Pleurostict scarabs ( Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae ) : New distributional records in Arunachal Pradesh , north-east India

Based on the specimens present in Zoological Survey of India, (Jabalpur), the paper presents new distributional record of 12 species of Pleurostict Scarabaeidae, comprising eight species of Rutelinae, two species of Cetoniinae, one species each of Melolonthinae and Dynastinae from Arunachal Pradesh (India). 1 Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, West Bengal, India. 2 Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur-482002, Madhya Pradesh, India. * Corresponding author. E-mail: devanshuguptagb4102@gmail.com Kailash Chandra 1 and Devanshu Gupta 2* Pleurostict scarabs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): New distributional records in Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India Scarab beetles under family Scarabaeidae, comprise a speciose group and are a conspicuous component of the beetle fauna of the World and adults of these beetles are noticeable due to their relatively large size, bright colors, often elaborate ornamentation and interesting life histories. The Scarabaeoidea is one of the largest superfamilies in the order Coleoptera and includes approximately 31,000 species worldwide of which the family Scarabaeidae is composed of about 91% of all the scarabaeoids and includes about 27,800 species worldwide (Jameson and Ratcliffe 2001). Excluding fossil taxa, currently the family is divided in to 16 subfamilies, 82 tribes and 94 sub tribes (Smith 2006). On the basis of the position of the posterior spiracles, the family is generally divided into two major groups, Laparosticti (dung beetles) and Pleurosticti (chafers) (Sawada 1991). The latter group (Pleurosticti) is strictly phytophagous with various feeding habits, including some species that do not feed at all in the adult stage while the former one include coprophagous beetles feeding mostly on dung, carrion and vegetable matters. Chronologically the scarab beetle diversity in the north-eastern states of India had been carried out by various researchers namely Arrow (1910, 1917, 1931); Biswas and Chatterjee (1985); Chatterjee and Biswas (2000a, b); Chatterjee (2004); Sewak (2006); Ahrens and Fabrizi (2009); Singh et al. (2010) and Li et al. (2010). Recently the fauna of the Laparostict scarabs of Arunachal Pradesh has been compiled and constitute 73 species belonging to 14 genera under subfamily Scarabaeinae of family Scarabaeidae (Sewak 2006) while the Pleurostict scarab fauna is completely lacking despite few scattered publications. Singh et al. (2010) presented a list of 70 species of beetles (Coleoptera) of Kane Wildlife Sanctuary from Arunachal Pradesh and included 12 species of the family Scarabaeidae. Recently Li et al. (2010) revised the Melolontha guttigera group and presented interactive keys and described male genitalia as well as the checklist of the East and South-East Asian Melolontha. Records on the diversity and distribution of the scarab beetles of the subfamilies viz. Melolonthinae, Rutelinae, Dyanstinae and Cetoniinae from Arunachal Pradesh are completely lacking. Specimens examined for the present study constitute the unidentified collections of the Pleurostict scarabs, collected from Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) (Figure 1). Arunachal Pradesh is situated between 26°28’ and 29°30’ N Latitudes and 97°30’ and 97°30’ E Longitudes covering an area of 83743 km2. Bio-geographically it is situated in the Eastern Himalayan province, the richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone. The entire territory forms a complex hill system with varying elevations ranging from 50m in the foot-hills and gradually ascending to about 7000m, traversed throughout by a number of rivers and rivulets. Rainfall varies from 1000mm in higher reaches to 5750mm in the foot-hill areas, spread over 8-9 months excepting the drier days in winter. The vegetation can be classified as tropical forests, sub tropical forests, pine forests, temperate forests and alpine forests. Pinned specimens were identified with the help of available keys and faunal works mainly of Arrow (1910; 1917) and Li et al. (2010). The details of specimens examined, registration number of collected specimens, distribution in India as well as outside India along with the main diagnostic characters of each species are given. All the species are listed with their valid names, authority and the year of description. Species are listed systematically by tribe and within genera the species are listed alphabetically. The classification adopted in the article is that of Smith (2006). Voucher specimens were deposited in National Zoological Collections of Central Zone Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Ministry of Environment and Forests, India. Altogether twelve species of the Pleurostict scarabs belonging to seven genera, five tribes and five sub tribes under four subfamilies of family Scarabaeidae were

Pleurostict scarabs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): New distributional records in Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India Scarab beetles under family Scarabaeidae, comprise a speciose group and are a conspicuous component of the beetle fauna of the World and adults of these beetles are noticeable due to their relatively large size, bright colors, often elaborate ornamentation and interesting life histories.The Scarabaeoidea is one of the largest superfamilies in the order Coleoptera and includes approximately 31,000 species worldwide of which the family Scarabaeidae is composed of about 91% of all the scarabaeoids and includes about 27,800 species worldwide (Jameson and Ratcliffe 2001).Excluding fossil taxa, currently the family is divided in to 16 subfamilies, 82 tribes and 94 sub tribes (Smith 2006).On the basis of the position of the posterior spiracles, the family is generally divided into two major groups, Laparosticti (dung beetles) and Pleurosticti (chafers) (Sawada 1991).The latter group (Pleurosticti) is strictly phytophagous with various feeding habits, including some species that do not feed at all in the adult stage while the former one include coprophagous beetles feeding mostly on dung, carrion and vegetable matters.
Chronologically the scarab beetle diversity in the north-eastern states of India had been carried out by various researchers namely Arrow (1910Arrow ( , 1917Arrow ( , 1931)); Biswas and Chatterjee (1985); Chatterjee and Biswas (2000a, b); Chatterjee (2004); Sewak (2006); Ahrens and Fabrizi (2009); Singh et al. (2010) and Li et al. (2010).Recently the fauna of the Laparostict scarabs of Arunachal Pradesh has been compiled and constitute 73 species belonging to 14 genera under subfamily Scarabaeinae of family Scarabaeidae (Sewak 2006) while the Pleurostict scarab fauna is completely lacking despite few scattered publications.Singh et al. (2010) presented a list of 70 species of beetles (Coleoptera) of Kane Wildlife Sanctuary from Arunachal Pradesh and included 12 species of the family Scarabaeidae.Recently Li et al. (2010) revised the Melolontha guttigera group and presented interactive keys and described male genitalia as well as the checklist of the East and South-East Asian Melolontha.Records on the diversity and distribution of the scarab beetles of the subfamilies viz.Melolonthinae, Rutelinae, Dyanstinae and Cetoniinae from Arunachal Pradesh are completely lacking.
Specimens examined for the present study constitute the unidentified collections of the Pleurostict scarabs, collected from Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) (Figure 1).Arunachal Pradesh is situated between 26°28' and 29°30' N Latitudes and 97°30' and 97°30' E Longitudes covering an area of 83743 km 2 .Bio-geographically it is situated in the Eastern Himalayan province, the richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone.The entire territory forms a complex hill system with varying elevations ranging from 50m in the foot-hills and gradually ascending to about 7000m, traversed throughout by a number of rivers and rivulets.Rainfall varies from 1000mm in higher reaches to 5750mm in the foot-hill areas, spread over 8-9 months excepting the drier days in winter.The vegetation can be classified as tropical forests, sub tropical forests, pine forests, temperate forests and alpine forests.
Pinned specimens were identified with the help of available keys and faunal works mainly of Arrow (1910;1917) and Li et al. (2010).The details of specimens examined, registration number of collected specimens, distribution in India as well as outside India along with the main diagnostic characters of each species are given.All the species are listed with their valid names, authority and the year of description.Species are listed systematically by tribe and within genera the species are listed alphabetically.The classification adopted in the article is that of Smith (2006).Voucher specimens were deposited in National Zoological Collections of Central Zone Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Ministry of Environment and Forests, India.
Altogether twelve species of the Pleurostict scarabs belonging to seven genera, five tribes and five sub tribes under four subfamilies of family Scarabaeidae were studied.Except Anomala dimidiata (Hope, 1831), rest of the eleven species are reported as new to the scarab beetle fauna of Arunachal Pradesh while all the twelve species constitute new district records for Itanagar.Out of these the maximum numbers of species (8) are recorded under the subfamily Rutelinae namely Anomala cantori (Hope, 1839), A. chloropus Arrow, 1917, A. dimidiata (Hope, 1831), A. variivestis Arrow, 1917, A. trochanterica Arrow, 1917  Bhutia.(Reg.no.IV/ 3342) Diagnostic characters: Uniform dark coppery above and beneath, sometimes a little more greenish above.Broadly oval, convex, smooth above and slightly shining.Clypeus finely rugose and nearly semicircular with the margin scarcely refluxed and forehead densely punctured.Pronotum, scutellum and elytra densely punctured.Elytra without longitudinal lines of punctures, except a juxta sutural one.
Known geographical distribution: India: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh (Itanagar), Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and West Bengal.Elsewhere: Myanmar.Diagnostic characters: Apple-green with a narrow lateral border on pronotum.Lower surface and femora golden yellow with tibiae and tarsi deep metallic green.Shortly oval, convex and very shining, with the upper surface closely and minutely punctured.Clypeus broadly rounded, with forehead densely and rugosely punctured.Scutellum finely punctured and elytra a little more strongly, with indefinite longitudinal rows of rather larger punctures.

Anomala trochanterica
Diagnostic characters: Black, smooth and shining with a very faint purplish luster upon elytra.Pronotum narrow, finely and closely punctured and strongly attenuated in front.Scutellum bears a few fine punctures and elytra bear faint longitudinal lines of very minute punctures.Pygidium finely and closely transversely strigose.No sternal process.Hind femur very thick and strongly arched, with the trochanter produced as a narrow process at its extremity.Tibia very short and thick and the tarsus broad and rather short.
Diagnostic characters: Deep metallic green above and beneath, with the antennae ferruginous and with fiery-red markings on elytra.Pronotum finely and rather evenly punctured.Elytra finely but distinctly punctured all over except at the apices.Pygidium very finely and scantily punctured.Mesosternum bluntly prominent in the middle but not produced.Front tibia bidentate.

Sub tribe Popilliina Ohaus, 1918
Popillia macclellandi Hope, 1845 (Figure 2H) Specimens examined: Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar, Papumpare, Road to Yupia, 25.vi.2001(1 ♀) Coll.P. T. Bhutia.(Reg.no.IV/3344) Diagnostic characters: Deep purplish crimson, metallic with elytra orange, suffused with a faint rosy metallic luster.Moderately elongate in shape with very stout legs.Very smooth and shining above and moderately clothed beneath with grey hairs.Pygidium bears two small patches of white hairs.The species resembles in form and sculpture to P. cupricollis Hope, but the punctures at the sides of pronotum are very minute and inconspicuous instead of being coarse and strong.
Testaceous yellow with clypeus forehead and tarsi red and a large patch on each side of the middle line of pronotum which partly fused.Extreme margins of elytra are black.Pronotum closely and finely punctured.Front tibia bi-dentate.Elytra deeply and closely punctuate striate.
Coppery green above and beneath.Elytra orange with sides vaguely darkened.Body narrowly elongate and not very convex.Clypeus densely granular and broadly rounded in front.Pronotum finely punctured all over, sparingly in middle and very closely at sides.Elytra bear a smooth elevated sutural costae and a similar median dorsal one.Pygidium with two basal