Protura: India

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This is an extract from ANIMAL RESOURCES OF INDIA: Protozoa to Mammalia State of the Art. Zoological Survey of India, 1991. By Professor Mohammad Shamim Jairajpuri Director, Zoological Survey of India and his team of devoted scientists. The said book is an enlarged, updated version of The State of Art Report: Zoology Edited by Dr. T. N. Ananthakrishnan, Director, Zoological Survey of India in 1980.

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Protura

Introduction

Proturans are curious soil inhabiting minute insects. Their body is cylindrical, antennae and eyes absent, frrst leg used as a tactile organ, abdomen in adults with 12 segments and cerci absent. Protura still remain one of the least studied group of Indian fauna.

Historical Resume

The study of Indian Protura started with Schepoteiff (1909). But there was a long gap after that. Recent work on Indian Protura was done by Dr. N.R. Prabhoo of Kerala University (1960-1988).

Estimation or Taxa

According to Tuxen (1978) about'260 species belonging to 27 genera under four families have been recorded from the world. Three families are known from India, viz., Eosentomidae, Protentomidae and Acerentomidae. Till to date only 20 species have been recorded from India. Of these, 15 species have been recorded from Kerala State alone and rest five from other states. Prabhoo (1986) reported that 99% of India still remains to be explored as far as the proturan fauna is concerned.

Classified Treatment

All the three families recorded from India have been discussed by Prabhoo (1960, 1972 a, b, 1975. 1977, 1986). He repOrted four species under Eosentomidie; eight species under family Protentomidae and another eight species under family Acerentomidae. No work is being carried out in India on this group at; present

Expertise

Abroad

B. Conde, University of Nancy 1. Zoologie approfondie, 30, rue Sainte-Catherine, 54-Nancy (France). 1. Nosek, Ceskoslovenska Akademia Vied, Virologicky Ostau, Mlynskadolina. Bratislava, (Caechoslovakia).

Selected References

Imadate, G. 1964-65. Taxonomic arrangement of Japanese Protura. Pts. I-ill, Bull. nat. Sci. Mus. Tokyo, 7 : 37-81; 263-293; 8 : 23-69. Imadate, G. 1986. Taxonomic arrangement ,of Japanese Protura. Pt. IV. The Proturan Chaetotaxy and its meaning to Phylogeny, Bull. Mt. Sci. Mus. Tokyo, 9 : 277-315. Janetschek. H. 1970. Ordnung Protura (Beintastler), In : Handbuchder Zoologie: Bd. 4 (2) Halfte, Lfg, 14, Beitr. 3: 1-72.

Pmbhoo, N.R. 1986. Protura of Soulll India. Biogeographic Considerations, In : 2nd Interntional Seminar on Apterygota (ed. R. Dallai). University of Siena, Italy: 43-50. Tuxen, S. L. 1931. Monographic der Proturen, 1. Morphologie nebst Bemerkungen uber Systematik und Oekologie, Z. Morph. OleoI. Tiere, 22: 671-720. Tuxen, S.L. 1964. The Protura. Hennann, Paris: 360 pp. Yin, w. 1965. Studies on Chinese Protura 11, Acta ent. Sin., 14 : 186-195.