Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2019 | 11(15): 15074–15078

Additions to the knowledge of darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, Meghalaya, India

Vishwanath Dattatray Hegde

Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, 29 Vidya Nagar, Sector No. 29, PCNT Post, Rawet Road, Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra 411044, India.

hegde67@yahoo.co.in

doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5046.11.15.15074-15078 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:01D7126E-D3D4-49DD-AA89-4305A7C37CF8

Editor: Anonymity requested. Date of publication: 26 December 2019 (online & print)

Manuscript details: #5046 | Received 06 May 2019 | Final received 13 December 2019 | Finally accepted 15 December 2019

Citation: V.D. Hegde (2019). Additions to the knowledge of darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, Meghalaya, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11(15): 15074–15078. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4664.11.15.15074-15078

Copyright: © Hegde 2019. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.

Funding: None.

Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests.

Acknowledgements: I am very much thankful to Dr. Kailash Chandra Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for the facilities.

Tenebrionidae is the versatile group, found almost in all habitats throughout the world—in rotten wood, under bark, stones and logs, feeding on decaying vegetation, in dung, seeds, cereals, fungi, roots, and dead animal matter. They are varied in shape and size measuring 2–35 mm in length. These forms are very often apterous, or have vestigial wings, and the elytra are frequently immovable. Many of the wood feeding species have ample wings. The representatives of this family are hard to differentiate but can be identified by these characters (Hegde & Lal 2016). Body hard, antennal insertion hidden under frons, elytra usually completely covering abdomen, abdomen with five visible sternites and first three segments connate, front coxal cavities closed behind, heteromerous tarsi, tarsal segments and claws simple. Even though, there are some studies on the Tenebrionidae of West Bengal (Hegde & Vasanthakumar 2018) and some northeastern states like Manipur (Hegde & Lal 2016) Arunachal Pradesh (Hegde 2019), there is no comprehensive study on the Tenebrionidae fauna of Meghalaya state. As the various hills comprising the state of Meghalaya lies between the plains of Bangladesh and the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, the topography is markedly different than the surrounding regions, which is why the fauna found in the State show richness in biodiversity and endemism. As the State lacks a detailed catalogue of Tenebrionidae, hence, an attempt has been made to prepare a systematic account of this group of Coleoptera.

Specimens present in the National Zoological Collection, collected by different survey parties of Zoological survey of India, Kolkata were identified and classified and distribution records were as per Bouchard et al. (2005), Becvar and Purchart (2008), Lobl & Smetana (2008), Masumoto et al. (2011), Merkl (1990, 1991), Schawaller (2003, 2005, 2012, 2016). The identification is mainly based on the differences in the morphological characters and the structure of the genitalia. The registration numbers are also given for the material examined. The specimens from the old collections were in fragile conditions and hence the images were not given. The species reported elsewhere (outside India) are also included in distribution.

Subfamily: Lagriinae Latreille, 1825 (1820)

Tribe: Lupronini Ardoin, 1958

Luprops kaszabi Schawaller, 1997

1997. Luprops kaszabi Schawaller, Entomologische Zeitschrift 107: 295–298

Distribution: India [Uttarakhand, Assam and Meghalaya (Tura)], Nepal, West Malaysia.

Spinolyprops himalayicus Kaszab, 1965

1965. Spinolyprops himalayicus Kaszab, Miscelania Zoologica 2: 107–130.

Distribution: INDIA [Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Meghalaya (Tura), Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu], Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia (Java and Bali).

Tribe: Lagriini Latreille, 1825 (1820)

Bothynogria meghalayana Merkl, 1990

1990. Bothynogria meghalayana Merkl, Acta Zoologica Hungarica 36(3–4): 284.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Cheerapunji)].

Remark: Endemic

Xanthalia martensi Merkl, 1991

1991. Xanthalia martensi Merkl, Stuttagarter Beitr, Naturk. 470(18): 12.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Mawphlang)], Nepal.

Subfamily: Tenebrioninae Latreille,1802

Tribe: Ulomini Blanchard, 1845

Uloma prehimalayana Kaszab, 1975

1975. Uloma prehimalayana Kaszab, Entomologia Basiliensia 1: 325

Distribution: India [Assam and Meghalaya (Cheerapunji)].

Uloma rubripes (Hope, 1831)

Uloma rubripes Hope, 1831, The Zoological Misc. 1: 31.

Distribution: INDIA [Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya].

Uloma scita Walker, 1858

1858. Uloma scita Walker, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3)2: 284.

1894. Uloma scita Fairmaire, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. 38: 37.

Distribution: INDIA [Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Meghalaya (Garo hills)], Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

Tribe: Amarygmini Gistel, 1856

Amarygmus speciosus Dalmann, 1823

1823. Amarygmus speciosus Dalmann, Analecta Entomologica: 61.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Tura)], China (Yunnan), Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.

Tribe: OpatriniBrulle, 1832

Gonocephalum depressum (Fabricius, 1801)

1801. Opatrum depressum Fabricius: 117. – Steven 1829: 95.

1801. Hopatrum depressum Fabricius – Gemminger 1870: 1931; Fairmaire 1893: 20, 1894: 17.

1801. Gonocephalum depressum (Fabricius). – Gebien 1906: 213.

1858. Opatrum contrahens Walker, 284. – Blair 1921: 269.

1858. Hopatrum contrahens Walker – Gemminger 1870: 1931.

1858. Gonocephalum contrahens (Walker). – Gebien 1910b: 322, 1939: 447; Kaszab 1952a: 681.

Material examined: Reg. No. 3873-3880/H4A, 08 ex., 13.ii.1961, Shillong, Meghalaya [25.569 N; 91.884 E; 1503m], coll. S.N. Prashad.

Distribution: India [Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Meghalaya (Shillong), China (Yunnan), Taiwan, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and New Guinea.

Sub Family: Diaperinae Latreille, 1802

Tribe Scaphidemini Reitter, 1922

Basanus flaviventris Blair, 1937

1937. Basanus flaviventris Blair, The Entomologist Monthly Magazine 73: 35-37

Distribution: India [Sikkim, West Bengal and Meghalaya (Nokrek-Daribokgiri)], Vietnam; Laos.

Ceropria induta induta Wiedemann, 1819

1819. Helops indutus Wiedemann, Zool. Mag., 1(3): 164.

1831. Ceropria subocellata Castelnau et Brulle, Anns. Soc. nat. Paris, 23: 398.

1982. Ceropria kinugasai Masumoto, Ent. Rev. Japan, 36: 151.

Material examined: Reg. No. 3881-3882 /H4A, 02 ex., 11.i.1962, Shillong, Meghalaya [25.569N; 91.884E; 1503m], coll. C. B. S.

Distribution: India [Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya (Shillong), Chhattisgarh and Andaman Islands]; Japan (Ryuku Is.); Korea, China, Taiwan, the Philippines (Engano Is.), Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaya Peninsula, Indonesia (Borneo, Java, Halmahera, Nia Is., Simalur Is., Sulawesi, Sunda Is. and Sumatra).

Tribe: Leiochrinini Lewis, 1894

Crypsis bimaculatus Kaszab, 1946

1946. Crypsis bimaculatus Kaszab, Ungarisches Naturwissenchaftliches Museum, 221: 191.

Distribution: India [Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya (Tura)], Nepal.

Crypsis violaceipennis Waterhouse, 1877

1877. Crypsis violaceipennis Waterhouse, The Entomologist Monthly Magazine 14: 72-75.

Distribution: India [Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal and Meghalaya (Tura)], Nepal and Laos.

Platydema aurimaculatum Gravely, 1915

1915. Platydema aurimaculatum Gravely, Rec. Ind. Mus. 8: 523.

Distribution: India [Arunachal Pradesh (Hegde, 2019) and Meghalaya (Rongrengiri in East Garo Hills), Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

Platydema capreolum Chevrolat, 1877

1877. Platydema capreolum Chevrolat, Petites Nouvelles Entomologiques 2: 170.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Garo Hills), Tamil Nadu], Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Platydema chalceum Gebien, 1925

1925. Platydema chalceum Gebien, The Philippine J. Science 27: 539-595.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Mawphlang in East Khasi Hills)], Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia (Java and Borneo).

Platydema flavopictum Gebien, 1913

1913. Platydema flavopictum Gebien, Archiv. fur Naturgeschichte (1914) A 79 (9): 17.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Tura in West Garo Hills)], Taiwan, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

Platydema haemorroidale Gebien, 1913

1913. Platydema haemorroidale Gebien, Archiv. fur Naturgeschichte (1914) A 79 (9): 16

Distribution: India [West Bengal and Meghalaya (Songsak in East Garo Hills)], China, Taiwan, Nepal and Vietnam.

Platydema shiva Schwaller, 2003

2003. Platydema shiva Schwaller: p. 263.

Distribution: INDIA [Meghalaya (Norkek National Park in Garo Hills)].

Platydema vishnu Schwaller, 2003

2003. Platydema vishnu Schwaller, : p. 263.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Ronrengeri in East Garo Hills)].

Derispia indica Kaszab, 1946

1946. Derispia indica Kaszab, Ungarisches Naturwissenchaftliches Museum, 221: 79.

Distribution: India [West Bengal and Meghalaya (Cherrapunjee in East Khasi Hills)], Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan.

Derispia shillonga Schawaller, 2016

2016. Derispia shillonga Schawaller, Stuttagarter Beitragezur Naturkunde A Neue series, 9: 199.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Khasi Hills)].

Derispiola assamensis Kaszab,1946

1946. Derispiola assamensis Kaszab, Ungarisches Naturwissenchaftliches Museum, 221: 116.

Material examined: Reg. No. 10648 /H4A, 01 ex. 07. iv.1927, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, coll. Gopi Ram.

Distribution: India [Assam and Meghalaya (Khasi Hills)].

Derispiola darjeelingiana Kaszab, 1946

1946. Derispiola darjeelingiana Kaszab, Ungarisches Naturwissenchaftliches Museum, 221: 117.

Distribution: India: Sikkim, West Bengal and Meghalaya (Tura in West Garo Hills)], Nepal.

Derispiola fruhstorferi Kaszab, 1946

1946. Derispiola fruhstorferi Kaszab, Ungarisches Naturwissenchaftliches Museum, 221: 118.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Khasi Hills)], China (Sichuan), Vietnam and Thailand.

Leiochrinus metallicus Schwaller, 2016

2016. Leiochrinus metallicus Schwaller, Stuttgarter Beiträgezur Naturkunde A Neue series, 9: 202.

Distribution: India [Sikkim and Meghalaya (Tura in West Garo Hills)].

Subfamily: Stenochiinae, Kirby, 1837

Tribe Cnodalonini Oken, 1843

Andocamaria malgorzatae Masumoto et al. 2011

2011. Andocamaria malgorzatae Masumoto et al., Annales Zoologici (Warszawa) 61(2): 237-239.

Distribution: India [Meghalaya (Jaintia Hills)].

Danodema subcalvum Gebien, 1925

1925. Danodema subcalvum Gebien, The Philippine J. Science 27: 355.

Distribution: India [West Bengal, Meghalaya (Tura in West Garo Hills), Tamil Nadu].

Derosphaerus exularis (Gebien, 1913)

1913. Derosphaerus exularis (Gebien), Archiv. fur Naturgeschichte (1914) A 79 (9): 17.

Distribution: India [Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya (Tura in West Garo Hills)].

Derosphaerus rugosus Gravely, 1915

1915. Derosphaerus rugosus Gravely, Rec. Indian Mus., Calcutta, 8: 528.

Distribution: India [Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya (Tura in West Garo Hills)], Nepal.

Foochounus assamicus Kaszab, 1965

1965. Anobriomaia assamicus Kaszab, Miscelanea Zoologica 2: 127.

Material examined: Reg. No. 10712/H4A, 01 ex., 30.viii.1917, Tura, West Garo Hills, coll. S. Kemp.

Distribution: India [Arunachal Pradesh (Hegde, 2019) and Meghalaya (Tura in West Garo Hills], Nepal.

Hexarhopalus jendeki Bacvar and Purchart, 2008

2008. Hexarhopalus jendeki Bacvar and Purchart, Annales Zoologici (Warszawa), 58(1): 57.

Distribution: India: Meghalaya

Tribe: Stenochiini Kirby, 1837

Strongylium aratum Fairmaire, 1896

1896. Strongylium aratum Fairmaire, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. XL: p. 35.

Distribution: India [Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya], China (Yunnan), Nepal.

Strongylium angusticolle Maklin, 1864

1864. Strongylium angusticolle Maklin, Monographie: 333

Distribution: India [Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya], China (Yunnan), Nepal.

Strongylium angustissimum Pic. 1922

1922. Strongylium angustissimum Pic., Mel. exo. ent. 37:27

Distribution: India [Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya], China (Yunnan), Nepal.

Strongylium cultellatum Maklin, 1864

1864. Strongylium cultellatum Maklin, Monographie: 345.

Distribution: India [West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya], Japan, South Korea and China (Hongkong), Nepal.

Strongylium stevensi Gravely, 1915

1915. Strongylium stevensi Gravely, Rec. Indian Mus., Calcutta, 8: 534

Distribution: India [Arunachal Pradesh (Hegde 2019), Assam and Meghalaya].

The northeastern states of India are sandwiched between the eastern Himalaya and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots. A few works on the Tenebrionidae fauna were reported from this region. Hegde (2019) has compiled the Tenebrionidae of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh from the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity hotspots, while from the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, Hegde & Lal (2018) worked on the fauna of this group from Manipur. In this paper, efforts are made to document the Tenebrionidae fauna of another state coming under Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, Meghalaya, where a total of 37 species of 20 genera belonging to nine tribes of four major sub families are found.

While the Eastern Himalaya region represents a large number of Tenebrionidae species (106 species from Sikkim and 63 species from Arunachal Pradesh), the diversity of the same is markedly less in the Indo-Burma region (13 species from Manipur and 37 species from Meghalaya) (Hegde 2019; Hegde & Lal 2016). The genus like Laena, currently known from high altitude areas of the Himalaya in the country, are very much present in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, while there has been no report of the same from the relatively low altitude Indo-Burma region. Another genus, Gonocephlaum, which is widely adapted to a number of habitats, generally dry conditions and have a large population comprising of numerous species in India (Hegde 2018), is represented by only five species from the relatively wet climatic conditions of the Indo-Burma region (Hegde & Lal 2016). However, the current paper is adding three species (Ceropria induta induta, Derispiola assamensis and Foochounus assamicus) under three genera, two tribes and one sub-family as new record to the Indo-Burma region, while along with these, one more species (Gonocephalum depressum) is added to the state fauna of Meghalaya.

The reports of Tenebrionidae from Manipur and Meghalaya represent a small geographic area under the Indo-Burma regions; further studies from Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and the southern banks of river Brahmaputra in Assam in India may reveal further additions to the knowledge of this group of Coleoptera. Comprehensive work on this group across the border in Myanmar and beyond that form the part of Indo-Burma region is still lacking.

References

Becvar, S. & L. Purchart (2008). Revision of the genus Hexarhopalus Fairmaire, 1891 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Cnodaloninae) with description of Malaysphena Gen. Nov. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa) 58(1): 35–70.

Bouchard, P., J.F. Lawrence, A.E. Davies & A.F. Newton (2005). Synoptic classification of the world Tenebrionidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) with a review of family-group names. Annales Zoologici 55: 499–530.

Hegde, V.D. (2018). The Genus Gonocephalum Solier, 1834 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Tenebrioninae) from Maharastra with some new records. Indian Forester 144(5): 465–470.

Hegde, V.D. (2019). Checklist of Darkling Beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Arunachal Pradesh, India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 119(1): 69–77.

Hegde, V.D. & B. Lal (2016). Darkling Beetles (Tenebrionidae: Coleoptera) of Manipur with one new record from India. Biological Forum – An International Journal 8(2): 01–04.

Hegde, V.D. & D. Vasanthakumar (2018).Updated check-list of Darkling Beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of West Bengal, India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 118 (3): 281–286.

Lobl, I. & A. Smetana (Eds.) (2008). Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera. Vol. 5 Tenebrionoidea, Apollo Books Stenstrup, Denmark, 670pp.

Masumoto, K., S. Becvar & Y. Utsunomiya (2011). Andocamari amalgorzatae sp. nov. from NE India ( Tenebrionidae: Stenochiinae: Cnodalonini) Annales Zoologici (Warszawa) 61(2): 237–239.

Merkl, O. (1990). A review of Bothynogria Borchmann (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Lagriini). Acta Zoologica Hungarica 36(3–4): 279–294.

Merkl, O. (1991). Lagriini of the Nepal-Himalayas (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Stuttagarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde Ser. A. 470(18): 1–18.

Schawaller, W. (2003). The genus Platydema Laporte and Brulle in the Himalayas and adjacent regions, with descriptions of five new species, pp. 269–277. In: Hartmann, M. & H. Baumbach (eds.): Biodiversity and Natural Heritage of Himalaya, Erfurt: Verein der Freunde and Forscher des Naturkunde museum Erfurt e.V. , 390 pp., XIV pls.

Schawaller, W. (2005). New species and records of Leiochrinini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from continental southeastern Asia. – Entomologica Basiliensia et Collectionis Frey 27: 209–226.

Schawaller, W. (2012). The oriental species of Platydema Laporte and Brulle, Part 2, with descriptions of 11 new species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Diaperinae). Stuttagarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A, Neue Serie 5: 243–255.

Schawaller, W. (2016). Leiochrinini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Diaperinae) from north-eastern India and China, with descriptions of six new species. – Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A (NS) 9: 197–205.

Corrigenda

Tanshi, I., A.E. Ogbeibu & P.J.J. Bates (2019). Complementary bat (Mammalia: Chiroptera) survey techniques uncover two new country records for Nigeria. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11(14): 14788–14801. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5294.11.14.14788-14801

Page 14797: Under Glauconycteris beatrix, read ‘New records: Okomu National Park’ as

‘New records: Okomu National Park (Image 9)’.

Page 14797: Under Mimetillus moloneyi, read ‘New record: Emu (Image 9)’ as ‘New record: Emu’.

Page 14798: In Image 9 caption, read ‘Mimetillus moloneyi (Thomas, 1891)’ as ‘Glauconycteris beatrix Thomas, 1901’.

The authors are grateful to Alexandre Hassanin for noting and pointing out the errors.