The Journal of Zoology Studies 2015; 2(6): 01-05

The Journal of Zoology Studies

Moth (Insecta: ) Fauna and their Predators ISSN 2348-5914 JOZS 2015; 2(6): 01-05 Associated with the Tea gardens and the surrounding Natural JOZS © 2015 Ecosystem Environs in Northern West Bengal, Received: 07-01-2016

Accepted: 19-01-2016 Author: Suresh Kr. Shah and Bulganin Mitra

Abstract Suresh Kr. Shah

Assistant Zoologist Regular field surveys were conducted in 25 tea gardens and its surrounding natural habitats of Zoological Survey of India Kolkata, Dooars region and Darjeeling district of Northern West Bengal from 2011 to 2014 to explore the India fauna and their potential insect predators from these regions. The adult were

collected in the night and day using light trap and butterfly nets respectively. The study revealed Bulganin Mitra the occurrence of 39 species of moths. Of them, 15 species were found as recognised pests of Scientist – C Zoological Survey of India tea and 12 species were found pests of other crops and vegetables. The species of dragonfly Kolkata, Orthetrum sabina Drury and the species of true fly Microstyllum pseudoananta krishnanii India Joseph & Parui were observed as potential predators of these moths in tea gardens.

Keywords: Tea gardens, Moth, Predators, Dragonfly, True fly

1. Introduction

Tea (Camelia sinensis Linnaeus) is a perennial cash crop which is grown in Dooars region and

on the hill slopes of Darjeeling district of Northern West Bengal, India. A variety of crops and vegetables are cultivated here on forest lands altered into agricultural lands. The tea plantations

in these regions are intermixed with shade trees, natural forests, grasslands, agriculture lands and human habitations. Tea plantations along with other surrounding natural habitats constitute

an ecosystem environ which support the flourishing life of wide variety of including moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera).

Moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) are commonly nocturnal, holometabolous and phytophagous

insects. They occur in all kinds of habitats including natural forests, grasslands, agro- horticulture fields and crop plantations. The moths provide valuable ecosystem services such as

pollination of crepuscular and night blooming flowering plants and their role as prey in food chain. These insects are often considered as bio- indicator material in biological studies because

Corresponding Author: they are sensitive to habitat change. Being primary herbivorous insects, they help in natural Suresh Kr. Shah control of weeds in an agro-ecosystem. The larvae of moths are active devourer of the tender Assistant Zoologist Zoological Survey of India parts of host plants hence, they are often recognised as pests of variety of crops, vegetables and Kolkata, forest plantations and hence they are treated as economically important insects. India

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In the state of West Bengal 580 species of moths are district. The Dooars region is subdivided in to Western known to occur [1] but the information on moth fauna Dooars, Central Dooars and Eastern Dooars (Fig. 1). from tea gardens and its surrounding habitats has not The region is bounded in the north by Bhutan and the yet been documented. Therefore, the present study was district of Darjeeling, in the south by the district of undertaken with the objective to inventories the species Rangpur of and the district of Cooch of moths and to identify their potential insect predators Behar, in the west by the district of Darjeeling and from the tea gardens and habitats in its close proximity Bangladesh and on the east by the part of the district of of Northern West Bengal. Goalpara in Assam and the right bank of river Sankosh from the demarcation line. The land of Dooars is very 2. Study Area much fertile. The major rivers flowing in these areas The Dooars region is constituted by whole of Jalpaiguri are Teesta, Jaldhaka, Murti, Torsa, Sankosh, Dyna, district and Alipurduar district and northern region of Raidak and Kaljani. Cooch Behar district and hill slopes of Darjeeling

Fig 1: Map of Dooars region

3. Material and methods occurrence of insect predators of moths in tea gardens The field surveys were carried out during 2011-2014 in direct field observation method was applied. The 25 tea gardens and its nearby habitats (Table 2) of predator insects were identified by comparing with the Dooars region and Darjeeling district. Butterfly specimens kept in NZC. catching nets were used for collecting adult specimens at day between 9.00 AM to 11.00 AM and 3.00 PM to 4. Results and Discussion 5.00 PM. At night the collections were done by A total of 39 species belonging to 35 genera under 6 operating light trap (23 watt Philips CFL bulbs) families (Table 1) of moths were recorded from 25 tea between 6.00 PM to 9.00 PM. The moths were gardens of Dooars and Darjeeling hills. The family photographed by using Nikon D7000 camera. The was found dominant with highest number of collected specimens were pinned and mounted species (14 species) followed by (9 following the methods described by Arora (1990) [2] species), Geometridae (8 species), Sphingidae (4 and Srivastava (1990) [3]. For the identification of species), (3 species) and Tortricidae being species standard literatures (Hampson, 1892, 1894, found least dominant with only one species. Of them, 1895 and 1896) [4] have been followed and wherever 15 species marked with * (Table 1) were found as found necessary, the specimens were also compared known pests of tea and 12 species marked with # with National Zoological Collections (NZC) of (Table 1) as known pests of other crops, vegetables and Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. For studying the natural forests.

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Table 1: List of Moths recorded from tea gardens and adjacent habitats

Order Lepidoptera 20. * edcola Doubleday, 1847 Suborder Heterocera (Moth) 21. *Trypanophra semihyalina Kollar, 1844

Family SPHINGIDAE Family GEOMETRIDAE 1. Theretra nessus Drury, 1773 22. * selenaria (Denis & Schiffermiller, 1775) 2. Hippotion boerhaviae (Fabricius, 1775) 23. * suppressaria (Guenee, 1858) 3. Argius convolvuli (Linnaeus, 1758) 24. * talaca Walker, 1860 4. Acosmeryx omissa Rothschild and Jordan, 1903 25. *Hyposidra infixaria Walker, 1860 Family EREBIDAE 26. *Ectropis sp. 5. Chionaema bianca (Walker, 1856) 27. Cleora sp. 6. *Creatonotos transiens (Walker, 1855) 28. Petelia sp. 7. #Creatonotos gangis (Linnaeus, 1763) 29. Semiothisa eleonora (Villers, 1789)

8. * adversata Schaller, 1788 9. *Argina argus (Kollar, 1844) Family CRAMBIDAE 30. Diaphania sp. 10. #Argiina astrea (Drury, 1777) 31. #Omiodes surrectalis (Walker, 1866) 11. *Arctornis submarginata Walker, 1885 32. # hilaralis (Walker, 1859) 12. *Somena scintillans (Walker, 1856) 33. # stolalis Guenee, 1854 13. *Orgyia sp. 34. #Parotis marginata (Hampson, 1893) 14. Miltochrista cuneonotata (Walker, 1855) 35. #Herpetogramma licarsisalis ( Walker,1859) 15. *Lymantria marginalis (Walker, 1862) 36. #Cnaphalocrocis poeyalis ( Boisduval,1833) 16. Asota egens (Walker, 1854) 37. #Nosophora semitritalis ( Lederer,1863) 17. #Arna bipunctapex Hampson, 1891 38. #Eoophyla sejuncta ( Snellen 1876 ) 18. Callimorpha plagiata Walker,1855

Family ZYGAENIDAE Family TORTRICIDAE 19. * aedea Linnaeus, 1763 39. #Loboschiza sp.

Table 2: Tea gardens surveyed during the study period

Sl. No. Name of Tea gardens Survey site 1. Soongachi Roadside 2. Guyabari Agro-forest 3. Toorsa River 4. Nagrakata Forest 5. Rangamutti Agriculture field 6. Longview Forest 7. Kalchini Forest 8. Radharani Agriculture field 9. Tingling Roadside 10. Damdim Roadside 11. Betguri Roadside 12. Batabari Forest 13. Kailashpur Forest & Agriculture field 14. Killcott Forest 15. Chuapara Forest 16. Atiapara Forest 17. Anandapur Forest 18. Marionbari Agriculture field 19. Grassmore Roadside 20. Pathkapara Forest 21. Mohua River 22. Dalsingpara Agriculture field 23. Malnadi Agriculture field & River 24. Srinathpur Agriculture field & Village 25. Bharnobari Roadside

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The species of the dragonfly Orthetrum sabina Drury Walker) (Plate 1, Fig. 3). The species Microstyllum (Odonata: Libellulidae) was observed as a potential pseudoanantakrishnanii Joseph & Parui (Diptera: predator of common moth pests of the families Asilidae) (Plate 1, Fig. 4) was also observed as a Erebidae (Lymantria sp.) (Plate 1, Fig. 2) and predator of Hyposidra talaca Walker (Plate 1, Fig. 5), a Geometridae (Petelia sp. and Hyposidra talaca common looper pest in tea plantations.

Plate 1

Fig 2 Fig 3

Fig 4 Fig 5

From the above results it is obvious that the species scintillans (Walker) is reported as minor pest of tea [6]. composition in tea gardens of Northern West Bengal The tea loopers Ectropis sp. and Ascotis sp. are known constituted approximately seven percent of entire moth tea pests from North- East India [7]. The above three fauna of West Bengal. Each of the families Crambidae species were also collected during the present study. and Geometridae could attain fifty percent of the number of species of the most dominant family Being intermixed with other natural ecosystem Erebidae. Hitherto, seventy four species of moth have environs the tea gardens provide a perfect habitat for been recorded as pests from the tea gardens of North- other predator insects to flourish their lives. Up till East India including Dooars and Darjeeling [5]. Of now, fifty four species of such insect predators have these, six species namely Eterusia aedea aedea been documented from tea gardens of Northern West Linnaeus, Eterusia edcola Doubleday, Trypanophora Bengal [8]. Of them, four species are dragonflies semihyalana Kollar, Biston suppressaria Guenee, (Odonata) and only one species is true fly (Diptera). Orgyia sp., Arctornis submarginata Walker were But the species Orthetrum sabina Drury (Odonata: collected during the present study. The species Somena Libellulidae) and the species Microstyllum

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pseudoanantakrishnanii Joseph & Parui (Diptera: the Director Zoological Survey of India, Asilidae) were not reported. During the present study Kolkata; 2012, 767-801. these two insect species were recorded as potential 2. Arora GS. Lepidoptera. In: Collection and predator of the adult species of moths in tea gardens. Preservation of . Edited and Published by the Direcor, Zoological Survey It is a well-known fact that the insect pest and predator of India, Kolkata; 1990, 131-137. complex within a habitat or region might undergo 3. Srivastava VD. Odonota. In: Collection and dynamic changes over space and time [8]. Hence Preservation of Animals. Edited and periodic investigation of pests and their natural Published by the Direcor, Zoological Survey predators is always needed. In the present work the of India, Kolkata; 1990, 95-96. above mentioned two predator insects have been 4. Hampson GF. Fauna of British India discovered from tea gardens of Northern West Bengal including Ceylon and Burma (Moths), Taylor after span of five years from the last published record & Francis, London; 1892 & 1894-1896, Vol. [8]. I-IV. 5. Anonymous. Pests of tea in North- East India 5. Conclusions and their control. Published by Tocklai Hence it can be concluded that the tea gardens and its Experimental Station, Tea Research surrounding natural ecosystem environs are suitable Association, Jorhat, Assam, India; 1994, habitats for moths and their predator insects to thrive Memorandum No. 27. which are valuable biological materials for providing 6. Biswas O, Shah SK, Mishra P, Mallick K and various ecosystem services. Mitra B. Taxonomic account of Erebidae (Lepidoptera: ) pests of Tea 6. Acknowledgements gardens of West Bengal, India. J. Ento. and The Authors are deeply grateful to the Director, Dr. K. Zool. Studies; 2015, 3 (5): 185-192. Chandra, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, for 7. Sinu AP, Mandal P, Banerjee D, Mallick S, providing necessary facilities and encouragement to Talukdar T. and Pathak SK. Moth Pests carry out the work. We also thank to all the Tea estate collected in light traps of tea plantations in Managers who provided their help and co-operations North East India: species composition, during field surveys. seasonality and effect of habitat type. Current Science; 2013, 104 (5): 646- 651. 7. References 8. Das S, Roy S and Mukhopadhyay A. 1. Sanyal AK, Alfred JRB, Venkataraman K, Diversity of natural enemies in the Tewari SK and Mitra S. Lepidotera. In: Status tea plantations of North Bengal with emphasis of Biodiversity of West Bengal. Published by on their association with tea pests. Current Science; 2010, 99 (10): 1457- 1463.

Shah SK, Mitra B. Moth (Insecta: Lepidoptera) Fauna and their Insect Predators Associated with the Tea gardens and the surrounding Natural Ecosystem Environs in Northern West Bengal, India. Journal of Zoology Studies. 2015; 2(6):01-05.

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