Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 August 2022 | 14(8): 21720–21726
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7058.14.8.21720-21726
#7058 | Received 06 January 2021 | Final
received 12 May 2022 | Finally accepted 16 May 2022
New state records of
longhorn beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera:
Cerambycidae) from Meghalaya, India
Vishwanath Duttatray Hegde 1, Sarita Yadav 2, Prerna
Burathoki 3 & Bhaskar Saikia
4
1,2,4 North Eastern
Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Risa Colony, Shillong,
Meghalaya 793003, India.
3 3rd Mile,
Upper Shillong, Meghalaya 793005, India.
1 hegde67@yahoo.co.in
(corresponding author), 2 saritayadavzsi18@gmail.com, 3 prerna.burathoki.8@gmail.com,
4 bhaskarsaikia7@gmail.com
Editor: Anonymity requested. Date of publication: 26 August 2022 (online &
print)
Citation: Hegde, V.D., S. Yadav, P. Burathoki
& B. Saikia (2022). New state records of
longhorn beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera:
Cerambycidae) from Meghalaya, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 14(8): 21720–21726. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7058.14.8.21720-21726
Copyright: © Hegde et al. 2022. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License. JoTT
allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any
medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of
publication.
Funding: Zoological Survey of India,
Kolkata.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: The authors would like to express their
gratitude to the Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for the
facilities, and B. Kariyanna for confirmation on some
species identity. We acknowledge Meghalaya Forest Department to carry out
faunistic survey in Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary,
Ri-Bhoi District vide letter O.O. No. 30 dated 13th
July, 2015. Thanks are also due to the staff of North Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong for their constant help.
Abstract: We report the range
extension of 11 species of Cerambycidae fauna into
Meghalaya, northeastern India, based on our studies
on the unidentified specimens of longhorn beetles deposited in the National
Zoological Collection of the Zoological Survey of India, Shillong.
These 11 species under 11 genera, nine tribes, and three subfamilies increases
the known Cerambycidae diversity in Meghalaya from 81
species to 92 species.
Keywords: Additional
distribution records, Mawsmai cave, Nongkhyllem, northeastern India, Shillong.
The longhorn beetles
(Family Cerambycidae) are one of the most spectacular
insect groups due to their strikingly long antennae and colourful elytra.
However, the records of longhorn beetles from northeastern
India are very poor, despite the region being located in the confluence of two
biodiversity hotspots (the Himalaya and the Indo-Burma), with probably many
species yet to be documented from this region. Our knowledge on the Indian
longhorn beetles are largely enhanced by the works of Kariyanna
(2016) and Kariyanna et al. (2017). The earliest
known work on the cerambycid beetles of Meghalaya dates back to Breuning (1938). However, since then, no further addition
was made to our knowledge on this group of insects from the State. It was in
the 21st century that voluminous work on the cerambycid fauna of
Meghalaya was made by Mukhopadhyay & Biswas (2000) where they reported 71
species. So far, a total of 81 species under 53 genera of 28 tribes under three
subfamilies are known from the State of Meghalaya (Mitra
et al. 2016).
Herein, we examine
the cerambycid beetles specimens deposited in the National Zoological
Collections (NZC) of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Shillong,
Meghalaya
Material and Methods
The Cerambycidae specimens present in the backlog collections
of ZSI, Shillong are identified. The identification
is based on the morphological characters. Classification and the distribution
records were followed after Kumawat et al. (2015) and
Kariyanna et al. (2017), respectively. The specimens
are photographed using a Nikon D300s DSLR camera and registered in the NZC of
ZSI, Shillong. The museum catalogue numbers are
provided under the respective species account. The known distribution ranges of
these identified species are also mentioned. The collection details of the
specimens are arranged in the following order: number of specimen(s) denoted as
ex., collection location, date of collection, collector’s name, museum
catalogue number of ZSI, Shillong.
Results
Family Cerambycidae
Subfamily Cerambycinae
Tribe Callidiopini
1. Stenodryas apicalis
(Gahan, 1893) [Image 1E]
1893. Nyphasia apicalis Gahan,
The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, London, Series 6, 11(65):
378
1984. Stenodryas apicalis Holzschuh, Entomologica
Basiliensa, 9: 347.
Material examined: 01 ex., India,
Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills, 3rd Mile, Upper Shillong,
02 June 2020, P. Burathoki, Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-224.
Diagnostic Characters: Small sized (L 14
mm, B 5 mm); red-brown in colour; eyes large; antenna 11 segmented, longer than
body, segment 3–6 with acute spine; pronotum globular, longer than broad;
elytra elongated, slender; femur abruptly bulged at apex, tarsal claw less than
900 angle.
Distribution: India
(Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, & West Bengal) and
Nepal.
Tribe Cerambycini
2. Trirachys holosericeus
(Fabricius, 1787) [Image 1B]
1787. Ceramryx holosericeus Fabricius, Mantissa Insectorum
sistens eorum species nuper detectas adiectis characteribus genericis, differentiis specificis, emendationibus, Observationibus. 1. C.G. Proft, Copenhagen: 135.
2017. Trirachys holosericeus Vitali et al. Les Cahiers Magellanes,
N.S. 26: 46.
Material examined: 01 ex., India, Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills,
Mawsmai Cave, Cherrapunjee, 01 November 2011,
B. Saikia, Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-40.
Diagnostic Characters: Medium sized (L 27 mm, B
7 mm); chocolate brown in colour; antennae apical portion broken. Pronotum with irregular folds and heterogeneous sparse punctures dorsally & lateral to median elevation with very coarse
longitudinal folds; elytra
long and slender; femur
flat.
Distribution: India
(Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu
& Kashmir, Maharashtra,
& Meghalaya); China; Indonesia; Laos; Myanmar; Thailand; Sri Lanka; and Vietnam.
3. Xoanodera regularis Gahan, 1890 [Image
1C]
1890. Xoanodera regularis Gahan,
The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, London, Series 6, 5
(25): 52.
Material examined: 01 ex., India,
Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills district, Mawsmai Cave, Cherrapunjee, 01 November 2011, B. Saikia,
Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-36.
Diagnostic
Characters: Medium sized
(L 20 mm, B 7 mm); antenna 11-segmented; pronotum is as long as broad, with one
thorn laterally. Elytra greyish in colour with streaks of brown shades near the
scutellum and roundish dark spots mid-dorsolaterally.
Distribution: India (Assam,
Meghalaya, & West Bengal); Cambodia; China; Laos; Myanmar; Nepal; and
Vietnam.
Tribe Xystrocerini
4. Xystrocera globosa (Olivier,
1795) [Image 1D]
1795. Cerambix globosus Olivier,
Imprimerie de Lanneau, Paris, 4: 27
1834. Xystrocera
globosa Audinet-Serville, Annales de la Société Entomologique de
France, Paris, 1(3): 70
Material examined: 01 ex., India, Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills
district, Mawsmai Cave, Cherrapunjee,
01 November 2011, B. Saikia,
Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-38; 02 exs. Meghalaya, East Khasi
Hills district, ZSI Campus, Shillong 17 May 2017, I. Imam Coll. Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-39.
Diagnostic Characters: Medium sized (L 24 mm, B 6 mm); antenna
10-segmented, spur on the first sengment;
pronotum globular with dark coloured border dorsally, centrally brown; elytra long and elongated, brown in colour with a single dark colour longitudinal stripe on each elytra; femur bulged.
Distribution: India
(Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, & West Bengal); Australia; Egypt; Hawaiian France Is.; Indonesia; Japan; Madagascar; Malaysia;
Mauritius; Myanmar; the Philippines; Puerto Rico; Sri Lanka; and Thailand.
Subfamily Lamiinae
Tribe Apomecynini
5. Apomecyna histrio (Fabricius,
1793) [Image 1A]
1793. Lamia histrio Fabricius, Entomologia
systematic emendata et aucta.
1(2). Hafniae Impensis
Christ Gottl Proft,
Copenhagen: 288.
1960. Apomecyna (Apomecyna) histrio Breuning Verlag
des Museums G. Frey, Tutzing bei
München, 3: 131
Material examined: 01 ex., India,
Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills district, Shillong, Risa
Colony, 27 August 2020, B. Saikia, Reg. No.
I/COL/NERC-223.
Diagnostic
Characters: Small sized (L 10 mm, B 3 mm); dark brown in color; head roundish; antenna 11 segmented, 3rd
and 4th segment large; pronotum cylindrical, with a mid dorsal line of whitish spots; elytra elongated, covered
in dense longitudinal punctures, decorated with yellow spots.
Distribution: India (Arunachal
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, &
West Bengal); Australia; China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Laos; Mongolia; Pakistan;
the Philippines; and Russia.
Tribe Batocerini
6. Batocera horsfieldi
(Hope, 1839) [Image 1F]
1839. Lamia horsfieldii Hope,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London,
1: 42.
1948. Batocera horsfieldi
m. flavicans Breuning,
Bulletin du Musée Royal d’Histoire Naturelle de Belgique, Bruxelles, 24(38):
15.
Material examined: 01 ex., India, Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills
district, ZSI Campus, Shillong 17 May
2017, B. Saikia, Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-47; 01 ex. Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills district, Mawsmai Cave, Cherrapunjee, 01 November 2011,
B. Saikia Coll. Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-49.
Diagnostic Characters: Body large, broad and robust (L 54 mm, B 20 mm); antenna
11-segmented, 3rd the longest; pronotum is as long as broad with a pair of thorn on lateral side, a pair of prominent yellow marks in the middle; scutellum
tongue shaped, whitish in colour; elytra slaty-grey in colour, anterior portion with dark dots and whitish patches, mid to posterior portion with irregular and large whitish
patches.
Distribution: India
(Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya,
& Sikkim); China; Japan; Korea;
Myanmar; Nepal; and Vietnam.
Tribe Dorcaschematini
7. Olenecamptus indianus (Thomson, 1857)
[Image 2G]
1857. Authades indianus Thomson,
Archives Entomologiques, Paris, 1: 192
1943. Olenecamptus indianus Breuning & Itzinger, Attidella Società Italiana
di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico
di Storia Naturale in
Milano, 82: 48.
Material examined: 01 ex., India, Meghalaya, Ri-Bhoi
district, Nongkhyllem Wildlife
Sanctuary, Forest IB, Lailad,
10 May 2017, B. Saikia, Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-50.
Diagnostic Characters: Body slander and elongated (L 24 mm, B 5 mm); antenna
11-segmented. 3rd segment the largest.
Body brown in color with irregular yellow patches on the elytra. Pronotum longer than broad.
Distribution: India
(Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, & West Bengal); China; Japan; Laos;
Myanmar; Nepal; Sri Lanka; and Vietnam.
Tribe Lamiini
8. Anoplophora stanleyana Hope, 1839 [Image
2H]
1839. Anoplophora stanleyana Hope,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London,
1: 43.
Material examined: 01 ex., India,
Meghalaya, Ri-Bhoi district, BSI Experimental Garden,
Barapani, 04 August 2020, V.D. Hegde Coll. Reg. No.
I/COL/NERC-218.
Diagnostic
Characters: Body large, robust and (L 40 mm, B 15 mm ), antenna
11-segmented, 3rd segment the longest, segments of antenna pale blue
with black apical portion; protonotum with a pair of
thorns placed laterally; elytra large and robust, dark in colour marked with
irregular shaped bright ocean-blue coloured spots.
Distribution: India (Nagaland,
Meghalaya, Sikkim, & West Bengal); Bhutan; China; Indochina; Myanmar; and
Vietnam.
Remark: Kariyanna
et al. (2017) included Assam under its distribution as they included
Naga Hills as one of the known localities. However, post the bifurcation of
erstwhile Assam, Naga Hills now comes under the state of Nagaland. As such,
there is no further report of this species from Assam.
9. Sarothrocera cf. lowii White, 1846 [Image
2I]
1846. Sarothrocera lowii White,
The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, London, Series 18, 7
(116): 47.
Material examined: 02 exs., India, Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills district, Mawsmai Cave, Cherrapunjee, 01
November 2011, B. Saikia, Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-52.
Diagnostic
Characters: Medium sized (L 22 mm, B 11 mm), light brown in color; scutellum tongue shaped; pronotum broader with spur
on the lateral side; antenna 11 segmented and serrated.
Distribution: India (Arunachal
Pradesh & Meghalaya); Malaysia; Myanmar; and Thailand.
Subfamily Prioninae
Tribe Aegosomatini
10. Baralipton maculosum
Thomson, 1857 [Image 2J]
1857. Baralipton maculosum Thomson, Archives Entomologiques,
Paris, 1: 342.
Material examined: 01 ex., India, Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills
district, Mawsmai Cave, Cherrapunjee, 01 November 2011, B. Saikia, Reg.
No. I/COL/NERC-41; 02 exs. Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills district, ZSI Campus, Shillong, 04 June 2017, I. Imam, Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-42.
Diagnostic Characters: Large and elongated body
(L 41 mm, B 12 mm); antenna 11-segmented, 3rd segment the longest.
The terminal part of each antennal
segment is marked with black; pronotum broad, covered with yellowish-brown pubescence
and a pair of prominent black triangular
shape in the middle, lateral
sides of the pronotum with a thorn. Elytra
brown in colour with two pairs of dark brown patches, longitudinal ridges.
Distribution: India
(Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Meghalaya, Sikkim, & West Bengal);
China; Laos; Myanmar; Thailand; and Vietnam.
Remark: Kariyanna
et al. (2017) included Assam under its distribution as they included Patkai
Mts. as one of the known localities. However, post the
bifurcation of erstwhile Assam, Patkai
Mountains now comes under the state of
Nagaland; although Mitra et al. (2017) have reported this from
Assam.
Tribe Prionini
11. Prionomma atratum (Gmelin,
1790) [Image 2K]
1790. Cerambyx (Prionus) atratus Gmelin, Caroli a Linné Systema Naturæ per Regna tria Naturae, Classis V. Insecta. 1 (4). 13th Edition. G.E. Beer,
Leipzig: 1818.
1910. Prionomma (Prionomma) atratum Lameere, Annales
de la Société Entomologique de Belgique, Bruxelles, 54(8): 280.
Material examined: 01 ex., India, Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills
district, Mawsmai Cave, Cherrapunjee,
01 November 2011, B. Saikia,
Reg. No. I/COL/NERC-43.
Diagnostic Characters: Body large and robust (L
42 mm, B 17 mm); antennae broken;
pronotum broad with a pair of medially raised bulge and a mid-dorsal
groove, laterally a pair of thorns;
scutellum tongue shaped; elytra dark brown, longitudinal ridges present.
Distribution: India
(Arunachal Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, & Tamil Nadu) and
Sri Lanka.
Discussion
Kariyanna et al. (2017)
reported 1,536 species of longhorn beetles from India including 592 species
from northeastern India. In Meghalaya, only 81 species of longhorn beetles were
recorded prior to this report, wherein we are reporting 11 new records of
longhorn beetles from the State. Hence, with this finding, the current cerembycid fauna of Meghalaya stands at 92 species. Despite
being an economic pest, there is a general lack of research thrust in this
group of insects as highlighted by the limited number of known species from the
Region and as well as from the State.
Kariyanna et al. (2017)
included Assam under the distribution range of Baralipton
maculosum and Anoplophora
stanleyana. A perusal of the report by Kariyanna et al. (2017) reveals that B. maculosum is known from Patkai
Mountains while A. stanleyana is known from
Naga Hills, due to which Assam was erroneously included in their distribution
range, as both the locations were a part of the erstwhile undivided Assam. However,
with the bifurcation of the erstwhile Assam which had resulted in the creation
of Nagaland State in 1963, the new state included both Patkai
Mountains and Naga Hills within its jurisdiction; hence, the occurrence of
these above species in Assam is erroneous.
The specimens
reported herein were collected from four localities: forest near Mawsmai Cave in Cherrapunjee (=Sohra) and some forests patches of Shillong,
both the areas located in East Khasi Hills District, Umiam,
and Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary and around, in Ri-Bhoi District of the State. The State being largely a
producer of different varieties of fruits, especially citrus fruits, there is a
high probability of occurrence of many undocumented species of longhorn
beetles. Further extensive surveys, particularly into the protected areas of
the State has the potential to enhance our knowledge on the diversity of this
group of beetles.
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References
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(Cerambycidae: Coleoptera)
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