1 2676-685X Lorestan University Press 224 Species Diversity First photographic evidence of the Great slaty woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus (Temminck 1826) (Aves: Piciformes: Picidae) from Bhutan, with brief description of its habitat Dorji Namgay b Koirala Bal Krishna c Phuntsho Tashi d Tshering Yeshi e Tshomo Khandu f Tobgay Phuntsho g b Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of Forests and, Park Services, Postal box No. 31002, Sarpang, Bhutan c Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of Forests and, Park Services, Postal box No. 31002, Sarpang, Bhutan d Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of Forests and, Park Services, Postal box No. 31002, Sarpang, Bhutan e Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of Forests and, Park Services, Postal box No. 31002, Sarpang, Bhutan f Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of Forests and, Park Services, Postal box No. 31002, Sarpang, Bhutan g Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Department of Forests and, Park Services, Postal box No. 31002, Sarpang, Bhutan 1 9 2022 4 3 1 6 20 06 2022 04 08 2022 The Great slaty woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus (Temminck) is a globally threatened bird species and has been categorized as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. We report the first photographic evidence of M. pulverulentus from Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS), Sarpang district, in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. A group, comprising five individuals, of M. pulverulentus was sighted opportunistically at the study location on 19 April 2022. We recorded the nesting cavities actively used by M. pulverulentus in the forest habitat dominated by Sal trees (Shorea robusta). This study highlights the significance of protecting lowland forests, and mature Sal stands in particular, for conservation of this globally threatened species of bird.  
244 Species Diversity Book Review: Voles and Lemmings (Arvicolinae) of the Palaearctic Region. Boris Kryštufek and Georgy I. Shenbrot. 2022. University of Maribor, University Press. 436 pp. Maul Lutz Christian h h Quaternary Palaeontology Weimar, Senckenberg Research Institute, Am Jakobskirchhof 4, 99423 Weimar, Germany 1 9 2022 4 3 7 9 20 08 2022 04 09 2022 The book by Boris Kryštufek and Georgy I. Shenbrot, published a few weeks ago, is an encyclopaedic masterpiece and up-to-date standard work on the rodent group of Arvicolinae Gray, 1821 (voles and lemmings) belonging to the family Cricetidae Fischer, 1817 (hamsters). The authors are two experts on these mammals, and are known worldwide by scientists working in mammalogy for their publications. In addition to countless individual articles, B. Kryštufek is best known for his monograph on the ‘Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus’, which he published together with Vladimír Vohralík (Kryštufek and Vohralík, 2001; 2005; 2009). Georgy Shenbrot wrote, among many other books and papers, mainly devoted to desert and steppe rodents, ‘An Atlas of the Geographic Distribution of the Arvicoline Rodents’ in co-operation with Boris Krasnov (Shenbrot and Krasnov, 2005). It is certainly no exaggeration to call the present book, reviewed here, a worthy, up-to-date successor to Hinton's classic ‘Monograph of Voles and Lemmings’ (Hinton, 1926) and Gromov and Polyakov's volume on ‘Voles (Microtinae)’ (Gromov and Polyakov, 1977) in the framework of the ‘Fauna SSSR’ series (which actually always represented the entire group worldwide). So, one can say that a fundamental work on voles appears about every 50 years.   181 Species Diversity Diversity of hawkmoths in Tashigang Forest Division, with new faunistic records for Bhutan Norbu Lam i Thinley Phuntsho j Jamtsho Norbu k Dorji Lekey l Tenzin Pema m Wangchuk Tandin n Lhendup Ugyen o Dorji Pasang p Dorji Zapa Jamtsho Karma Dorji Tshering Jamtsho Tandin Lodey Sangay Dechen Ugyen i Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan j Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia k Gangkhar Primary School, Trashiyangtse, Ministry of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan l Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan m Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan n Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan o Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan p Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan Trashigang Territorial Forest Division, Department of Forest and Park Services, Tashigang 42001, Bhutan 1 9 2022 4 3 10 22 14 11 2021 28 06 2022 Hawkmoths are a charismatic, diverse group of moths that are well-studied worldwide. In this study, we explored and presented the first ever comprehensive hawkmoth checklist for Tashigang Forest Division, Bhutan with five new taxa records for the country. We conducted fauna exploration over a period of five years (2017–2021). Data were collected opportunistically from twelve different localities. Online database and the current literature on hawkmoths of Bhutan were referred to for correct species identifications and nomenclature. We recorded a total of 48 species belonging to 23 genera and four subfamilies. Macroglossinae was the most dominant subfamily with 29 species, followed by Smerinthinae with 14 species, Sphinginae with four and Langiinae with one species. Ampelophaga thomasi Kitching and Cadiou, Cechetra subangustata Rothschild, Macroglossum saga Butler, Rhagastis confusa Rothschild and Jordan, and Notonagemia analis R. Felder are here reported as representing five new records to Bhutan. Further investigation in the area and in other parts of Bhutan appear necessary to discover more hawkmoth species and reveal endemism. 184 Ecological Diversity Reports of new larval host plants for butterflies Virachola isocrates (Fabricius, 1793) and Junonia orithya (Linnaeus, 1758) from Bankura, West Bengal, India Mukherjee Kalyan Veterinary Pharmacist, State Animal Health Centre, P.O. - Amta, Howrah Dist., West Bengal 711401, India 1 9 2022 4 3 23 30 06 12 2021 11 08 2022 This paper is reporting Evolvulus nummularius (L.) L. (Convolvulaceae) as a new larval host plant for Junonia orithya (Linnaeus) (Nymphalidae) and Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. and L. M. Perry (Myrtaceae), as a new larval host plant for Virachola isocrates (Fabricius) (Lycaenidae) from Raibaghini, Bankura, West Bengal, India. 255 Ecological Diversity Habitat suitability modelling of Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791) (Mammalia: Carnivora) in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal Sharma Bharat Joshi Rajeev Sathyakumar Sambandam Sustainable Initiatives for the community (SIFC), Kathmandu 44600, Nepal Faculty of Forestry, Agriculture and Forestry University, Hetauda-44107, Nepal; Amity Global Education (Lord Buddha College), CTEVT, Kathmandu-44600, Nepal Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, Uttarakhand, India 1 9 2022 4 3 31 43 05 06 2022 15 09 2022 Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus Shaw), one of four species of bear found on the Indian sub-continent, has a geographical distribution across Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka. It is listed as Vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species due to the rapid decline of the global population. This decrease in Melursus ursinus presents a need for comprehensive research to predict and understand the distribution pattern. The present study predicts the habitat suitability and distribution pattern of M. ursinus in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal and its buffer areas. The entire study area was divided into 4 X 4 km grids. Within each grid, 10-meter radius plots were sampled for bear signs and habitat evaluation occurred at every 250 meters along a transect (1–1.5 km). Data on direct and indirect signs (diggings, pugmarks, scrapes, and scats) and other habitat use parameters of M. ursinus were collected. The study was carried out during the dry season (January to March 2019) in almost 57 grids of the study area. The calculated habitat suitability for M. ursinus determined that 25% of the total area was suitable, and the remaining 75% was less suitable habitat. Drainage, followed by slope and elevation, were found to be the important variables affecting the distribution of species in the study area and this model was found to be 88.5% accurate in terms of explaining the dependent variables. The findings of the present research will be useful for park managers, researchers, and academicians in the formulation of an appropriate conservation plan for this charismatic mammal species. 179 Species Diversity Mammal diversity in Biological Corridor No. 03 covering the Sarpang–Tsirang District landscapes of Bhutan Tenzin jigme Phuntsho Yeshi Thinley Phuntsho Tenzin Karma Divisional Forest Office, Sarpang, Department of Forests and Park Services, 31002, Bhutan Divisional Forest Office, Tsirang, Department of Forests and Park Services, 36001, Bhutan Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, University of Melbourne, Australia 1 9 2022 4 3 44 52 04 11 2021 15 09 2022 In Bhutan, protected areas constitute 51.4% of the total geographical area, out of which 7.7% is designated biological corridors (BCs) that serve as connectors between protected areas. The biological corridor (BC-03) constitutes a total area of 407.7 km² and connects Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary in the west, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and Royal Manas National Park in the north and southeast through Sarpang–Tsirang District landscapes. However, most BCs, including BC-03, lack comprehensive inventories of mammal species. We conducted joint rapid biodiversity assessment (RBA) using camera trap surveys from November 2019 to February 2020. Our findings from BC-03 include records of 26 mammal species belonging to 11 families in five orders. Nearly half of these species are listed as Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened. Overall, the BC-03 landscape was found to support 77.8% of the mammal species of Sarpang District and 21.7% of Bhutan (as per Biodiversity Statistics of Bhutan, 2017). Therefore, BC-03 is of conservation interest. Comprehensive conservation plans, periodic monitoring of keystone species, and restrictions on the expansion of cardamom plantations in BCs are suggested for securing wildlife habitats and ensuring long-term persistence of keystone species, including within BC-03 in southcentral Bhutan.  263 Species Diversity A preliminary study on relative abundance of wild mammals based on camera trap in Balaram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat State, India Rabari Vasantkumar M. Malik Arzoo Dharaiya Nishith Wildlife and Conservation Biology Research Lab, Department of Life Sciences, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan–384265, Gujarat State, India Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara (Gujarat)–390002, Gujarat State, India Wildlife and Conservation Biology Research Lab, Department of Life Sciences, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan–384265, Gujarat State, India 1 9 2022 4 3 53 61 13 04 2022 09 08 2022 Knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of terrestrial mammals is imperative in the design of conservation strategies in protected areas. There is a lack of information available on the occurrence and abundance of wild mammals in the Balaram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat of India. Thus, the present study was carried out to understand the relative abundance of the wild mammalian species in the Balaram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary via camera trapping. We used day/night camera traps to record the presence of diurnal and nocturnal mammals in the Balaram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary. We plotted 11 cameras near water bodies for 20 days from 6 January 2020 to 26 January 2020. A total of 268 photographs of wild animals were captured. Among the photos 13 wild mammalian species were identified, including the Rusty-spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire), which is reported for the first time in this area. The Relative Abundance Index (RAI) of each identified species was calculated to understand the species richness, providing baseline data for species occupancy. 246 Ecological Diversity Ecological baseline analysis of mollusks in the intertidal stations of Ouli, Dayyer, and Kangan, in the Persian Gulf Rezaei Azadeh Khaledi Hoda Savari Ahmad Dostshenas Babak Mohammad Asgari Hossein Attari Rezvan Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Iran Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science, Tehran, Iran Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Iran Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Iran Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Iran Marine Biology Department of Guilan University, Iran 1 9 2022 4 3 62 69 04 08 2022 09 09 2022 Macrobenthos play an important role in aquatic ecosystems because they mineralize, promote, and mix the oxygen flux into the sediment, which recycles the organic matter. Sampling of macrobenthos populations for this study was carried out in the supratidal, mid tidal, low tidal, and subtidal regions of the Dayyer, Ouli, and Kangan stations in the Persian Gulf during both cold and warm seasons. Water parameters such as the temperature, salinity, pH, turbidity, and electrical conductivity were assessed, and were indicative of moderate water quality. Representatives of a total of 31 taxonomic families were identified during both seasons, of which 59 were identified to genus and species. The highest average number of species was observed in the low tidal region of Kangan in the warm season at 16.6 ± 1.2 species, and the lowest number was observed in the supratidal regions of Ouli and Kangan in the cold season at 6.6±2 species. The species diversity, as calculated using the Shannon–Wiener Index (H’), showed a significant difference between sampling seasons and sampling stations, as well as pollution level at the beaches. The species diversity index in Ouli, Dayyer, and Kangan stations also differed between the seasons. In both seasons, the Kangan station showed the highest species diversity while the Dayyer station showed the lowest. These results reveal a rich species diversity of macrobenthos and good water quality at the three beaches in the Persian Gulf. Re-assessment of species diversity during an environmental impact assessment prior to urban development should be further conducted to ensure that the community is not significantly affected and the ecosystem remains intact.