Philoscia dobakholi Chopra, 1924

Kharkongor, Ilona Jacinta, Saikia, Uttam, Khynriam, Dimos & Saikia, Bhaskar, 2023, Current status of faunal diversity of Siju Cave, South Garo Hills, Meghalaya, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 123 (3), pp. 283-303 : 291

17. Philoscia dobakholi Chopra, 1924

1924. Philoscia dobakholi Chopra, Rec. Ind. Mus., XXVI , pp. 54-57, Figs. 3 & 4.

Material examined: 2 ex. Siju Cave (~ 450 -550m), Siju village, South Garo Hills District , Meghalaya, 25 o 21.061’N, 90 o 41.006’E, 119m, 4.i.2020, coll. I. J. Kharkongor & party, Reg. No. IV /CRU/ERS-589 .

Remarks: Till 2008, the species was known from Siju Cave only. Now it has been reported from other caves located in the EKH and EJH districts of Meghalaya ( Harries et al., 2008; Kharkongor & Saikia, 2018). The species appears to have a low tolerance to dry environmental conditions as it can be found only in wet cave passages, particularly where there are deposits of decaying organic debris. The species was found inside the Cave in locations similar to that reported in 1922, but appear to be fewer in numbers now. Chilton (1929) reported this species from the Dark Cave of Malaysia, but it is doubtful as subsequent studies carried out by other workers ( McClure et al., 1967; Moseley et al., 2012) do not include the species in the faunal list of the Malaysian caves. The species is probably endemic to the karstic region of Meghalaya.