of Buxa Tiger Reserve - World Scientific News

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WSN 50 (2016) 95-105

EISSN 2392-2192

On the Mimela Kirby, 1823 (Rutelinae: Scarabaeidae) of Buxa Tiger Reserve (a forest under biodiversity hot spot zone), Dooars, West Bengal, India Subhankar Kumar Sarkar1,a, Sumana Saha2,b, Dinendra Raychaudhuri3,c 1

Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani - 741235, Nadia, West Bengal, India

2

Department of Zoology, Barasat Govt. College, 10 K.N.C Road, Barasat (N 24 Parganas), Kolkata - 700124, West Bengal, India 3

Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, IRDM Faculty Centre, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Narendrapur, Kolkata - 700103, West Bengal, India a-c

E-mail address: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected]

ABSTRACT Taxonomic account of Mimela Kirby, 1823 fauna included within the subfamily Rutelinae recorded from Buxa Tiger Reserve, Dooars, West Bengal, India are dealt herewith. Long term faunistic survey by the authors resulted in the present outcome. Each of the species is redescribed and illustrated, supplemented by digital images. For easy identification of the species, a key has also been provided. Keywords: Mimela; Buxa Tiger Reserve; Dooars; India; Redescription

World Scientific News 50 (2016) 95-105

1. INTRODUCTION

Figure 1. Location map of Buxa Tiger Reserve.

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Mimela Kirby, 1823 is a little known genus of the subfamily Rutelinae and is represented by approximately 254 species worldwide (Schoolmeesters 2016). A review of literatures available on these beetles reveals that the genus is confined primarily to the oriental region. Although several authors have reported the occurrence of these beetles throughout the globe yet an updated oriental checklist is not available till date. Some of the noteworthy taxonomic treatise on these beetles are of Ohaus (1902, 1934, 1935 & 1943), Paulian (1959), Machatschke (1952, 1957 & 1972), Smith (2003), Arrow (1908, 1915 & 1917), Balthasar (1963), Lin (1990 & 1993), Sabatinelli (1994), Thapa (2000) and Wada (2001a & b). Moreover, Indian Mimela is known by the regional reports of Mittal (1999 & 2005), Chatterjee & Biswas (1995), Saha & Raychaudhuri (1998), Sarkar et al. (2010), Chandra (1988 & 2005), Chandra et al. (2012), Chandra & Gupta (2012a, b & c). Though Eastern Himalaya is one of the 18 hotspots of the world and one of the three of India, the area still lacks a thorough and extensive exploration, particularly for the insect fauna. We however concentrated on Buxa Tiger Reserve (Figure 1), Dooars, one of the tropical forests of Eastern Himalaya and the research team is engaged in exploring the insect fauna of BTR since 1993. In the process a total of 76 scarab species could so far be recorded (Raychaudhuri & Saha, 2014). The protected area falls under the biogeographic province 7B lower Gangetic plain and occupies an area of about 759.26 sq.kms. The reserve is located between latitudes 26°30’ to 26°55’ North and longitudes 89°20’ to 89˚35’ East of India. A detail description with proper illustration of the recorded taxa are not available since Arrow (1917) and here we redescribe and illustrate the taxa nearly after a century. However, of the two recorded species, Sarkar et al (2010) though reported Mimela soror Arrow, 1908 as new from the state but did not provide any other taxonomic detail. Present discourse is the first ever taxonomic detail of the members of Mimela Kirby, 1823 inhabiting Buxa Tiger Reserve. The taxa are considered sensu Arrow (1917). 2. MATERIAL AND METHODS Both extensive and intensive surveys were conducted during 1993 – 2005 in different beats under different ranges of Buxa Tiger Reserve. Field visits were made in every month of each calendar year during the period of survey (except 15th June to 15th September when the forest remains closed). For collection of the samples sweep nets, bush beating, hand picking and UV light trap techniques were used. Samples after collection were killed in chloroform and preserved in 70% alcohol in glass vials. Necessary data regarding locality, date of collection, collector’s name was noted in a note book in the field. They were then brought to the laboratory where stretching, pinning and labeling is done as per the guidelines laid down by Zoological Survey of India. The collected samples were studied under Stereozoom Binocular Microscopes Olympus SZX7 and SZX16. Drawings were made with the aid of necessary accessories attached to the microscopes. Photographs were taken by a digital camera attached to the microscopes. All measurements are in millimeters, made with an eye piece graticule and each scale bar represents 1mm, if not otherwise mentioned. All materials are in the collection of Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, IRDM Faculty Centre, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Kolkata, India.

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3. RESULTS Family Scarabaeidae Latreille, 1802 Subfamily Rutelinae MacLeay, 1819 Tribe Anomalini Streubel, 1839 Sub tribe Anomalina Streubel, 1839 Genus Mimela Kirby, 1823 Type species: Mimela chinensis Kirby, 1823 Diagnosis: Body long, oval and convex; shiny; labrum horizontal; antennae 10 segmented; head short; clypeus semicircular or subquadrate, front margin reflexed and may or may not be round at angles; pronotum transverse, sides round, base sinuate and medially produced; scutellum elongate; elytra punctured in irregular rows; pygidium medially raised with a shallow depression near each lateral angle; prosternum elevated and bent forward; mesosternum with an anteriorly projected process; fore tibia tridentate, mid and hind tibiae carinate externally and truncate at extremity. Distribution: Tropical Asia and Indonesia (Arrow, 1917; Chatterjee & Biswas, 1995; Saha & Raychaudhuri, 1998; Smith 2003; Sarkar et al.,2010; Chandra & Gupta, 2012a, b & c; Raychaudhuri & Saha, 2014; GBIF, 2016). Key to species: 1. Elytra decorated with fiery red stripes; clypeus quadrate, coarsely punctured, front margin not round at angles; mesosternal process short.................................................. leei Swederus, 1787 - Elytra not decorated with fiery red stripes; clypeus semicircular, rugose, front margin round at angles; mesosternal process long.................................................................. soror Arrow, 1908 Mimela leei Swederus, 1787 (Figure 2A, 3A-H) Mimela leei Swederus, 1787: 180. Mimela leei – Arrow, 1917: 111. Description: ♀ Length 17.9 mm, humeral width 10.6 mm. Body long, compact, oval & convex. Colour and markings (Figure 2A, 3A-H): Dorsum metallic green, with elytra decorated with fiery red stripes; venter red brown with greenish reflection; very shiny. Head (Figure 3A & B): Short and transverse; minutely punctured, densely at sides and scantily at centre. Clypeus (Figure 3A & B): Narrow and rectangular; coarsely punctured; front margin gently reflexed. Fronto-clypeal suture (Figure 3A & B): Marked by a transverse sinuate line. Interocular width: 3.6 x transverse eye diameter. Antenna (Figure 3C): 10 segmented, club 1.03 x stem.

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Pronotum (Figure 3A): Transverse; coarsely and densely punctured; margins elevated except above scutellum; sides round; base strongly sinuate and produced medially; front angles acute and hind angles obtuse. Scutellum (Figure 3A): Triangular; smooth except few fine punctures; sides sinuate; apex obtusely pointed. Elytra (Figure 3A): Minutely and densely punctured in irregular rows; sutural margin elevated near apex and with a fine membranous fringe; humeral and apical angles not formed; humeral and apical hump evident. Pygidium (Figure 3D): Finely and scantily punctured; medially raised with a shallow depression near each lateral angle. Mesosternum (Figure 3E): Nearly smooth; anteriorly with a short process. Fore tibia (Figure 3F): Bluntly tridentate, second tooth being very short; subterminally with 1 short spur. Mid and hind tibiae (Figure 3G & H): Carinate externally; truncate and fringed with long spines at extremity; terminally with 2 unequal spurs. Tarsi (Figure 3F, G & H): 5 segmented. Claws (Figure 3F, G & H): Unequal; with the longer one of fore and mid deeply cleft. Material examined: 2♀, RMT, BTR, 30.v.96, coll. S.Saha; 1♀, NM, BTR, 13.iii.03, coll. S.K.Sarkar; 1♀, BB, BTR, 14.iii.03, coll. S.K.Sarkar Distribution: India: Assam and West Bengal (Arrow, 1917; Saha & Raychaudhuri, 1998; Raychaudhuri & Saha, 2014). Mimela soror Arrow, 1908 (Figure 2B, 4A-H) Mimela soror Arrow, 1908: 245. Mimela soror – Arrow, 1917: 114. Description: ♀ Length 13.6 mm, humeral width 7.42 mm. Body long, compact, oval and convex. Colour and markings (Figure 2B, 4A-H): Metallic green and extremely shiny. Head (Figure 4A & B): Short and transverse; coarsely punctured, densely at sides and scantily at centre. Clypeus (Figure 4A & B): Short and semicircular; rugose; front margin reflexed and round at angles. Fronto-clypeal suture (Figure 4A & B): Marked by a transverse sinuate line. Interocular width: 2.9 x transverse eye diameter. Antenna (Figure 4C): 10 segmented, club 1.9 x stem. Pronotum (Figure 4A & B): Transverse; densely punctured with the punctures coarse laterally; margins elevated except above scutellum; sides round; base strongly sinuate and produced medially; front angles acute and hind angles obtuse. Scutellum (Figure 4A & B): Triangular; smooth except few fine punctures; sides sinuate; apex obtusely pointed. Elytra (Figure 4A & B): Minutely and densely punctured in irregular rows; sutural margin elevated and with a fine membranous fringe apically; angles not formed; humps evident.

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Figure 2. A. Mimela leei Swederus, 1787, ♀ Dorsal habitus; B. Mimela soror Arrow, 1908, ♀ Dorsal habitus.

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Figure 3. Mimela leei Swederus, 1787, Female: A. Dorsal habitus; B. Head & Clypeus, dorsal view; C. Antenna, lateral view; D. Pygidium, dorsal view; E. Mesosternum, ventral view; F. Fore tibia, tarsi & claws; G. Mid tibia, tarsi & claws; H. Hind tibia, tarsi & claws.

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Figure 4. Mimela soror Arrow, 1908, Female: A. Dorsal habitus; B. Head & Clypeus, dorsal view; C. Antenna, lateral view; D. Pygidium, dorsal view; E. Mesosternum, ventral view; F. Fore tibia, tarsi & claws; G. Mid tibia, tarsi & claws; H. Hind tibia, tarsi & claws. -102-


Pygidium (Figure 4D): Finely and scantily punctured; medially raised with a shallow depression near each lateral angle. Mesosternum (Figure 4E): Medially smooth; anteriorly having a long elevated process with the tip projecting into a point. Fore tibia (Figure 4F): Bluntly tridentate the second being very short; subterminally with 1 short spur. Mid and hind tibiae (Figure 4G & H): Carinate externally; truncate and fringed with long spines at extremity; terminally with 2 unequal spurs. Tarsi (Figure 4F, G & H): 5 segmented. Claws (Figure 4F, G & H): Unequal, longer one of fore and mid deeply cleft. Material examined: 1♀, SR, BTR, 09.iii.03, coll. S. K. Sarkar Distribution: India: Assam, Manipur and West Bengal (Arrow, 1917; Sarkar et al., 2010; Raychaudhuri & Saha, 2014).

4. CONCLUSIONS The present work is intended to provide a first ever comprehensive taxonomic account of beetles comprising the genus Mimela Kirby, 1823 within the subfamily Rutelinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) occurring in Buxa Tiger Reserve. Extensive survey on insect fauna of the study area revealed in the recognition of the two recorded species of the genus dealt herewith. At the species level BTR is found to harbor nearly one fourth of the state fauna of the genus recorded till date. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are grateful to MOEF, GOI for financing the research work (Sanction no. – 14/34/2000-ERS/RE, Dt.17/10/01), Head, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta. Hon’ble Vice chancellor, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, for providing necessary laboratory facilities. Thanks are extended to all officials and field staffs of Buxa Tiger Reserve for their cooperation during field work. Thanks are due to all laboratory colleagues for their assistance.

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( Received 03 June 2016; accepted 20 June 2016 )

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