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Short Communication Mass Mortality of Giant Water Bug Lethocerus

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Short Communication Mass Mortality of Giant Water Bug Lethocerus Rec. zool. Surv. India: Vol. 121(2)/315–317, 2021 ISSN (Online) : 2581-8686 DOI: 10.26515/rzsi/v121/i2/2021/152535 ISSN (Print) : 0375-1511 Short Communication Mass mortality of Giant Water Bug Lethocerus indicus (Lepeletiler & Serville, 1825) [Heteroptera: Belostomatidae] in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State, South India Sainudeen Pattazhy1 and Muhamed Jafer Palot2* 1Department of Zoology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Post, Thiruvananthapuram - 695581, Kerala, India; Email: [email protected] 2Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, Vidhya Nagar, PCNT Post Pune - 411044, Maharashtra, India; Email: [email protected] Abstract Mass mortality of Giant Water Bug, Lethocerus indicus India from Thiruvananthpuram district, Kerala. As many as 700 specimens were found dead around the locality. The high (Lepeletiler & Serville, 1825) was reported for the first time from mass movement and the mortality, are discussed in the present paper. intensity of floodlight, the less availability of the water in the vicinity and the lunar phase are the possible reasons for the Keywords: Giant Water Bug, Kerala, Lethocerus indicus, Mass Mortality Introduction Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, On 24th February, 2020, at around 5.30am, while walking Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, along the International Green Field Stadium, Kariavattom, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (Thirumalai, Thiruvananthapuram, we (SP) came across unusually large 2007; Nesemann & Sharma, 2013). The other two species number of giant water bugs underneath the flood light. are Lethocerus deyrollei (Vuillefroy, 1864) and Lethocerus Most of the bugs were dead or partially in live condition patruelis (Stal, 1854) known from north and north eastern (Figure 1). The locality (8° 34.17N and 76° 53.35.5E) is part of India. These Lethocerine bugs inhabit mainly in within the Kariavattom campus of Kerala University lentic freshwater habitats including natural wetlands such and located about 8 km from Thiruvananthapuram city, as ponds, lakes, pools, ditches, marshes, and swamps, the capital of the State. We could count more than 700 and artificial wetlands such as water channels and paddy specimens of these giant bugs strewn around the stadium. fields. They are known to be feeding on other insects, Most of the specimens were seen just under the flood molluscs, fish, amphibians, snakes and juvenile turtles. light. The huge flood light tower, about 30 ft high with intensive illumination might have attracted the bugs in Material and Methods large group to the area. Later, the specimen identified it as Lethocerus indicus (Lepeletiler & Serville, 1825) based The Kerala University campus is located on a small on its size and colour. Among the 3 species of Giant hillock, with typical laterite flora. The major vegetation Aquatic Bugs (Lethocerus spp.; Family: Belostomatidae; is dominated with mostly planted trees like Acacia Subfamily: Lethocerinae) known from India, L. indicus auriculiformis Benth., Delonix regia (Hook.), Samanea is widely distributed and reported from Andaman & saman (Jacq.) etc., and other common shrubs, and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, weeds. The nearest water body is about 2km from the site Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal and many small water bodies are also found inside the * Author for correspondence Article Received on: 18.05.2020 Accepted on: 13.03.2021 Mass mortality of Giant Water Bug Lethocerus indicus (Lepeletiler & Serville, 1825) ... campus. The adjacent water body is with full of aquatic from 26℃ to 35℃. A sudden spurt of 3℃ was noted vegetation dominated with free-floating hydrophytes such during the day time. Humidity was around 75% and the as Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.), Lemna perpusilla Torr., wind speed noted was 6km/hr. The night was particularly Pistia stratiotes Linnaeus, Spirodela polyrhiza (Linnaeus), darker and coincided with the new moon. This lunar etc. The water level is very low and almost filled with phase also triggered the mass movements of the bugs and aquatic vegetation. The less availability of water and the ultimately got attracted to the intense light of the stadium. upcoming dry season could be one of the reasons for the mass movement of aquatic bugs from the area. The Results flood light with high intensity of light is another major As many as 700 individuals were counted from the site, reason for the mass attraction to the area. Each lamp which consists of 400 males and 300 females. The adults tower consists of 64 metal halide lamps, each emits a were sexed based on the size and the different shape of the bright white light typically of 75-100 lumens/watt. On genital plates (Nessemann and Sharma, 2013). Apparently, that day two towers were operational consists of 128 all the specimens were adults. Most of them were found lamps, amounting to 12,800 lumens/watt light. This huge dead on the cemented ground underneath. The specimens intensity of illumination might have attracted the aquatic were measured and found that maximum length was bugs to the light and perished down underneath. The light around 8cm and the width of 2.2cm. The average weight system was well maintained by the authorities and the of the bug was varying from 6 to 9gms. Interestingly, lights were kept lightening until every morning. A sudden most of the specimens were very lightweight and virtually variation in temperature occurred during the period in nothing was inside their gut and fully in a dehydrated the locality was also noticed. The temperature was varying condition. It appears probable that these insects dried their body deliberately as a strategy to shed body weight prior to their dispersal flight (Yoon et al., 2010). The fall of the bugs might have initiated at night and continued till morning at around 6 am. Again, we checked on the subsequent days, no such incidence was recorded anywhere near the locality. A few bugs were eaten away by the House crows (Corvus splendens) in the early morning hours. Along with the giant water bugs, a few dytiscid diving beetles were also found dead on the ground. Similarly, a small number of giant water bugs were also reported from Ranni area of Pathanamthitta district (Bijumon, Pers. Commn.) on 25th of February 2020. Earlier, many sight records of Giant Water Bugs were recorded by us in various localities in Kerala during the summer months, but in single or in very few in numbers, immediately after the summer showers in April or May. Discussion Artificial lighting from anthropogenic sources such as street lights and residential buildings can cause adverse effects on nocturnal insects (Frank, 1988), including giant aquatic bug species like Lethocerus deyrollei (Ono, 1995). Flight-to-light behavior of insects around artificial light sources disturbs the ecology of insects in many Figure 1. The dead specimens of Lethocerus indicus ways and can lead to high mortality (Eisenbeis & Hanel, (Lepeletiler & Serville, 1825). 2009). There were many similar observations of giant 316 Vol 121(2) | 2021 | www.recordsofzsi.com Zoological Survey of India Sainudeen Pattazhy and Muhamed Jafer Palot water bugs attracted to light. The giant aquatic bugs play crucial roles in various aquatic ecosystems due are popularly called ‘light bugs’ owing to its attraction to their high density and various ecological functions towards lights during night dispersion flights. These bugs (Cummins and Merritt 1996). Seasonal and diel dispersal which need water for the survival and reproduction are flight of primary aquatic insects is a multifactorial particularly vulnerable to artificial lights, because landing process involving various biotic and abiotic variables. in brightly lit areas without water can led to mortality More number of observations and the extensive research due to dehydration (Ohba & Takagi, 2005). Ono (1995) is required to know about this important biological mentioned previously that a local extinction of Lethocerus phenomenon. deyrolli in an urban area in Japan may have been caused by the installation of mercury street lights. Yoon et al. Acknowledgements (2010), also demonstrated the clear possibility that a local The authors are grateful to the authorities of Kerala extinction of L. deyrolli in an isolated rural area in Korea University, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram and the was also attributable to its light-attraction behavior. It Director, Zoological Survey of India and the Officer-in- appears most probable that artificial lights, constitute a Charge, Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional critical factor in local extinction of L. deyrolli populations Centre, Pune for facilities and encouragements. in east Asia. Aquatic Coleoptera and Heteroptera species References Cummins, K. W. and Merritt, R. W. 1996. Ecology and distribution of aquatic insects. In: Merritt, RW and Cummins K. W. (Eds) An introduction to the Aquatic insects of North America. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, pp. 74-86. Eisenbeis, G. and Hanel, A. 2009. Light pollution and the impact of artificial night lighting on insects. In: McDonnell, M. J., Hahs, A. H. and Breuste, J. H. (Eds.): Ecology of Cities and Towns, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2009, p. 243-263. https://doi. org/10.1017/CBO9780511609763.016 Frank, K. D. 1988. Impact of outdoor lighting on moths: An assessment. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society, 42, 63-93 Nesemann, H and Sharma, G. 2013. Observations on the life history of Giant water bugs Lethocerus Mayr, 1853 (Heteroptera: Nepo- morpha: Belostomatidae) in the Gangetic plains of India and Nepal. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 5(10): 4474-4482; https://doi. org/10.11609/JoTT.o3497.4474-82 Ohba, Sand Takagi, H. 2005. Food shortage affects flight migration of the Giant water bug Lethocerus deyrolliin the pre-wintering season. Limnology, 6: 85-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-005-0148-7 Ono, Y. 1995. The influence of high pressure marcury-vapour lamps on insects, with special reference to the oriental giant water bug, Lethocerus deyrollei, and hawk moths, Sphingidae, Lepidoptera (in Japanese with English abstract), Artes Liberales, 57: 155-166 Thirumalai, G.
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