Darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of forest sites and agricultural fields in the south Western Ghats (South India)

Journal Title: Journal of Insect Biodiversity - Year 2017, Vol 5, Issue 3

Abstract

Data on the abundance, feeding guilds, flightlessness and endemic status of darkling beetles from selected forest sites and agriculture fields in the moist south Western Ghats in south India are provided. Overall abundance, diversity and evenness were higher in agriculture fields than in forest. Luprops tristis was the major species in agriculture field and Gonocephalum bilineatum in forest. Mycetophagous and detritivorous guilds were reported from the agriculture fields and detritivorous guild alone from the forests. Epigean, subterranean, corticolous, dung associated and mycetophagous darkling beetles were present in agriculture fields in contrast to the record of epigean and subterranean forms in forests. Higher abundance of flightless platynotine genus Menearchus, endemic to the Indian subcontinent in the agricultural field is attributed to the decaying organic matter availability in the open, dry environment conditions in agriculture field.

Authors and Affiliations

Chuliath Arunraj, Joseph P Vineesh, Thomas K. Sabu

Keywords

Related Articles

Two new species of Otiorhynchus Germar, 1822 (Tecutinus Reitter, 1912) from south-western Anatolia (Coleoptera, Curculionidae: Entiminae)

Otiorhynchus (Tecutinus) gultekini sp. nov. from Geyik Dağları and O. (Tecutinus) marggii sp. nov. from Bey Dağları, both from south-western Turkey, are described. Otiorhynchus gultekini sp. nov. is close to O. riedeli...

Biology of Automeris jucunda (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae, Hemileucinae) with taxonomic notes on A. hamata subgroup

A female of Automeris jucunda (Cramer, 1779) was collected during a field expedition to Otanche, Colombia. The rearing of this species was conducted in captivity, in situ and in the laboratory, on different food plants...

A new genus of Amycterini from the Pilbara region of Western Australia (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cyclominae)

Xenommamycterus gen. nov. is described/diagnosed, and Talaurinus capito Pascoe, 1874 is designated its type-species. This genus is considered monospecific at present. Its distribution appears to be restricted to the tr...

Nesting sites characteristics of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is eusocial insects that live together in a colony. This research was aimed to study the nesting site characteristics of stingless bees in the settlement areas at Central Sulawesi,...

Revised taxonomy of Temognatha duponti (Boisduval) and T. stevensii (Gehin) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Stigmoderini), with definition of the grandis and stevensii species-groups

The nominal species Temognatha duponti (Boisduval, 1835) and T. barbiventris (Carter, 1916) are considered conspecific. The specific name barbiventris (Carter, 1916) syn. nov. is a subjective synonym of the name dupont...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP34252
  • DOI -
  • Views 358
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Chuliath Arunraj, Joseph P Vineesh, Thomas K. Sabu (2017). Darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of forest sites and agricultural fields in the south Western Ghats (South India). Journal of Insect Biodiversity, 5(3), -. https://europub.co.uk./articles/-A-34252