CONCLUSIONS

Arunraj C. “Studies on the systematics and diversity of epigeal tenebrionid

beetles of South India” Thesis. Department of Zoology, St. Joseph's College
Devagiri , University of Calicut, 2013
 CONCLUSIONS

Of the 85 species reported in previous studies, (Kaszab 1975, 1979,

1980, Iwan 1997, 2002) only twenty were reported presently. The species

Spinolyprops himalayicus was reported first from south India and Anaedus

marginicollis for the first time from the moist south Western Ghats ecoregion.

Shape variation of the prosternal intercoxal process for separating the species

of Alphitobius from south India and sternal notch method for differentiating

sexes of Mesomorphus sp. from south India were discovered. Pictorial key to

the tribes of the family Tenebrionidae, pictorial key to the genera of Lupropini,

keys to the genera of the tribes Toxicini, Alphitobiini, Opatrini and Platynotini

and to the species of the genera Indenicmosoma, Sphingocorse, Spinolyprops,

Alphitobius, Cryphaeus, Byrsax, Mesomorphus and Menearchus from south

India were provided. Two rare genera; Byrsax and Cryphaeus, and one

flightless genus; Menearchus, endemic to Indian subcontinent were reported.

Nearest relatives of Menearchus like Adamus, Eucolus, Colpotinoides and

Platycolpotus were also flightless and Adamus was endemic to the Indian

mainland, Colpotinoides and Platycolpotus were endemic to the Western Ghats

in south India and Eucolus was endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Shape

variation of the prosternal intercoxal process for separating the species of

Alphitobius from south India and sternal notch method for differentiating sexes

of Mesomorphus sp. from south India were discovered. Study reviewed

problems in classification of genera of Lupropini in detail, compiled

contrasting opinions by experts and concluded that these problems arose

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because experts working on the group consider different taxonomic characters

for tribe classification of genera of Lupropini. Hence, in future biogeographical

and phylogenetic informations need to be considered for genera like

Pseudolyprops, Spinolyprops, Sphingocorse and Anaedus whose tribe

classification is controversial.

Abundance, diversity, feeding guilds, habitats, endemism, flightlessness,

economic importance (pest species) and seasonality of Tenebrionidae from the

agri and forest belts of the region were analysed in the ecological part of the

present study and it was found that species diversity, richness and abundance

was higher in agrifield than in forest due to the very high abundance of species

such as Luprops tristis, Mesomorphus villiger and Alphitobius diaperinus and

to the dry, open conditions prevailing in the agri belts in contrast to the moist,

wet conditions of the forests. Nine tribes were recorded from the agri field

(Lupropini, Alphitobini, Toxicini, Bolitophagini, Platynotini, Ulomini, Lagrini,

Opatrini and Amarygmini) and four tribes (Lupropini, Alphitobini, Platynotini

and Opatrini) from the forest. Tenebrionids from the region belonged to the

fungivorous and detritivorous feeding guilds. Two fungivorous and 22

detritivorous species were reported from the agrifield and four detritivores

species from the forest. Detritivorous guild dominated the agrifield and no

fungivores were reported from the forest. Tenebrionids belonging to five

habitat types (terranean, subterranean, corticolous, dung dwellers and fungus

dwellers) were present in agri field whereas only two habitat types (terranean

and subterranean) were recorded from forests. Terranean and subterranean

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forms dominated both habitats. Menearchus (Tribe: Platynotini) was the only

flightless genera recorded in the present study and it is endemic to the Indian

subcontinent. Four among the 24 species from the agrifield are endemic to the

Indian subcontinent and one out of the four species from the forests is endemic

to the Indian subcontinent. Greater numbers of pest tenebrionids were reported

from the agrifield compared to the forests due to the very high abundance of

three major pest species namely Luprops tristis, Mesomorphus villiger and

Alphitobius diaperinus which are found in very few numbers in the forests.

Tenebrionids studied in the present work showed seasonality with high

abundance during presummer, declined during summer and lowest in the

monsoon season in both the agicultural and forest habitats because the

presummer season is favorable for tenebrionids as it follows the long monsoon

season and resources in the form of freshly fallen leaf litter formed by the

annual leaf shedding of deciduous trees in the region makes the resources well

available. In summer, though tenebrionids prefer dry field conditions, moisture

of some sort is required in little quantity to prevent water loss and they do not

prefer extremely high temperatures of summer. In monsoon, high degree of

dampness in the field makes the tenebrionids to move away from the field as

they do not prefer wetness.

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