Insect Fauna Research Articles

Florivory of Early Cretaceous flowers by functionally diverse insects: implications for early angiosperm pollination.

Florivory (flower consumption) occurs worldwide in modern angiosperms, associated with pollen and nectar consumption. However, florivory remains unrecorded from fossil flowers since their Early Cretaceous appearance. We test hypotheses that earliest angiosperms were pollinated by a diverse insect fauna by evaluating 7858 plants from eight localities of the latest Albian Dakota Formation from midcontinental North America, in which 645 specimens (8.2%) were flowers or inflorescences. Well-preserved specimens were categorized into 32 morphotypes, nine of which displayed 207 instances of damage from 11 insect damage types (DTs) by four functional-feeding groups of hole feeding, margin feeding, surface feeding and piercing-and-sucking. We assessed the same DTs inflicted by known florivores on modern flowers that also are their pollinators, and associated insect mouthpart types causing such damage. The diverse, Dakota florivore–pollinator community showed a local pattern at Braun's Ranch of flower morphotypes 4 and 5 having piercing-and-sucking as dominant and margin feeding as minor interactions, whereas Dakotanthus cordiformis at Rose Creek I and II had an opposite pattern. We found no evidence for nectar robbing. These data support the rapid emergence of early angiosperms of florivore and associated pollinator guilds expressed at both the local and regional community levels.

Revisiting the non-native insect fauna of Greece: Current trends and an updated checklist

Alien invasive species not only have adverse environmental impacts, they may also pose socioeconomic and human health threats. The increase in detected non-native (alien) and cryptogenic species, followed by the necessity for up-to-date scientific information on biological invasions, prompted a thorough literature investigation on the non-native entomofauna of Greece. Supplementing previous studies concerning Europe and Greece, a checklist for the non-native insect species of the country is provided, while their number is elevated from 266 to 469. Current trends regarding species richness and taxonomy, deliberate or accidental means of introduction, as well as their native range and trophic preferences are analysed and discussed. This publication illustrates the current state of non-native insects of Greece, highlighting the need for an effective early warning system integrated in national phytosanitary legislation, survey protocols and strategies towards the eradication and mitigation of their detrimental impacts.

Latest Permian insects from Wapadsberg Pass, southern Karoo Basin, South Africa

AbstractThe Permian–Triassic global crisis was the only event to have a dramatic impact on insect diversity, with Palaeozoic insect clades disappearing and accompanied by the accelerated rise of modern lineages. To date, most Permian palaeoentomological work has focused on the upper Permian deposits of the Normandien Formation (Beaufort Group), KwaZulu–Natal Province. This paper describes the regional insect fauna preserved close to the Permian–Triassic boundary at Wapadsberg Pass, southern Karoo Basin of South Africa, which provides a rare glimpse into insect life immediately before this global crisis. Here, we describe six insect species from six families within five orders from the two Wapadsberg Pass localities. Mioloptera stuckenbergi (Grylloblattodea) and Permocicada sp. (Hemiptera) were recorded previously from the Lopingian KwaZulu–Natal Province. In addition, we detail the first potential occurrence of South African Permian Tettigoniida (Orthoptera: Tettigonioidea & Hagloidea) and Anthracoptilidae (Paoliida). An Auchenorrhynchan (Hemiptera) nymph and an undetermined insect (order uncertain) also are described.

The Trichoptera of Panama. Six new species and four new country records of microcaddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) from Mount Totumas Cloud Forest and Biological Reserve

There have been 179 species of microcaddisflies (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) recorded from the Republic of Panama. Herein we describe 6 new species from Mount Totumas Cloud Forest and biological reserve, in the Rio Colorado watershed ( Leucotrichia cultrata, Metrichia akidion, M. plax, Ochrotrichia alma, O. paxilla, and O. petersoni ). In addition, we describe 1 species under an informal designation and report 4 new country records for Panama from this location ( Metrichia angulosa Bueno-Soria and Holzenthal, M. mechuda Bueno-Soria and Holzenthal, M. meta Bueno-Soria and Holzenthal, and M. truncata Bueno-Soria and Holzenthal), which were known previously only from Costa Rica. These results are part of an ongoing effort to characterize the aquatic insect fauna of Panama, and to evaluate that country’s major watersheds. There are now 449 species of Trichoptera known from Panama distributed in 15 families and 52 genera, including 189 species of microcaddisflies.

A Checklist of Philanthini and Pseudoscoliini (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with New Records from Tunisia

Ten species of Philanthini and Pseudoscoliini documented from Tunisia are presented in an annotated list. Among them, Philanthinus integer (de Beaumont, 1949) is a new record for Tunisian insect fauna. The genus Philantinusde Beaumont, 1949 is recorded for the first time from Tunisia. New provincial records are reported for all identified species except Pseudoscolia berlandi (de Beaumont, 1949). For each identified species, distribution in Tunisia and in the world as well as digital photographs are presented.

Carcasses at Fixed Locations Host a Higher Diversity of Necrophilous Beetles.

Simple SummaryWhereas vertebrate scavengers have a higher diversity reported at randomly placed carcasses, the drivers of insect diversity on carrion, such as the exposure type (fixed versus random) or the carrion species, are still incompletely understood. We analyzed beetle diversity at differently exposed carcasses in the low-range mountain forest of the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany. We tested if scavenging beetles, similarly to vertebrate scavengers, show a higher diversity at randomly placed carcasses compared to easily manageable fixed places. Ninety-two beetle species at 29 exposed wildlife carcasses (roe, red deer, and red foxes) were detected. Beetle diversity was higher at fixed locations possessing extended highly nutrient-rich cadaver decomposition islands as important refuges for threatened red-listed species, such as Necrobia violacea (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Particularly noticeable in our insect traps were the following two rare species, the “primitive” carrion beetle Necrophilus subterraneus (Coleoptera: Agyrtidae) and the false clown beetle Sphaerites glabratus (Coleoptera: Sphaeritidae). In Europe, only the species S. glabratus out of the genus Sphaerites is present. This emphasizes the importance of carrion for biodiversity conservation. We clearly show the relevance of leaving and additional providing wildlife carcasses in a dedicated place in protected forests for preserving very rare and threatened beetle species as essential members of the decomposing community.In contrast to other necromass, such as leaves, deadwood, or dung, the drivers of insect biodiversity on carcasses are still incompletely understood. For vertebrate scavengers, a richer community was shown for randomly placed carcasses, due to lower competition. Here we tested if scavenging beetles similarly show a higher diversity at randomly placed carcasses compared to easily manageable fixed places. We sampled 12,879 individuals and 92 species of scavenging beetles attracted to 17 randomly and 12 at fixed places exposed and decomposing carcasses of red deer, roe deer, and red foxes compared to control sites in a low range mountain forest. We used rarefaction-extrapolation curves along the Hill-series to weight diversity from rare to dominant species and indicator species analysis to identify differences between placement types, the decay stage, and carrion species. Beetle diversity decreased from fixed to random locations, becoming increasingly pronounced with weighting of dominant species. In addition, we found only two indicator species for exposure location type, both representative of fixed placement locations and both red listed species, namely Omosita depressa and Necrobia violacea. Furthermore, we identified three indicator species of Staphylinidae (Philonthus marginatus and Oxytelus laqueatus) and Scarabaeidae (Melinopterus prodromus) for larger carrion and one geotrupid species Anoplotrupes stercorosus for advanced decomposition stages. Our study shows that necrophilous insect diversity patterns on carcasses over decomposition follow different mechanisms than those of vertebrate scavengers with permanently established carrion islands as important habitats for a diverse and threatened insect fauna.

Flight among the Lilliputians

If you think that fruit flies are tiny, please reconsider. Spectacular radiations of miniaturized beetles, flies and wasps dominate the insect fauna and are characterized by body lengths well below that of the biologist's friend Drosophila melanogaster (∼3 mm). Most remarkably, the smallest flying insect described to date has a length of just 0.16 mm. But just how does flapping flight work at such small scales? The viscous effects of air on a wing increase at smaller sizes and a 1 mm insect moves through the air as would a bumblebee move through mineral oil. Lift forces generated by swirling air around the wing are accordingly impeded given the relative stickiness of the fluid, and alternative mechanisms of force production must be at play. How then do very small insects create the aerodynamic forces necessary to offset body weight and also to generate horizontal thrust to intentionally move about?Xin Cheng and Mao Sun, from Beihang University, China, took on this question by describing the detailed kinematics of forward flight in the tiny wasp Encarsia formosa, which has a wing length of only 0.5 mm. Writing in 1973 in JEB, Torkel Weis-Fogh first described the novel clap-fling aerodynamic mechanism utilized by this species; Cheng and Sun have now built on their earlier computational work on hovering in E. formosa to analyze its forward flight kinematics and associated forces, albeit at the humble airspeed of ∼0.3 m s−1. They identified a distinctive pattern of wing motions very different from that of larger insects (including the fruit fly). First, the wings accelerate backward at very high incidence angles relative to oncoming flow (‘impulsive paddling’), and then close up on the right and left sides while at the same time moving upward. Then in the downstroke, the wings quickly rotate about their posterior edges (which Weis-Fogh referred to as the ‘fling’) and sweep downward and forward, again moving at high incidence angles to the surrounding air.But what do these odd features of wing flapping yield in terms of force production? Cheng and Sun used computer simulations to reveal two means by which the effects of small size and fluid stickiness were largely overcome. Firstly, the fast backward acceleration of the wings at high incidence to the air produces a large thrust but also some vertical force supporting the body weight. Secondly, the ‘flinging’ motion produces a low-pressure region of rapidly swirling air which persists through the downstroke, creating the majority of the vertical force required to offset gravity. Thus, the insects employ distinctive wing motions to offset the otherwise formidable effects of increased viscosity. The associated forces last just milliseconds but, at a wingbeat frequency of ∼350 Hz, are clearly sufficient for routine flight. They may be even more effective during maneuvers, a topic destined for future investigation.Miniaturization is one of the dominant themes in insect evolution and largely underpins the high extant diversity of small insects (and also of their parasitoids). This computational study of aerodynamics in one such lilliputian species suggests that additional fluid dynamic novelties await discovery and analysis by flight biomechanists. Fringed wings with much reduced supporting veins are also well known among the miniaturized fliers, but have largely unknown aerodynamic consequences. Often at the mercy of gentle breezes, these insects live in physical, behavioral and ecological domains supremely distant from our own personal experiences. This aerodynamic study should help us to close that conceptual distance.

Flowers of Apocynaceae in amber from the early Eocene of India.

Early Eocene ambers of the Cambay lignite in Gujarat, India, are well known for their diverse insect fauna and dispersed pollen, but the included flowers have received limited attention. The fossil record of Apocynaceae is relatively poor, and the distinctive floral characters of this family have not been recognized in the fossil record before. Remains of tiny flowers in amber were studied by micro-CT scanning, reflected light, and epifluorescence microscopy. Flowers of Maryendressantha succinifera gen. et. sp. n. have actinomorphic, pentamerous, tubular corollas 2.2-2.3 mm wide, and 1.7-2.1 mm deep with sinistrorse aestivation and androecia consisting of a whorl of five stamens attached by short filaments to the lower half of the corolla tube. Anthers are ovate, rounded basally and apically tapered with their connectives convergent with one another in a conical configuration. The pollen is globose, psilate, tricolporate, and very small (10-11 µm). The combined characters indicate a position within the grade known as subfamily Rauvolfioideae. These fossils, as the oldest remains of Rauvolfioids, complement the fossil records of Apocynoid and Asclepioid fossil seeds from other regions, demonstrating that the Apocynaceae were well established by the early Eocene, mostly consistent with prior divergence estimates for the phylogeny of this family. Potential pollinators, also preserved in the Cambay amber, include mosquitos, gnats, small moths, and stingless bees.

DNA Barcoding Identifies Unknown Females and Larvae of Fannia R.-D. (Diptera: Fanniidae) from Carrion Succession Experiment and Case Report.

Simple SummaryInsects are frequently attracted to animal and human cadavers, usually in large numbers. The practice of forensic entomology can utilize information regarding the identity and characteristics of insect assemblages on dead organisms to determine the time elapsed since death occurred. However, for insects to be used for forensic applications it is essential that species are identified correctly. Imprecise identification not only affects the forensic utility of insects but also results in an incomplete image of necrophagous entomofauna in general. The present state of knowledge on morphological diversity and taxonomy of necrophagous insects is still incomplete and identification of immature and female forms can be extremely difficult. In this study, we utilized molecular identification methods to link conspecific sexes and developmental stages of forensically important flies. We identified larvae and females of flies collected from animal and human cadavers which otherwise were morphologically unidentifiable. The present study fills a gap in taxonomy of flies and provides data facilitating application of new species as forensic indicators.Application of available keys to European Fanniidae did not facilitate unequivocal species identification for third instar larvae and females of Fannia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 collected during a study of arthropod succession on pig carrion. To link these samples to known species, we took the advantage of molecular identification methods and compared newly obtained cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode sequences against sequences deposited in reference databases. As an outcome of the results obtained, we describe for the first time a third instar larva of Fannia nigra Malloch, 1910 and Fannia pallitibia (Rondani, 1866) and a female of Fannia collini d’Assis-Fonseca, 1966. We provide combinations of characters allowing for discrimination of described insects from other Fanniidae. We provide an update for the key by Rozkošný et al. 1997, which allows differentiation between females of F. collini and other species of Fanniidae. Additionally, we provide a case of a human cadaver discovered in Southern Poland and insect fauna associated with it as the first report of F. nigra larvae developing on a human body.

Abundance and seasonality of insects in urban fragments of the Brazilian Cerrado

Insects are important ecosystem agents, however, in general, a decline in the composition and abundance of these animals around the globe has been observed. In the urban environment, this characteristic has been more critical, due to the lack of diversity and quality of habitats in these environments, which feature fragmentation of habitats. Thus, processes that naturally affect the composition of animals in the environment can be observed, shaping the abundance of species in their environments, processes such as seasonality, especially in tropical regions, with well-defined rain and dry seasons. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the seasonality and abundance of insects in urban fragments in the Cerrado, for this purpose four urban fragments were sampled in Campo Grande MS, during the months of January to December 2012 using Malaise traps. 26,890 individuals of 19 orders were collected, where the abundance of insect orders stands out Diptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemipetera and Trichoptera. A peak in general insect abundance was found in November, and there were significant differences over the months between different orders. However, no difference was found between the fragments, however, there was a trend towards changes in the diversity of orders related to the size of the fragments. The different strategies to deal with water stress well marked for the Cerrado is an important factor for the composition of the insect fauna of the domain and variations in the habitat, such as area size and phytosocionomic composition directly affect the orders found.

First record of Brachytemnus porcatus (Germar, 1823) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from South-eastern Anatolia (Turkey) and its host Pinus parviflora

This study was conducted in 2019 on pine trees in Province of Diyarbakır (Sur District) in South-eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. Shot samples were taken from the dried pine trees and brought to the laboratory. Samples were cultured in plastic containers at the temperature of 26±1°C, relative humidity of 65±5, and illumination of 3500 lux for 16 hours per day. As a result of this study, Brachytemnus porcatus (Germar, 1823) species belonging to Curculionidae family of Coleoptera was determined. This is the first record for pine trees in Diyarbakir. In addition, this species is the first record for the insect fauna of Diyarbakır. This harmful species, which is one of the rare insect species in the world, is thought to have entered the province of Diyarbakır, possibly through production materials brought to the region without supervision. Key for the species of the subtribe Stenoscelidina from Turkey is given.

Entomofauna in Egyptian saltwater habitats

The entomofaunas of salty Egyptian environments are reviewed in the present paper according to the available data. Most saltwater habitats were poor with insect fauna. Class Insecta was represented in seven lakes and completely disappeared in two hypersaline lakes, Bitter and Temsah. Chironomid larvae were the most abundant insects in the seven lakes followed by the mosquito larvae, especially in Suez Canal and Wadi El-Rayan. Other aquatic insects include Odonata, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Trichoptera, and Collembola were represented as extremely low or completely absent. The richness of insect diversity was observed in Burullus and Wadi El-Rayan Lakes as well as the Red Sea coast (swamps and mangroves). It has also been observed that the physical and chemical characteristics of these habitats were changed due to the environmental and climatic changes. Consequently, led to changes in the insect species and other communities. Generally, the data and the studies of insect fauna in Egyptian saltwater are very poor. Also, the taxonomic identification to the level of genus and species is almost non-existent. This paper recommended more studies of insect fauna in these environments with more precise classification.

Taxonomic Notes on Smicronyx Schoenherr, 1843 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Turkey

Abstract Four species of the genus Smicronyx Schoenherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were examined in this study with Smicronyx albosquamosus Wollaston, S. coecus Reich, and S. syriacus Faust reported for the first time in Turkey. Given that S. jungermanniae Wollaston, S. reichii (Gyllenhal), S. sordidus LeConte, and S. fulvus LeConte were previously reported from Turkey, there are now seven species of Smicronyx in the insect fauna of Turkey. Specimens of S. albosquamosus, S. coecus, S. syriacus, and S. jungermanniae were collected from almond trees, Amygdalus communis L., in Eastern Southern Anatolia Region of Turkey and subjected to taxonomic study using primarily genitalia and reproductive structures to provide descriptions of these species with comparisons with previous studies.

First Records of Coccomorpha (Hemiptera) Species in Diyarbakır, Turkey

AbstractPlants in gardens and parks within Diyarbakir Province (Bağlar, Kayapınar, Sur, and Yenişehir) of Turkey were sampled throughout the years of 2016 and 2017. These collections yielded 10 species from the superfamily Coccoidea (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) including 3 species from the family Coccidae (Parthenolecanium corni [Bouché], Didesmococcus unifasciatus [Archangelskaya], Sphaerolecanium prunastri [Boyer de Fonscolombe]), 5 species from the family Diaspididae (Leucaspis pusilla [Löw], Pseudaulacaspis pentagona [Targiona-Tozzetti], Mercetaspis halli [Green], Salicicola kermanensis [Lindinger], Parlatoria oleae [Colvée]), and 1 species each from family Eriococcidae (Gossyparia spuria [Modeer]) and family Pseudococcidae (Planococcus vovae [Nasonov]). The diaspids L. pusilla, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona, and Salicicola Kermanensis; the eriococcid G. spuria; and the pseudococcid Planococcus vovae represent the first records for the Diyarbakır Province insect fauna.

Taxonomic documentation of phototactic insect pests species collected from light trap during Rabi season vegetable ecosystem at Chhindwara (M.P.)

An experiment was conducted under the taxonomic documentation of phototactic insect pests collected in light trap during Rabi season in vegetable ecosystem at Chhindwara (M.P.). Information on insect fauna of vegetable collected at Chhindwara M.P. The data of trap catch during Rabi 2019-20 was classified on taxonomic basis, economic aspect (crop pest) and bio control significance (parasite and predators) a total 64 insect species belonging to 10 orders and 33 families were recorded throughout the season (Rabi 2019-20) based on number of species collected, largest collection was represented by order Lepidoptera 24 species (44.75%) followed by order Hemiptera 14 species (21.87%), Coleoptera 9 species (14.06%), Orthoptera 3 species (4.68%) and Hymenoptera 2 species (3.12%) in descending order respectively. Orders of minor significance are represented by Odonata, Diptera and Neuroptera having 2 species each while Dermaptera and Dictyoptera were represented by one species only. Based on economic importance this collection was represented by 44 species of harmful insects (as crop pest) 20 species of predatory and parasitic insects (useful as bio control agents). Category of harmful insect pests includes the major and minor pest species of vegetables, major polyphagous pest, pest of cereals, oilseeds and other crops.

Catalogue of selected insect groups of Lalwan Community Reserve and Ranjit Sagar Conservation Reserve, Punjab, India

We present the first documentation of the insect fauna of Lalwan Community Reserve and Ranjit Sagar Conservation Reserve, Punjab. The survey was conducted in the months of May and June 2019. Selected insect groups were focused on for the rapid documentation of the entomofauna. Overall, we recorded 91 species of insects belonging to the orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Odonata. A total of 68 species including 46 species of order Lepidoptera, nine species of Odonata, and 13 species of Coleoptera were reported from Lalwan Community Reserve. Thirty-seven species consisting of 23 species of Odonata and 14 species of Lepidoptera were recorded from Ranjit Sagar Conservation Reserve, Punjab.

ZOOBENTHOS OF THE SULA ARCTIC RIVER (NORTHERN TIMAN, MALOZEMELSKAYA TUNDRA)

For the first time, we studied zoobenthos in the upper reaches of the river Sula located beyond the Arctic Circle. During the study period (July, 2016), the water temperature warmed up to 18-23°С in the river channel and up to 3-5° C in the streams. The zoobenthos of the upper reaches of the river has high quantity but low biomass. Its average abundance was 30.3 thousand individuals per m 2 , and biomass – 2.7 g/m 2 . The highest zoobenthos biomass was founded at the riffles (up to 66.1 thousand individuals per m 2 , and biomass – 6 g/m 2 ) where chironomids and black flies dominated. At the pools, we found low abundance of zoobenthos – 5 thousand individuals per m 2 and 0.3 g/m 2 . Here, in addition to dipterans, a large proportion of leeches and oligochaetes were noted. Near the river banks, 25 groups of hydrobionts were found. Chironomids (40.3%) and ostracods (20.7%) dominated by the number; Ephemeroptera larvae (44.9 %) dominated by biomass. In deeper parts of the river channel, the benthos was poorer; the same groups were numerous as near the banks, and oligochaetes dominated in the biomass (57.9%). The zoobenthos of the streams differed from the riverbed by the greater number of amphipods; its quantitative development was close to that of the river. We found 28 large taxa of zoobenthos in the upper reaches of the river Sula and it tributaries. In the oxbow, we found three more groups: Megaloptera, Heteroptera and Porifera. In general, zoobenthos was dominated by ancient orders of insects: mayflies, stoneflies, caddis flies, and beetles. In addition to dipterans (10 families), 52 species of insects have been recorded: 11 species of mayflies, 10 of stoneflies, 19 species of caddis flies, and 12 species of beetles. In the article, we provide the species list of the zoobenthos. Our research supplemented the fauna of amphibiotic and aquatic insects of theNorthern Timan rivers and emphasized the need to protect the catchment area of this intact region of the Malozemelskaya tundra.

Biodiversity baselines: Tracking insects in Kruger National Park with DNA barcodes

Reflecting their species richness and ecological diversification, insects play a central role in terrestrial ecosystems but difficulties in species-level assignments have restricted large-scale analysis of their community structure. Employing South Africa's largest national park as a model system, we demonstrate that DNA barcoding can break this barrier. A year-long deployment of Malaise traps at 25 sites in Kruger National Park (KNP) generated 1000+ weekly collections containing about 800,000 specimens. Insect biomass averaged 1.05 g per trap-day but varied by up to 2-fold between months, being lower in the dry than wet season. Nearly 370,000 specimens were individually analyzed to reveal 19,730 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs; species proxy), a count equal to 43% of the known insect fauna of southern Africa. There was clear differentiation in insect richness and composition between KNP's two ecoregions, but little among the vegetation types comprising them. The spatial gradient in annual rainfall explained more than half of the variation in compositional similarity among sites with less similarity among samples in the wet season, particularly among those in high rainfall areas. These results suggest that the factors organising insect communities in KNP are not fine-scale vegetation differences, but larger-scale processes associated with ecoregions and rainfall. Estimates of sample coverage indicate that the species not collected are rare, comprising only 4% of the individuals in the community. With a well-parameterized DNA barcode reference library in place, metabarcoding can be used to assess future shifts in the insect fauna of KNP rapidly and inexpensively.

Diversity of Insect Fauna Associated with Summer and Monsoon Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.

Background: Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], is one of an important pulse grown throughout the world. The cowpea crop helps in fixation of atmospheric nitrogen; besides, it supports the natural enemies’ population. The study on diversity of pestiferous insect associated with cowpea crop help to understand the population dynamics of these pests depending on location and seasons. These diversity studies are useful to formulate management practices which are area specific.Methods: An extensive survey was conducted at different locations (Udaipur, Bhilwara, Banswara, Chittorgarh and Pratapgarh) of southern Rajasthan during summer (Zaid) and monsoon (Kharif) seasons of 2019 and 2020. The randomly selected plants were observed for pestiferous insect population to calculate different diversity indices.Result: The insect pest complex of cowpea categorized into 5 orders viz., Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera comprising 14 families. The pestiferous fauna includes population of flea beetle, jassids, whiteflies, sap sucking bugs, leaf miner, thrips, aphids, spotted pod borer and lycaenid caterpillar. During the study, it was found that overall species richness was more during the monsoon season as compared to that during the summer. The relative diversity of aphids was the maximum on account of the clumped distribution and exponential growth. In 2019, the maximum diversity was recorded in Banswara (Simpson index= 6.49 and Shannon index= 2.04) during monsoon; whereas, in 2020, the maximum diversity was recorded in Bhilwara (Simpson index= 4.03 and Shannon index= 1.81) during summer.

Detecting flying insects using car nets and DNA metabarcoding.

Monitoring insects across space and time is challenging, due to their vast taxonomic and functional diversity. This study demonstrates how nets mounted on rooftops of cars (car nets) and DNA metabarcoding can be applied to sample flying insect richness and diversity across large spatial scales within a limited time period. During June 2018, 365 car net samples were collected by 151 volunteers during two daily time intervals on 218 routes in Denmark. Insect bulk samples were processed with a DNA metabarcoding protocol to estimate taxonomic composition, and the results were compared to known flying insect richness and occurrence data. Insect and hoverfly richness and diversity were assessed across biogeographic regions and dominant land cover types. We detected 15 out of 19 flying insect orders present in Denmark, with high proportions of especially Diptera compared to Danish estimates, and lower insect richness and diversity in urbanized areas. We detected 319 species not known for Denmark and 174 species assessed in the Danish Red List. Our results indicate that the methodology can assess the flying insect fauna at large spatial scales to a wide extent, but may be, like other methods, biased towards certain insect orders.