The present study deals with the description of a new species Sandracottus vijayakumari from Nelliyampathy forest range, southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India with a comparative key of closely related species S. dejeani Aube, 1838. Only one species is known from the genus Sandracottus Sharp, 1882, from southern Western Ghats, Kerala. The Nelliyampathy forest areas are hilly and the altitude of the hills range 40–1,530 m. The region experiences several types of landslides especially during the monsoon (August to September 2018). The new species was discovered in one of the worst landslide hits area in Nelliyampathy forest, Kundrachola region. The new aquatic beetle species is moderately large in size and often very attractively marked dorsally with complex maculations. Additionally, the new species shows a strong synapomorphy along with Eretini, Hydaticini, and Aubehydrini tribes.

Polycarpaea palakkadensis, a new species of Caryophyllaceae from the hillocks of Palakkad District (Kerala, India) is described and illustrated. P. palakkadensis is morphologically similar to P. rangaiahiana from which differs in having fused ovate bracts, capilliform bracteoles, linear stipules, ovate-cordate petals, filaments much shorter than anther, capsule with 1–2 ovoid elliptical seeds.