Journal of Threatened
Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 April 2025 | 17(4): 26912–26916
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9453.17.4.26912-26916
#9453 | Received 14 October 2024 | Final received 11 March 2025 | Finally
accepted 10 April 2025
First record of Hycleus marcipoli
Pan & Bologna, 2014 (Coleoptera: Meloidae) as a pest of Common Beans in Kashmir Himalaya,
India
Farhana Shafi
1 & Altaf Hussain Mir 2
1,2Entomology Research Laboratory,
Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
190006, India.
1 farahbanday4@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 draltaf_786@yahoo.com
Editor: Shiju T. Raj, St.
Joseph’s College, Kozhikode, India. Date of publication: 26 April 2025
(online & print)
Citation: Shafi, F. & A.H. Mir (2025). First record
of Hycleus marcipoli
Pan & Bologna, 2014 (Coleoptera: Meloidae) as a pest of Common Beans in Kashmir Himalaya,
India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 17(4): 26912–26916. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9453.17.4.26912-26916
Copyright: © Shafi & Mir 2025. 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: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India.
[CSIR-JRF fellowship scheme (ID: 09/0251(15245)/2022-EMR-I)]
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: Grateful acknowledgment is extended to the Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) for the financial support. The authors sincerely acknowledge the Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, for providing laboratory and other necessary facilities. Special thanks are extended to A.A. Buhroo for providing the photography facility.
Abstract: Blister beetles are recognized as
pests of agricultural crops due to their phytophagous habits and they produce cantharidin, a toxic compound that causes significant crop
damage and poses health hazards. This study reports the first occurrence of Hycleus marcipoli (Coleoptera: Meloidae), an
important member of the blister beetles feeding on Common Bean, Phaseolus
vulgaris L. in the Kashmir Himalaya (India). The species was originally
described in 2014 from China, Laos, and Thailand. This report represents a
significant extension of its geographical range, emphasizing the need for
further entomological surveys and taxonomic studies in the region. The species
significantly impairs the reproductive potential of P. vulgaris
resulting in reduced pod formation and overall yield decline. The present study
provides a comprehensive taxonomic description of the species along with a
detailed observation of the nature and extent of crop damage to P.
vulgaris.
Keywords: Blister beetles, cantharidin, crop, ecology, inflorescence, legumes, new
record, phytophagy, taxonomy, yield loss.
Blister beetles belonging to the
family Meloidae are known to produce cantharidin, a toxic compound that induces irritation and
formation of blisters in animals including humans, and hence named Blister
Beetles (Ruiz-Torres et al. 2021). The family Meloidae
consists of about 125 genera including around 3,000 described species (Bologna
et al. 2008). They inhabit diverse ecosystems across the world with mostly
phytophagous nature, primarily feeding on leaves and flowers (Bologna & Di
Giulio 2011). Adult blister beetles are polyphagous pests preferably feeding on
Cucurbitaceae, Leguminosae, Solanaceae, and Malvaceae families exhibiting gregarious behaviour and variable size. Blister beetles are commonly
found in Pigeon Pea crops across Asia, leading to substantial damage through
their feeding behaviour (Lawrence & Newton 1982).
They feed on buds, flowers, tender pods, and leaves either individually or in
groups leading to a reduction in the yield (Anand 1978). Different species of
blister beetles including Moloe rugosus, Mylabris phalerata, and Mylabris indica have been reported to inflict damage to various
crops across different regions of the world (Dutta & Singh 1991; Vivekananthan & Mathivannan
2010; El-Sheikh 2020). The previous work reveals that blister beetles are of
utmost importance concerning damage inflicted on different types of crops
especially leguminous crops. Among the diverse genera of blister beetles, the
genus Hycleus Latreille,
1817 is recognised for its vast species diversity
with about 500 identified species distributed across the Old World (Riccieri et al. 2020). Hycleus
spp. are widely distributed in the Palaearctic,
Oriental, and the Afrotropical Region excluding Madagascar (Bologna & Pinto
2002). During the flowering stage, leguminous crops are particularly vulnerable
to damage from various species of Hycleus,
which significantly impacts the seed-setting process (Lebesa
et al. 2012).
In 2014, a new species, Hycleus marcipoli
was identified, exhibiting a close phylogenetic association with H. phaleratus & H. cichorii
(Pan et al. 2014; Wu et al. 2018). This species is documented for the first
time in India as well as introduces a new host plant, i.e., Phaseolus
vulgaris L.
Given the critical role of
Blister Beetles in agroecosystems, H. marcipoli was
observed during a routine field survey. The paper provides a detailed taxonomic
description of the species along with the nature and extent of damage caused by
it.
Materials and Methods
Surveys were conducted
fortnightly at eight selected sites: Uri, Arin, Dragmula,
Gutlibagh, Dara, Kular, Sopat, and Hermain (Table 1)
throughout the Valley of Kashmir. The pest was observed at one site, Uri
(34.066 0N & 74.093 0E), Baramulla, J&K, India.
The beetles were collected from common bean fields with the help of a sweep net
from blooming crops during the morning hours from 0800 h to 1100 h. Freshly
collected specimens were immediately killed using ethyl acetate followed by dry
preservation for identification (Nezhad-Ghaderi et
al. 2021). The incidence of the pest was obtained by randomly selecting 10
plants from each selected field during each survey and then expressed as the
percentage of plants infested with this pest over the total number of plants
sampled. Photographs in the field were taken using a Canon EOS 7D SLR digital
camera and Xiaomi- 11 Lite NE smartphone. Digital images of specimens and their
body parts were captured using a Leica M205A stereo zoom microscope equipped
with a Leica DFC295 camera and the imaging process was facilitated by Leica Automontage Software (Version 4.10). Map of the study sites
(Figure 1) was generated by using ArcGIS Package Version 10.2.2. Photoshop 7.0
was used for organizing the images. The specimens are deposited in the museum
of the Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir.
Taxonomy
Hycleus marcipoli
Pan &
Bologna, 2014
- Hycleus marcipoli
Pan &
Bologna, 2014 (11–19)
Material examined: 4 female & 2 male, India:
Jammu and Kashmir: Baramulla: Uri: Nambla, 34.066 0N
& 74.093 0E, alt. 1,746 m, coll. Farhana Shafi.
Diagnosis: Adults ranging 26–38 mm in size
(Figure 2A–D). Belongs to the Mesoscutatus type
lineage, categorized under the phaleratus group.
Phenotypically resembles H. phaleratus.
Body: Body black except for elytra.
Elytra with four distinct testaceous (yellow-brown) markings (Figure 2E,F).
1. Two testaceous front spots:
one near the axillary region and another near the scutellum.
2. Two testaceous fasciae: one
medial and another subapical
Dorsum and venter with black
setae except for elytral axillary spot, inner side of protibiae,
and protarsal pads which have mixed yellow and black
setae (Figure 2G,H)
Antennae: Clubbed structure with 11
segments. Antennomeres I–V glossy, VI–XI dull. Antennomere I, approximately as
long as II & III combined. Antennomere III longer than IV. Antennomeres
V–VIII, are similar in length. Antennomeres V–IX, gradually increase in width,
except a slightly shorter X (Figure 2I).
Mesosternum: Exhibits the Mesoscutatus
type. Fore margins of mesepisterna form a central
groove, with nearly contacting margins.
Legs: Slender legs and tibial spurs. Protibiae: two spurs. Male protibiae
external side with scattered longer setae, and apical setae longer extending to
tarsomere I while, the inner side of both sexes is
covered with dense golden setae. Protarsi in both
sexes with distinct golden ventral pads. Protarsomeres
slightly widen apically with dense long apical setae (Figure 2J).
Aedeagus: With two slender hooks: The
proximal dorsal hook, is far from the distal one (Figure 2K).
Distribution: China (SE Gansu, Taiwan), Laos,
Thailand (Pan et al. 2014), India (Uri, Kashmir).
Host plants: Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Specimens collected in the
present study).
Nature and extent of damage
The insect was recorded to damage
the P. vulgaris crops in the Uri Region of J&K. The beetles
pestered the host plants from June to September with a peak intensity in
August. The incidence began with the onset of inflorescence in the budding
flowers. With the progress of crops towards full bloom the population of
insects gradually increased, reaching its peak as the crop fully blossomed. A
maximum of nine individuals were found to damage the flowers of a single plant.
Adults were observed in loose groups displaying voracious behaviour
targeting young flowers and buds with their biting and chewing mouthparts.
Their feeding habits resulted in reducing the plant’s reproductive potential.
The insect damaged flowers and buds thereby hindering the process of pod
formation. During mid-August, the insect exhibited its highest mean percent
incidence of about 73.33 ± 6.66 accompanied by the highest mean number of 8.33
± 0.88 individuals per plant. In cases of severe infestation, all the flowers
of the plants were affected resulting in complete loss of inflorescence. Consequently,
the crop suffered from reduced fruit setting and a decline in the overall yield
highlighting the detrimental impact of this insect.
Discussion
Hycleus marcipoli
first
identified and described in China, Laos & Thailand is now recorded in the Kashmir
Himalaya, India. This study presents the first record of H. marcipoli infesting P. vulgaris crops in the
hilly regions of the Kashmir Valley. The common bean holds substantial economic
importance in the region. The cultivation of Common Beans is highly significant
for the rural communities residing in the Himalayan mountain region (Nasar et
al. 2023). As a primary legume crop, it is vital for the local population and
widely cultivated in northwestern Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir, India
(Choudhary et al. 2018). This pest severely inflicts damage to the host crop
and its potential to spread and establish raises a significant concern. The
genus Hycleus is recognized for its
vast diversity. Despite being a diverse group, it has received limited attention
in terms of studies conducted in India. Although a few species within this
genus including H. pustulatus, H. orientalis, H. phalerata, &
H. thunbergii have been identified as infesting
pigeon peas in India, there is limited information specifically on blister
beetles of this group in the region. Another species identified as H.
polymorphus was also documented in
2022 in India (Wankhade et al. 2022). Recognizing
the importance of this group the current findings will contribute valuable
insights to enhance the understanding of these insects. Further, the restricted
presence of this species in the Uri Region is likely influenced by the area’s
distinct subtropical climate and ecotone system which differs from the
temperate climate of other parts of Kashmir Valley. Moreover, the region’s
unique ecotone ecosystem, situated at the interface of distinct climatic zones,
may play a critical role in supporting the presence of H. marcipoli. The transitional zone offers diverse
habitats and microclimates conducive to the species’ survival and restricted
distribution. Thus, exploring the agricultural crops more extensively might
reveal additional species within the genus. Identification of this species
expands the number of Hycleus species in
India, important for the diversity of insects especially in the oriental
region, and for taxonomic studies as well. Additionally, it also holds the
potential to unveil and record the presence of this species in other countries.
For
figure & Image – click here for full PDF
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