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AN INVENTORY OF SCARAB BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE) OFACHANAKMAR-AMARKANTAK BIOSPHERE RESERVE, CHHATTISGARH,

INDIA1Kailash Chandra and 2Devanshu Gupta*

1Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, West Bengal, India2Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur-482002, Madhya Pradesh, India

*Corresponding author address: Zoological Survey of India, Central Zone Regional Centre,Scheme no. 5, Plot no. 168/169, Vijay Nagar,Jabalpur-482002, Madhya Pradesh, India

E-mail: devanshuguptagb4102@gmail.com

ABSTRACTBiodiversity surveys in the years, 2004 to 2008 at many locations of Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (AABR)yielded 52 species of scarab beetles (Coprophagous and chafer beetle) belonging to 24 genera and 5 subfamilies of familyScarabaeidae. Of these, 26 species in the subfamily Scarabaeinae exclusively feed on dung while remaining 26 species arephytophagous in nature, distributed in four subfamilies; Rutelinae, Melolonthinae, Dynastinae and Cetoniinae.

KEYWORDS: Checklist, dung beetles, phytophagous scarabs and Achankmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve.

INTRODUCTIONScarab beetles under family Scarabaeidae comprise aspeciose group and are a conspicuous component of thebeetle fauna of the world and are noticeable due to theirrelatively large size, bright colors, elaborateornamentation and interesting life histories. The familyScarabaeidae includes 27,800 species worldwide, andwithin Scarabaeidae, the two subfamilies; Aphodiinae andScarabaeinae are represented by approximately 6,850species worldwide and the subfamilies; Orphninae,Melolonthinae, Dynastinae, Rutelinae, Cetoniinae,Trichiinae and Valginae include approximately 20,950species (Ratcliffe & Jameson 2001). Beetles in thesubfamilies; Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae exclusivelyfeed on dung while most species in the subfamilies;Melolonthinae, Dynastinae, Rutelinae and Cetoniinaefeed on vegetation and are agricultural pests of variouscommercial crops. Dung beetles performs a series ofecological functions such as nutrient cycling, soilaeration, secondary seed dispersal, regulation of entericparasites and dung breeding dipterans pests. The faunaland monographic works on scarab beetle diversity inIndia and Oriental and Palearctic region has beenpublished by Arrow (1910, 1917 & 1931), Balthasar(1963a, 1963b), Janssens (1940), Machatschke (1972),Mikšić (1977), Chandra (1986), Gupta (1986), andSabatinelli (1993) respectively. However, the scarabaeidfauna of Chhattisgarh has been studied by workersnamely; Chandra & Ahirwar (2007), Chandra & Singh(2010), Chandra & Gupta (2012a, 2012b), Gupta &Chandra (2012) and Chandra et al., (2012). Chandra andAhirwar (2007) published a comprehensive account of thescarab beetles of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh andrecorded 124 species/subspecies belonging to 45 generaunder 11 subfamilies. Chandra and Singh (2010) reported22 species of the scarab beetles belonging to 11 genera

and 6 subfamilies from Achanakamar Wildlife Sanctuary,Chhattisgarh. Recently Chandra and Gupta (2012b)studied the diversity and relative abundance of 26 speciesof pleurostict Scarabaeidae (phytophagous) ofAchanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve. Thus so forfrom this biosphere reserve 36 species of the scarabbeetles have been reported (Chandra & Singh, 2010;Chandra & Gupta, 2012a; 2012b). Keeping in mind, thepresent study aimed to report the complete checklist ofthe scarab beetles of the biosphere reserve, including 52species belonging to 24 genera and 5 subfamilies offamily Scarabaeidae. The field photographs of 22 speciesare also provided (Plate A, B, C).

MATERIAL AND METHODSStudy areaAchanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (AABR) islocated in Shahdol and Dindori districts of MadhyaPradesh and Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh.Geographically, it lies between 22º15’ to 22º58’ N and81º25’ to 82º50’ E and spreads over an area of 3835.51sq. km. Biodiversity surveys in the years, 2004 to 2008 atmany locations of AABR were conducted, which yieldedthe collection of 581 specimens of the scarab beetles. Thespecimens were collected using light trap with 160 wattmercury bulb used as light source and from dung pads.Later they were preserved dry pinned and identified usingavailable literature (Arrow 1910, 1917, 1931; Janssens1940; Balthasar 1963a, 1963b; Chandra 1986; Gupta1986) and matched with the reference collections presentat the Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur, MadhyaPradesh. Identified specimens were deposited in theNational Zoological Collections of the ZSI. Species listedwith asterisks are recorded for the first time from thebiosphere reserve.

Scarab beetles of Achanakmar-Amarkantak biosphere reserve

887

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONAltogether, 581 specimens of the scarab beetles werecollected from Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere

belonging to 24 genera and 05 subfamilies viz.Scarabaeinae, Rutelinae, Melolonthinae, Cetoniinae andDynastinae of family Scarabaeidae. The classified list ofthe scarab beetles of AABR is provided in Table 1. Out ofthe total specimens, 156 were dung beetles andrepresented by 26 species, under 11 genera and 6 tribes ofScarabaeinae. As previous study (Chandra & Singh, 2010)reported only 10 dung beetle species, the current studyrecorded 16 species for the first time from the biospherereserve. Depending up on the nesting strategies, two typesof dung beetles were collected viz. rollers and tunnelers.Species belonging to the genera; Scarabaeus, Sisyphus,Gymnopleurus, Garreta and Paragymnopleurus wererollers while species in the genera Heliocopris,Catharsius, Copris, Phalops, Onitis, and Onthophaguswere exclusively tunnellers. Based on the collections,Gymnopleurus cyaneus (27.56%), Catharsius sagax(10.25%), Paragymnopleurus sinuatus (7.69%),Heliocopris bucephalus (7.69%), Onthophagus agnus(5.79%), and Onthophagus ramosellus (5.12%) weredominating among dung beetles in the biosphere reserverespectively.Remaining 426 specimens were indentified in to 26species under 13 genera and 04 subfamilies ofphytophagous scarabs. The highest number of beetles werecollected from Rutelinae (303) followed by Melolonthinae(95), Cetoniinae (18) and Dynastinae (10). Anomala wasfound the most species rich genus (9 species), followed byAdoretus, Mimela and Holotrichia (each with 02 species),and Popillia, Xylotrupes, Alissonotum, Phyllognathus,Heteronychus, Apogonia, Schizonycha, Clinteria andGametis (each with 1 species). The six most commonspecies of phytophagous scarabs were; Anomalaruficapilla (31.52%), Apogonia proxima (19.5%),Anomala biharensis (9.41%), Adoretus bimarginatus(8.70%), Anomala rugosa (5.88%), and Anomalavaricolor (5.64%). Anomala polita, Anomala cantori,Anomala sp., Heteronychus lioderes, and Gametisversicolor were the least abundant in the biospherereserve, represented by only a single specimen (Table 1).As biodiversity surveys provide fundamental information

needed for conservation planning, protected areajustification and design, and development of managementplans, the rich biodiversity of the scarab beetles in AABR

maintain the biological health of the newly formedbiosphere reserve.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe authors are thankful to Dr. K. Venkataraman(Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata) forproviding necessary facilities and encouragement.

REFERENCESArrow, G.J. (1910) The Fauna of British India includingCeylon and Burma. Col. Lamell. I (Cetoniinae &Dynastinae). Taylor & Francis, London, V-XIV, 1-322.

Arrow, G.J. (1917) The Fauna of British India includingCeylon and Burma. Col. Lamell. II (Rutelinae). Taylor &Francis, London, V-XIII, 1-387, 7 fig., 5 pls.

Arrow, G.J. (1931) The Fauna of British India includingCeylon and Burma. Col. Lamell. III, (Coprinae). Taylor &Francis, London, XII : 1-428, 61 fig., 19 pls., map.

Balthasar, V. (1963a) Monographie der Scarabaeidae undAphodiidae der Palaearktischen und OrientalischenRegion. (Coleoptera: Lamellicornia). Verlag derTschechoslowakischen Akademie der WissenschaftenPrag, I, 1-391, 137 figs., 24pls.

Balthasar, V. (1963b) Monographie der Scarabaeidae undAphodiidae der Palaearktischen und OrientalischenRegion. (Coleoptera: Lamellicornia). Verlag derTschechoslowakischen Akademie der WissenschaftenPrag, I1, 1-627, 226 figs., 16 pls.

Chandra, K. (1986) Taxonomic studies on PleurostictScarabaeidae (Coleoptera) of North-West India. PhDThesis, Faculty of Science, Kurukshetra University,Kurukshetra, pp. 251, plate 28, map 14.

Chandra, K. and Gupta, D. (2012a) New distributionalrecord of five species of Onthophagus (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from Central India.Scholarly Journal Agricultural Sciences, 2 (1): 8-12.

Reserve, which yielded the identification of 52 species needs to be conserved and protected so as to

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Chandra, K. and Gupta, D. (2012b) Diversity and relativeabundance of Pleurostict Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera) inAchanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, CentralIndia, World Journal of Zoology, 7 (2): 147-154.

Chandra, K. and Singh, P.S. (2010) Scarabaeid beetles(Coleoptera) of Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary,Chhattisgarh. National Journal of Life Sciences, 7(1): 71-74.

Chandra, K. and Ahirwar, S.C. (2007) Insecta:Coleoptera: Scrabaeidae. In Zoological Survey of India,Fauna of Madhya Pradesh (including Chhattisgarh), StateFauna Series, 15 (Part-1): 273-300.

Chandra, K., Gupta D., and Khan, S. (2012) Scarabbeetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of Kanger ValleyNational Park, Chhattisgarh (India). Journal ofEcobiotechnology, 4 (2): 69-70.

Gupta, A.K. (1986). Studies on Dung Beetles(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Laparosticti) of North-WestIndia. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Science, KurukshetraUniversity, Kurukshetra, pp. 251, plate 24.

Gupta, D. and Chandra, K. (2012) Scarab beetle(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) diversity in Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, Chhattisgarh (India).Abstract published in “Biodivesity-Asia-2012”, The 2nd

Asian Regional Conference of Society for ConservationBiology. : 122.

Janssens A. (1940) Monographie des Gymnopleurides.Verhandelingen Koninklijk Natuurhistorisch MuseumBelgie. Brussel 2(18):1-74.

Machatschke J.W. (1972) Superfamilie Scarabaeoidae,Familie Melolonthidae, Subfamilie Rutelinae.Coleopterorum catalogus Eds. W. Junk and S. Schenkling,(W. Junk: Berlin) 6(1):1-361.

Mikšić, R. (1977) Monographie der Cetoniinae derPaläarktischen und Orientalischen Region (Coleoptera:Lamellicornia). Forstinstitut in Sarajevo, 2: 1-399.

Ratcliffe, B.C. and Jameson, M.L. (2001) Scarabaeoidea:Scarabaeoid beetles (= Lamellicornia). (URL:http://www-museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/Guide/Scarabaeoidea/Scarabaeoidea-pages/Scarabaeoidea-Overview/ScarabaeoideaO.html). In, B.C. Ratcliffe andM.L. Jameson (eds.), Generic Guide to New WorldScarab Beetles (URL: http://www-museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/ Guide/index4.htm). Accessed on:01.06.2012.

Sabatinelli, G. (1993) Catalogue of the ScarabaeoideaMelolonthidae from Himalaya and North India:Macrodactylini, Hopliini, Diplotaxini, Melolonthini andSericini. Mem. Soc. ent. ital., Genova, 71, (II): 593-636.

PLATE A: (1) Paragymnopleurus sinuatus (Olivier), (2) Heliocopris bucephalus (Fabricius), (3) Catharsius (Catharsius)molossus (Linnaeus), (4) Catharsius (Catharsius) sagax (Quenstedt), (5) Copris (Paracopris) imitans Felsche, (6) Copris(Paracopris) surdus Arrow, (7) Onthophagus (Proagoderus) pactolus (Fabricius).

Scarab beetles of Achanakmar-Amarkantak biosphere reserve

TAB

LE 1:C

lassified list of scarab beetles of Achanakm

ar-Am

arkantak Biosphere R

eserve:

S. No.

Nam

e of the speciesSubfam

ilyTribe

Feeding strategyN

o. ofexam

plesPercent

abundanceLA

PAR

OSTIC

T SCA

RA

BA

EIDA

E (CO

PRO

PHA

GO

US O

R D

UN

G B

EETL

ES)1.

Scarabaeus(Kheper)sanctus(Fabricius)

ScarabaeinaeScarabaeini

Roller

031.92

2.Sisyphus(Sisyphus)neglectus

Gory*

ScarabaeinaeSisyphini

Roller

021.28

3.G

ymnopleurus(G

ymnopleurus)cyaneus(Fabricius)

ScarabaeinaeG

ymnopleurini

Roller

4327.56

4.Paragym

nopleurus sinuatus(Olivier)

ScarabaeinaeG

ymnopleurini

Roller

127.69

5.G

arreta smaragdifer(W

alker)*Scarabaeinae

Gym

nopleuriniR

oller02

1.286.

Heliocopris bucephalus(Fabricius)

ScarabaeinaeC

opriniTunneler

127.69

7.Catharsius(C

atharsius)pithecius(Fabricius)*Scarabaeinae

Coprini

Tunneler06

3.848.

Catharsius(Catharsius)m

olossus(Linnaeus)Scarabaeinae

Coprini

Tunneler06

3.849.

Catharsius(Catharsius)sagax

(Quenstedt)

ScarabaeinaeC

opriniTunneler

1610.25

10.Copris(C

opris)carinicusGillet*

ScarabaeinaeC

opriniTunneler

063.84

11.Copris(Paracopris)im

itansFelsche*Scarabaeinae

Coprini

Tunneler04

2.5612.

Copris(Paracopris)surdusArrow

*Scarabaeinae

Coprini

Tunneler01

0.6413.

Phalops divisus(Wiedem

ann)*Scarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler02

1.2814.

Onthophagus(O

nthophagus)igneusVigors*

ScarabaeinaeO

nthophaginiTunneler

010.64

15.O

nthophagus(Proagoderus)pactolus(Fabricius)Scarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler01

0.6416.

Onthophagus(O

nthophagus)ramosellusB

ates*Scarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler08

5.1217.

Onthophagus(D

igitonthophagus)bonasus(Fabricius)Scarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler02

1.2818.

Onthophagus(D

igitonthophagus)gazella(Fabricius)

ScarabaeinaeO

nthophaginiTunneler

063.84

19.O

nthophagus(Onthophagus)ram

osus(Wiedem

ann)*Scarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler01

0.6420.

Onthophagus(O

nthophagus)dama

(Fabricius)*Scarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler04

2.5621.

Onthophagus(O

nthophagus)quadridentatus(Fabricius)*Scarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler02

1.2822.

Onthophagus(O

nthophagus)armatusB

lanchardScarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler02

1.2823.

Onthophagus(O

nthophagus)agnusGillet*

ScarabaeinaeO

nthophaginiTunneler

095.79

24.O

nthophagus(Onthophagus)ludio

Boucom

ont*Scarabaeinae

Onthophagini

Tunneler01

0.6425.

Onitis philem

onFabricius*

ScarabaeinaeO

nitiniTunneler

021.28

26.O

nitis subopacusArrow

*Scarabaeinae

Onitini

Tunneler02

1.28Total=

156100%

PLEU

RO

STIC

T SCA

RA

BAEID

AE (C

HA

FFER BE

ETL

ES)27.

Anomala bengalensis(B

lanchard)R

utelinaeA

nomalini

Phytophagous03

0.7028.

Anomala biharensisA

rrowR

utelinaeA

nomalini

Phytophagous40

9.41

29.Anom

ala cantori(Hope)

Rutelinae

Anom

aliniPhytophagous

010.23

30.Anom

ala dorsalis(Fabricius)R

utelinaeA

nomalini

Phytophagous16

3.7631.

Anomala polita

(Blanchard)

Rutelinae

Anom

aliniPhytophagous

010.23

32.Anom

ala ruficapillaB

urmeister

Rutelinae

Anom

aliniPhytophagous

13431.52

889

I.J.S.N., VOL. 3(4) 2012: 886-891 ISSN 2229 – 6441

33.Anom

ala rugosaA

rrowR

utelinaeA

nomalini

Phytophagous25

5.8834.

Anomala varicolor(G

yllenhal)R

utelinaeA

nomalini

Phytophagous24

5.6435

Anomala

sp.R

utelinaeA

nomalini

Phytophagous01

0.2336.

Mim

ela macleayana

(Vigors)

Rutelinae

Anom

aliniPhytophagous

061.41

37.M

imela inscripta

(Nonfried)

Rutelinae

Anom

aliniPhytophagous

020.47

38.Popillia

laevisBurm

eisterR

utelinaeA

nomalini

Phytophagous04

0.9439.

Adoretus lasiopygusBurm

eisterR

utelinaeA

doretiniPhytophagous

040.94

40.Adoretus bicolorB

renskeR

utelinaeA

doretiniPhytophagous

020.47

41.Adoretus lim

batusBlanchard

Rutelinae

Adoretini

Phytophagous03

0.7042

Adoretus bimarginatusO

hausR

utelinaeA

doretiniPhytophagous

378.70

43.Xylotrupes gideon

(Linnaeus)D

ynastinaeD

ynastiniPhytophagous

020.47

44.Alissonotum

simile

Arrow

Dynastinae

PentodontiniPhytophagous

030.70

45.Phyllognathus dionysius(Fabricius)

Dynastinae

PentodontiniPhytophagous

040.94

46.H

eteronychus lioderesR

edtenbacherD

ynastinaePentodontini

Phytophagous01

0.2347.

Apogonia proxima

Waterhouse

Melolonthinae

Diplotaxini

Phytophagous83

19.548.

Schizonycha ruficollis(Fabricius)M

elolonthinaeM

elolonthiniPhytophagous

040.94

49.H

olotrichia sculpticollisBlanchard

Melolonthinae

Melolonthini

Phytophagous05

1.7650.

Holotrichia problem

eticaB

renskeM

elolonthinaeM

elolonthiniPhytophagous

030.70

51.Clinteria klugi(H

ope)C

etoniinaeG

ymnetini

Phytophagous17

4.0052.

Gam

etis versicolor(Fabricius)C

etoniinaeC

etoniiniPhytophagous

010.23

Total=425

100%

890

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891

PLATE B: (8) Onthophagus (Digitonthophagus) gazella (Fabricius), (9) Onthophagus (Onthophagus) ramosus(Wiedemann), (10) Onthophagus (Onthophagus) agnus Gillet, (11) Onthophagus (Onthophagus) dama (Fabricius), (12)Onitis philemon Fabricius, (13) Anomala dorsalis (Fabricius), (14) Anomala ruficapilla Burmeister, (15) Anomala rugosaArrow, (16) Anomala varicolor (Gyllenhal).

PLATE C: (17) Mimela macleayana (Vigors), (18) Adoretus bimarginatus Ohaus, (19) Schizonycha ruficollis (Fabricius),(20), Holotrichia sculpticollis Blanchard, (21) Clinteria klugi (Hope), (22) Gametis versicolor (Fabricius).