Species diversity and relative abundance of scarab beetle fauna in Assam, northeast India

Abstract

Species diversity and abundance of scarab beetles was studied from Assam, northeast India from 2007-2013. A total of 44 species of scarabs under 6 sub families and 21 genera were identified, out of which 41 species are new records. Majority of the phytophagous species belonged to the subfamily Melolonthinae and Rutelinae while the coprophagous species belonged to Dynastinae and Cetoniinae. Species profiling revealed that Apogonia ferruginea was the most predominant species and contributed 17.60 per cent out of the total number of beetles followed by Anomala chlorosoma (14.56%), Adoretus spp. (12.75%), Apogonia area (10.94%) and Sophrops irridipennis (10.63%) with peak population in the month of July (419.14). Multiple regression analysis with weather parameters revealed that beetle population was influenced by combined effects of maximum temperature, total rainfall and wind speed in all years with maximum variation in 2007 (78.66%) and minimum in 2012 (59.56%).