Journal of Bioresource Management

Volume 5 Issue 1 Article 1

Diversity of Water Bugs in District, Punjab,

Muhammad Shahbaz Chattha Women University Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Bagh (AJK), [email protected]

Abu Ul Hassan Faiz Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Bagh (AJK), [email protected]

Arshad Javid University of Veterinary & Sciences, , [email protected]

Irfan Baboo Cholistan University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur, [email protected]

Inayat Ullah Malik The University of Lakki Marwat, Lakki Marwat, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Chattha, M. S., Faiz, A. H., Javid, A., Baboo, I., & Malik, I. U. (2018). Diversity of Water Bugs in Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan, Journal of Bioresource Management, 5 (1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35691/JBM.8102.0081 ISSN: 2309-3854 online (Received: May 16, 2019; Accepted: Sep 19, 2019; Published: Jan 1, 2018)

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This article is available in Journal of Bioresource Management: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/jbm/vol5/ iss1/1 Chattha et al. (2018). Diversity of Water Bugs in Gujranwala J Biores Manag. 5(1):01-07

DIVERSITY OF WATER BUGS IN GUJRANWALA DISTRICT, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

MUHAMMAD SHEHBAZ CHATTHA1*, ABU UL HASSAN FAIZ1, ARSHAD JAVID2, IRFAN BABOO3 AND INAYAT ULLAH MALIK4

1Department of Zoology, Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Bagh, Pakistan 2Department of Wildlife & Ecology, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan 3Cholistan University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur, Pakistan 4Department of Zoology, The University of Lakki Marwat, Lakki Marwat, Pakistan

*Corresponding Author: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Water bugs fall under the order , suborder , which is further divided into two types, i.e., semi-aquatic () and true water bugs (). They play a vital role as biological control agents and also a source of food for , birds and other aquatic organisms. The present work was carried out to ascertain aquatic Hemiptera in different lentic and lotic water bodies of various sizes in Gujranwala district, Pakistan. A total of 10 species belonging to five families were identified. Species include ruber Linnaeus, elongatus Montandon, filiformis Fabricius (), Corixa substriata Uhler, Micronecta proba Distant, Micronecta thyesta Distant (), indicus Lepeletier, Fabricius (), Ambrysus sp. () and Anisops sardea Herrich-Schaffer (). A key at genera and species level was developed to help the future researchers.

Keywords: Aquatic , diversity, lentic, lotic, water bodies

INTRODUCTION Lekprayoon et al., 2007; Saha et al., 2007; Choudhury and Susmita, 2015). Some Aquatic are a rich and diverse species of Hemipteran are used as food group of Class Insecta in the world and source in China, Colombia and Thailand dwell in a variety of water ecosystems (Hanboonsong et al., 2000). They are also during greater part of their life period used as a bio-indicator to determine the (Zborowski and Storey, 1995). They play a variations in the quality of water due to significant role in the ecosystem having toxins because of their capability to react different status in their respective trophic rapidly to such variations (Papacek and levels as herbivores, predators, scavengers, Zettel, 2000; Andersen and Weir, 2004; parasitoids, pollinators and biological Arimoro and Ikomi, 2009; Trigal, et al., control mediary against disease-carrying 2009; Das and Gupta, 2010; LiLi et al., mosquitoes (Mohanraj et al., 2012; Irshad 2010; Das and Gupta, 2011). and Stephen, 2014; Irshad, 2015). Heteroptera is a diverse group of Hemipterans are extremely significant as insects that has a wide range of habitats like food source for many wild and cultivable terrestrial, aquatic and semi aquatic. Aquatic fishes, , waterfowls and other Heteroptera can be found from marine and aquatic organisms (Clark, 1992; Yen and intertidal to arctic and high alpine with an Butcher, 1997; Blaustein, 1998; Fernández altitudinal range of 0–4,700m across the and López, 2006; Ohba and Nakasuji, 2006; world excluding Antarctica (Vianna and de

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Melo, 2003). They are extremely abundant Punjab, Pakistan. The insects were collected in the tropic regions. Species richness is by using long-handled water net of 1 mm greatest in the Oriental (1289 species) and mesh size and preserved in plastic bottles Neotropical regions (1103 species), whereas containing 70% ethanol for further lowest in the Afro-tropical (799 species), laboratory identification. The specimens Australasian (654 species), Palearctic (496 were also mounted on small pieces of paper species), Nearctic (424 species) and Pacific and kept in the museum. The insects were (37 species) regions (Polhemus and identified up to the species level with the aid Polhemus, 2008). of keys of Distant (1903, 1906 and 1911), Heteroptera is further divided into Metacalf and Flint (1939) and Richards and three aquatic infraorders, i.e., Nepomorpha, Davies (1988). Gerromorpha and . Presently, these three infraorders comprise RESULTS AND DISCUSSION of 23 families, 343 genera and 4,810 species. Among them, 20 families, 326 A total of 10 species belonging to 8 genera genera and 4,656 species are freshwater and 5 families from the suborder inhabitants (Polhemus and Polhemus, 2008). Heteroptera were recorded in the present Nepomorpha, are true water bugs with study. Family Nepidae and Corixidae dwellings predominantly underneath the represented three species each, followed by water surface whereas Gerromorpha are two species of Belostomatidae, while semiaquatic and predominantly dwell on Naucoridae and Notonectidae contained one water surface (Chen et al., 2006). species each (Table 1). The standard work, The main families of Heteroptera the fauna of British India series on bugs by include Corixidae (boatman), Notonectidae Distant (1902, 1903, 1906, 1907, 1911, (back swimmers) and Nepidae (water 1916, 1918) has become antique. In ), Belostomatidae (giant electric Pakistan, some efforts were made to study light bugs), Gelastocoridae (toad bug), the aquatic Hemiptera and Coleoptera Saldidae (shore bugs), various surface during the past 50 years by various walkers and a few others. The bugs are researchers like Khatoon and Ali (1975, hemi-metabolus insects consisting of egg, 1976, 1977, 1978), Tomaszewska (1999), larvae or nymph and adult stages (Andersen Rafi et al. (2010) and Fazal et al. (2012). and Weir, 2004.) The members of order The information gathered from their studies Hemiptera have forewings which are is scant. Most of the researchers could hemelytra1 and membranous (Devi, 2013). identify few species, leaving a number of Limited work has been done on species as undetermined. This study identification of aquatic Hemiptera of considerably contributed in the of Gujranwala district, Punjab, Pakistan. This water bugs in Gujranwala district but further study was conducted to increase knowledge detailed studies are required to carry out on the taxonomy of water bugs in different continuous censuses to monitor the lentic and lotic water bodies of various sizes Hemiptera in all water bodies of the district. in Gujranwala district. The details of specimens are given below;

MATERIALS AND METHODS A. Family Corixidae a. Corixa Geoffr. A study survey was conducted in i. Corixa substriata Uhler different lentic and lotic water bodies at Gujranwala district (32°9′N, 74°11′E),

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Table 1: List of Aquatic Insects recorded from Lentic and Lotic water bodies of district Gujranwala.

Family Genus Species Nepidae Latreille, 1802 Nepa Linnaeus Nepa ruber Linnaeus Laccotrephes Montandon, 1907 Laccotrephes elongatus Montandon Ranatra Fabricius 1790 Ranatra filiformis Fabricius Corixidae Leach, 1815 Corixa Geoffroy, 1762 Corixa substriata Uhler Micronecta Kirkaldy, 1897 Micronecta proba Distant Micronecta thyesta Distant Naucoridae Leach, 1815 Ambrysus Stal, 1862 Ambrysus sp. Notonectidae Latreille, Anisops Spinola, 1837 Anisops sardeus Herrich-Shaffer 1802 Belostomatidae Leach, Lethocerus Mayr, 1853 Lepeletiler & 1815 Serville Diplonychus Laporte, 1833 Diplonychus rusticus Fabricius

Diagnostic Characters: Body length was obscure darker longitudinal fasciated lines 5.82 mm. Body colour was brown, clear and a longitudinal broken piceous line near brownish on head and beneath, head was the middle. The posterior tarsi were streaked moderately blunt, face was moderately with piceous. convex with hair below. Pronotum was dark Habitat: It was found in ponds and stagnant brown, moderately short and triangularly water bodies of rivers, streams and channels. rounded behind. Pronotum crossed by seven Locality: Ponds in Gujranwala and somewhat curved slender lines. Embolium Qadirabad Head Works and small water was terminated by an aggregation of bodies in the floor Plain of Chenab River. blackish marks, legs pale with a testaceous fringe of posterior tarsi. ii. Micronecta thyesta Distant Habitat: It was found inhabiting stagnant areas of rivers and streams, also found in Diagnostic Characters: Body length was ponds and pools. 2.88 mm. Elytra with a more or less Locality: It was collected from small water distinctly continuous pieceous line. bodies of flood area of river Chenab and Habitat: It was found in stagnant areas of paddy fields. rivers, streams and also found in ponds. Locality: Ponds in Ali Pur Chattha and b. Genus Micronecta Kirk. Qadirabad areas. i. Micronecta proba Distant B. Family Naucoridae Diagnostic Characters: Body length was 4 a. Genus Ambrysus Stal. mm, head was brownish-yellow while i. Ambrysus sp. pronotum, scutellum and elytra were dark olivaceous-brown. Anterior margins of Diagnostic Characters: Body length was clavus, posterior margins of the pronotum 21.3 mm. Abdomen was triangular, body and lateral margins of elytra were brownish- was spindle-shaped and yellowish-brown in yellow. Head was almost twice as broad at colour, fore legs modified for grasping; between eyes as medial length, shorter than middle and hind tarsi bearing swimming hair pronotum with a more or less distinct central with two distinct claws. Middle and hind longitudinal ridge. The elytra had four tibiae had spines. Rostrum 3 segmented;

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Chattha et al. (2018). Diversity of Water Bugs in Gujranwala J Biores Manag. 5(1):01-07 fertilization internal, produce relatively few Habitat: It is usually found among the offspring but parental protection enhances vegetation in still, slow running water and the survival of the off springs. Female glues also in stagnant water. her eggs to the back of the male who caries Locality: Ali Pur Chattha, Rasul Nagar them for days, frequently fanning water over ponds and small distributary of Lower them, which helps keep the eggs moist, Chenab Canal near Ali Pur Chattha. aerated and free of parasites. Habitat: It was found inhabiting weed beds c. Genus Ranatra Fabr. in still water and in stagnant water bodies of i. Ranatra filiformis Fabr. rivers and streams. Locality: Lower Chenab canal near Ali Pur Diagnostic Characters: Body length was Chattha and Dhrindian. 42.2 mm, excluding abdominal appendages the size was 22.1 mm. Head and anterior C. Family Nepidae area of pronotum was pale castaneous; a. Genus Nepa Linn. posterior area of sternum, legs and i. Nepa ruber Linn abdominal appendages were pale ochraceous with a central longitudinal fuscous linear Diagnostic Characters: Body length was fascia; eyes very prominent; intermediate 52.33 mm; excluding the abdominal and posterior legs obscurely annulate. appendages, the body length was 25.7 mm. Habitat: It was found inhabiting bottom of Body colour was brown. The abdomen was ponds, tanks and in slow running water. reddish from above and ochraceaus, apical Locality: Qadirabad Barrage and Palkhoo appendages of abdomen were slightly longer Nala near Wazirabad bypass. than the body. Usually, the abdomen has a central longitudinal fuliginous fascia, the D. Family Notonectidae apex is brownish-ochraceous and hemeltyra a. Genus Anisops Spin. were sub-parallel. i. Anisops sardeus Herr. Habitat: It was found in vegetation in still water and slow running water. Diagnostic Characters: Body length was Locality: Small distributary of Lower 6.3 mm, colour was white, eyes were black, Chenab Canal near Manchar Chattha, and and hemelytra was greyish white. Males had from Palkhoo Nala near Wazirabad. a long triangular, obtuse apically-pointed cephalic projection, which was absent in b. Laccotrephes Montandon females. A distinct foveate impression near i. Laccotrephes elongates each basal angle of the scutellum in both Montandon sexes, the inter-ocular space was very narrow at base. Diagnostic Characters: Body length was Habitat: It was found inhabiting still water. 28.1 mm with appendages. Body colour was Locality: Ponds in Gujranwala near bypass, brown. The head had a longitudinal carina. Dhrindian and Qadirabad Head Works. Somewhat projecting small eyes with much enlarged inter-ocular space. Pronotum as E. Family Belostomatidae long as it was broad, scutellum was longer a. Genus Lethocerus than broad at base. Apical appendages of i. Lethocerus indicus abdomen were shorter than the body. Intermediate tibiae were much shorter than Diagnostic Characters: Body length was their femora. 25-80 mm. Large and flattened bugs with large raptorial frontal legs; antennae tiny and

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