobaetis soldani is closely related to Labiobaetis pulchellus, which has been described from Sri Lanka in the larval stage. However, it can be differentiated from all other Labiobaetis species described from the Oriental region by several morphological differences.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Entomological Society of America. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. T. Kubendran et al. A new species of Labiobaetis Novikova & Kluge, 1987 (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from the southern Western Ghats in India, with comments on the taxonomic status of Labiobaetis. Journal of Insect Science, July 2014

Cite This Page:

Entomological Society of America. "New species of mayfly discovered in India." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 July 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140728080556.htm>.
Entomological Society of America. (2014, July 28). New species of mayfly discovered in India. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140728080556.htm
Entomological Society of America. "New species of mayfly discovered in India." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140728080556.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES