Table Of Content.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 595
Ecol. Limn. Eco-conserv. II: 87-106. Province (Jammu and Kashmir State) India. Rec. Adv.
Nath, Surendra (1994): The ichthyogeography of Jammu Fish Ecol. Limn. Eco-conserv. Ill: 103-120.
22. NEOCONOCEPHALUS SPP. A LONG HORNED GRASSHOPPER (TETTIGONIIDAE:
ORTHOPTERA) FEED ON SMALL BLACK ANT
On 1st, September 1995 I was in the garden And hence the above mentioned feeding behaviour
collecting insect pests of a bean vegetable. It was is unusual.
around 4.30 p.m., that I found a long horned During my study on insect pests of bean,
grasshopper Neoconocephalus spp., family predatory behaviour of the the long horned
Tettigoniidae, descriptive and pictographic grasshopper on antshasnotbeen observed. However,
identification from Imms (1965), lifting onehind leg, the aboveobservation indicatesthatunder compelling
on whose tarsus a black ant was biting. The reason circumstances, a long horned grasshopper can feed
for thebiting could notbe known. The hopperjerked on small black ants. This behaviour needs further
its leg up and down due to the pain ofthe bite, tried observation.
to free itselffrom the ant, but could not. Suddenly it
brought the tarsal portion of the hind leg on which October 12, 1995 DAYANAND HARIT
the ant wasbiting, below its body to the mouth. The Head, Department ofZoology,
hopper caught the ant with its mandibles and ate it Government ofKolasib College,
up completely within a moment. Post Box No. 16,
M.S. Mani (1982) states that Tettigoniids are Kolasib-796 081,
mostly diurnal forms that are usually herbivorous. Mizoram, India
References
Imms. A.D. (1965): AGeneralTextBookofEntomology,The Mani, M.S. (1982): General Entomology. Oxford and
English Language Book Society and Chapman Hall ibh Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi. 3rd rev.
Ltd. Repr. 1973. 1990.
23. ARE ANTS SECONDARY DISPERSERS OF FIG SEEDS IN INDIAN FORESTS?
Apart from vertebrates, which are major While studying several aspects of fig ecology
dispersers of seeds, several invertebrates are also (Athreya 1993) in Kanan SholaNational Park, Indira
known to assist in thedispersal. Beetles, earthworms, Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, I came
snails and ants are known to disperse seeds which across several indications that thesecondary dispersal
may even lead to the rearrangement of the seed of Ficus seeds by ants may occur even in Indian
shadow (Beattie and Culver 1982, Roberts and forests. The vegetation of this area is dominated by
Heithaus 1986). Studies have shown that fig seeds the west-coast tropical evergreen forest type of
areregularly subjected to secondarydispersal by ants Champion and Seth (1968) with Hopea parviflora
which harvest the lipid-containing exocarp (elai- and Messua ferrea being the characteristic tree
some) ofthe small fig seeds (Roberts and Heithaus species. Ficus trees are quite common within the
1986, Kaufmann et al. 1991). Despite the richness National Park, especially in relatively open areas
of Ficus species in the Indian subcontinent, (unpubl. data).
information on this aspect of its seed dispersal is I came across armies ofants carrying away fig
lacking. seeds from fallen fruits and droppings of frugivores
596 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 93 (1996)
from under trees of F. microcarpa and F. drupacea be responsible for Ficus seedlings taking root in
(both strangler figs). This was also noticed for the crevices in vertical surfaces (Kaufmann etal. 1991).
fig seeds which formed a major fraction of the This system ofsecondarydispersal offig seeds
copious droppings ofGreatPied Hornbills (Buceros by ants has not been studied in any Indian forest.
bicornis) below their nest-holes. Although this note is of a qualitative nature, a
I also split open someripe figs ofF. exasperata detailed study of this aspect may throw some light
(free-living Ficus) andF. drupacea and placed them on theimportance oftheroleplayedby invertebrates
at my camp site. The same evening I saw ants in affecting the seed shadow of figs, especially
carrying away the seeds from all the figs, although strangler figs, which require specific microhabitats
the seeds ofF. exasperataseemed to be less popular. for successful germination (Putz and Holbrook
However, both species offigs were devoid of seeds 1986).
by the next morning.
It has been said elsewhere that the lipid- June 4, 1996 VEDYA R. ATHREYA
containing exocarp is not affected by the passage NCRA Post Bag 3,
,
through the vertebrate gut and is still harvested by Ganesh Khind,
the ants (Kaufmann et al 1991). Ants are known to Pune 411 007.
Refi ENCES
Athreya, V.R. (1993): Fruiting strangler figs (genus Ficus, Kaufmann, S., D.B. Mckey, M. Hossaert-Mckey, & C.C.
subgenus Urostigma and temporal variation in Horvitz (1991): Adaptations for a two-phase seed
)
visitation of their avian frugivores in a tropical dispersal system involving vertebrates and ants in a
evergreen forest in the Western Ghats, India. M.S. hemiepiphyticfig Ficusmicrocarpa: Moraceae).Am.
(.
thesis, Salim Ali School of Ecology, Pondicherry J. ofBot. 78: 971-977.
University, Pondicherry, India. Putz, F.E. & N.M. Holbrook (1986): Notes on the natural
Beattie, A.J. & D.C. Culver (1982): Inhumation: how ants history of hemiepiphytes. Selbyana 9: 61-69.
&
and otherinvertebrates help seeds. Nature. 297: 627. Roberts, J.T. E.R. Hetihaus (1986): Ants rearrange the
&
Champion, H.G. S.K. Seth (1968): Forest Types ofIndia. vertebrate-generated seed shadowofaneotropical fig
Govt, ofIndia, Delhi. tree. Ecology. 67: 1046-1051.
THE SPOT PUFFIN BUTTERFLY APPIAS LALAGE LALAGE DOUBLEDAY
24.
(PIERIDAE) A RARE RECORD FOR SOUTH INDIA
-
m
The butterfly Appias lalage lalage has been atan elevation of1200 above msl onDecember, 3,
recorded in the United Provinces, Mussooree to 1995. The butterfly was mudpuddling at noon near a
Burma, Tavoy (Talbot 1939). Its range is also small stream flowing through a coffee plantation.
mentioned from Simla to Burma and Assam by It appears to be one of the few records ofthe
Wynter-Blyth (1957). D’Abrera (1982) states its Spot Puffin from South India and may be the first
range as Assam to upper Burma and Antram (1924) record from Kerala. This shows that this butterfly
noted it as a rare species recorded from the though rare, does exist in the Western Ghats apart
Himalayas, Sikkim, Bhutan and Assam. The only from its known range. The specimen is now in the
record found from SouthIndiawas attheNetterikkal Gudampara Biopark Project collection.
region of the Kalakkad forest, Tiruneveli District,
Tamil Nadu (Satyamurti 1966). April 4, 1996 NALINI. S
A single male specimen ofthe wet season form BORIS LOMOV
with a wingspan of 76mm was taken in Gudampara Gudampara Biopark Project
,
Estate, Santhanparapanchayat,IdukkiDistrict, Kerala Puthady P.O Idukki Dist. 685 619, Kerala.
.,
