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

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.