Arthropods biodiversity in sugarcane agro-ecosystem under Terai zone of Northern West Bengal

Abstract

During study of arthropods diversity in sugarcane ecosystem a total of 1230 specimens belonging to different insects orders were captured representing 50 species. Out of fifty species of arthropods belonging to 38 different families under 11 orders were recorded from the sugarcane agro-ecosystem. Most of the arthropods belonged to three orders such as Coleoptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. In terms of species composition Coleoptera occupied the top position (18 species) while Hemiptera and Lepidoptera ranked second position (9 species each) The Gini-Simpson index and Effective number of species for the pest faunal complex of sugarcane was calculated as 0.9301 and 14.320, respectively. Thus effective number of species of arthropod community in sugarcane ecosystem has the same diversity as a community with 14.320 ≈ 14 equally-common species.