Available online at www.worldscientificnews.com WSN 65 (2017) 94-122 EISSN 2392-2192 Anomala Samouelle, 1819 (Rutelinae: Scarabaeidae) of Buxa Tiger Reserve, Dooars, West Bengal, India. Part – I Subhankar Kumar Sarkar1,a, Sumana Saha2,b, Dinendra Raychaudhuri3,c 1Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India 2Department of Zoology, Barasat Govt. College, 10 K.N.C Road, Barasat (N 24 Parganas), Kolkata - 700124, West Bengal, India 3Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, IRDM Faculty Centre, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Narendrapur, Kolkata - 700103, West Bengal, India a-cE-mail address: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected] ABSTRACT Taxonomy of Anomala Samouelle, 1819 recorded from Buxa Tiger Reserve, Dooars, West Bengal, India is dealt herewith. Present discourse is the result of long term investigation on insect fauna of the study area carried out by the authors. The current paper presents the detailed taxonomic account of 10 species while rest of the species will be presented in the succeeding issue. Each of the species is redescribed and illustrated, supplemented by digital images. Further, an identification key and a note on the distribution of the recorded taxa is also provided. Keywords: Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae, Anomala, Redescription, Distribution, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Dooars, India World Scientific News 65 (2017) 94-122 1. INTRODUCTION Anomala Samouelle, 1819 is one of the largest genera in the entire animal kingdom consisting of nearly 1000 species worldwide, of which about 800 are represented in the old world (Jameson et al 2003). Classification of the genus is variably known worldwide. Several authors have placed them within the group Anomalini under the subfamily Rutelinae or Rutelidae (Arrow 1917, Machatschke 1957, 1972-1974, Moron et al 1997) while others have placed them within the tribe Anomalini under the subfamily Rutelinae (Potts 1974 ’77, Jameson 2002, Paucar-Cabrera & Jameson 2003, Jameson et al 2003, Smith 2003, Ratcliffe & Jameson 2016). There have been a number of homonyms created for the genus throughout its taxonomic history and finally in the year 1989 it was placed and stabilized as Anomala Samouelle, 1819 on the official list of generic names in Zoology by International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (Jameson et al 2003). Though several researchers have reported the occurrence of this genus throughout the globe yet a comprehensive checklist of the world and particularly of the oriental region is not available. On the contrary Indian Anomala is known by the regional works 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). In spite of large species representation and economic importance as agricultural pests the genus still lacks a comprehensive taxonomic treatment and demands serious attention. Extremely diverse tropical rain forests support rich biodiversity by providing habitats for a huge range of insect species. The increased rate of habitat destruction and climate change results in the extinction of many species from these forests without ever being discovered and documented. Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) is one such fine example of tropical rain forest of Eastern Himalayas of India experiencing the problem. It is with this background, present authors have taken initiative to explore and document the insect fauna of the study area and also to present a detailed taxonomic account of the recorded species. In the process a total of 76 scarab species have been recorded so far (Saha & Raychaudhuri 1998, Raychaudhuri & Saha 2014, Sarkar et al 2010’14’15’16a, b & c) out of which 20 belong to the genus dealt herewith. Of the twenty recorded species, Sarkar et al (2010) though reported Anomala discalis Walker 1859, A. fallaciosa Arrow 1917, A. fissilabris Arrow 1912 and A. nigrovaria Arrow 1917 as new from the country but did not provide the taxonomy. Present discourse is on the first ever taxonomic detail of the members of Anomala Samouelle, 1819 recorded from BTR. Part-I of the discourse presents the detailed taxonomy of 10 recorded species while the rest will be dealt in Part-II. Each of the taxa is redescribed and illustrated nearly after a century since Arrow (1917). A key for identification of all the 20 recorded species (presented in Part-I of the discourse) and notes on their distribution are also provided. The taxa are considered sensu Arrow (1917) & Potts (1974). Study area: The study area Buxa Tiger Reserve represents one of the tropical rain forests of Eastern Himalaya which is one of the 35 biodiversity hotspots of the world and one of the four of India. It occupies an area of about 759.26 kms2 and falls under the biogeographic province 7B lower Gangetic plain. The reserve is located between latitudes 26°30” to 26°55” North and longitudes 89°20” to 89˚35” East of India (Figure – 1) -95- World Scientific News 65 (2017) 94-122 Figure 1. Location map of Buxa Tiger Reserve. 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 diurnal species sweep nets, bush beating and hand picking techniques were used and for the nocturnal ones UV light traps were installed and operated in various localities of the forest. 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. Stretching, pinning and labeling were 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. Part of the male samples stored in 70% alcohol were kept separately in order to dissect out the genitalia. This was met out under the microscope with the help of very sharp scalpel, forceps, needles and brush. After dissection the genital capsule containing parameres was cleared in clove oil. The genital capsule was then boiled in 10% KOH for 5-10 minutes to remove muscles. After study, the male genitalia were preserved in a micro vial containing 70% alcohol along with the adult specimen. 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. -96- World Scientific News 65 (2017) 94-122 3. RESULTS Family Scarabaeidae Latreille, 1802 Subfamily Rutelinae MacLeay, 1819 Tribe Anomalini Streubel, 1839 Sub tribe Anomalina Streubel, 1839 Genus Anomala Samouelle, 1819 Anomala Samouelle, 1819, The entomologist’s Useful Companion, 191. Diagnosis: Body short, broad or elongate; opaque or shiny; labrum horizontal; antennae 9-10 segmented; head short and broad, transverse; clypeus semicircular or rectangular, front margin straight, curved or medially notched; pronotum transverse, sides medially round or angulate, base round or sinuate; elytra punctate striate or sulcate or punctured in longitudinal rows, apical and sutural margins often with membranous fringe; pygidial apex round; fore tibia bi or tridentate, mid and hind tibiae carinate externally and truncate at extremity. Type species: Melolontha aenea De Geer, 1775 Distribution: Worldwide (Arrow 1917; Jameson et al 2003; GBIF 2016; Ratcliffe & Jameson 2016). Key to species: 1. Base of pronotum sinuate and medially produced…………………………….……….…...2 - Base of pronotum round and medially not produced……………………………..…….…13 2. Fronto-clypeal suture marked by a transverse straight line....................................................3 - Fronto-clypeal suture marked by a transverse sinuate or curved line..................................11 3. Elytra punctate striate.............................................................................................................4 - Elytra punctured in longitudinal rows....................................................................................9 4. Antenna 9 segmented.............................................................................................................5 - Antenna 10 segmented...........................................................................................................7 5. Head coarsely and densely punctured....................................................................................6 - Head minutely and scantily punctured.............................................. nigrovaria Arrow, 1917 6. Pronotum with an anterolateral elevation on each side; apex of scutellum blunt; pygidium minutely punctured..............................................................................fallaciosa Arrow, 1917 - Pronotum without an anterolateral elevation on each side; apex of scutellum conical; pygidium rugose.....................................................................................discalis Walker, 1859 7. Body elongate; pronotal margin elevated and reflexed, without mid-longitudinal