The Journal of Zoology Studies 2016; 3(3): 11-17 The Journal of Zoology Studies ISSN 2348-5914 Diversity and relative abundance of insects (Arthropoda) in JOZS 2016; 3(3): 11-17 pumpkin plantations in District Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, JOZS © 2016 Pakistan Received: 24-04-2016 Accepted: 26-05-2016 Author: Umama Fayyaz, Aisha Kausar, Kausar Saeed, Naveed Akhtar Abstract Umama Fayyaz Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Pumpkin (Family: Cucurbitacae) is a nutritive and unique plant commonly used as vegetable all Pakistan around the world. Cucurbita species are cultivated worldwide with an annual production of 17.7 million tonnes from 1.4 million hectares. It is cultivated throughout Pakistan, as a Kharif crop Aisha Kausar Department of Zoology, with an annual production of 45217 tons from an area of 4027 hectares. The current survey was University of Peshawar, conducted to determine the diversity and relative abundance of insects in pumpkin plantation in Pakistan Distict Haripur. A total of 212 specimens belonging to 9 orders and 16 families as; order Coleoptera (Family: Chyrsomelidae and Coccinelidae), order Lepidoptera (Family: Noctuidae Kausar Saeed Department of Zoology, and Pyralidae), Hemiptera (Family: Anthocridae and Pentatomidae), Homoptera (Family: Abdul Wali Khan University Aphididae and Cicadellidae) were collected. Insect population was abundant in October Mardan, Pakistan followed by September and dropped towards the July and August whereas Dermaptera, Naveed Akhtar Lepidoptera and Hemiptera disappeared in the capture. This study is an effort towards exploring Department of Zoology, diversity and abundance of insect among selected host plants. Further extensive surveys can Abdul Wali Khan University resolve dynamics of insects (beneficial and destructive) population in the study area, which will Mardan, Pakistan eventually help determine their significance. Keywords: Insects Abundance, Pumpkin, Haripur 1. Introduction Cucurbitaceae is a fairly large family containing about 100 genera 800 species which are essentially distributed in tropical or subtropical regions and relatively few species extending into temperate climate (Rahman, 2013) [1]. In Pakistan the family is represented by 17 genera and 32 [2] species (Perveen, 2008) . Cucurbitaceae is important as a source of food, like pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), melon (Cucumis melo), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), water melon (citrullus lanatus), bottle gourd (Lagineria siceraria) and sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica). Cucurbitaceae are used as fruits and vegetables, and most of them have economic value. Many species of this family are the sources of medicine. Some are widely cultivated in the field for vegetables and food. A few taxa are also grown as ornamental plants (Rahman, 2013) [1]. In Pakistan pumpkin species is known as “squash” scientifically called as Cucurbeta pepo, having several varieties ranging from local round green to light green zucchini (Saljoqi et.al., 2007) [3]. Pumpkin is one of the famous edible plants and has significant medicinal properties Corresponding Author: due to the presence of natural and unique edible substances. It contains various phyto Umama Fayyaz constituents belonging to category of the flavenoid, alkaloid, oleic, palmitic and linoleic acids Department of Zoology, [4] University of Peshawar, (Yadav et.al., 2010) . Pakistan Vol. 3 No. 3 2016 Page 11 Journalofzoology.com The Journal of Zoology Studies The pumpkin has been used traditionally as medicine were selected randomly throughout the field. Different in many countries such as India, China, Argentina, parts of the plants were also visualized for the presence Mexico, Brazil and America (Popovic M, 1971) [5], of insects. Pumpkin is cultivated worldwide with an annual production of 17.7 million tons from 1.4 million 2.4. Research Methodologies hectares. It is highly susceptible to frost and cultivated Insects were randomly collected by different methods. mainly during May/June and harvested around The collected insects were killed, larger insects were October. It is cultivated throughout Pakistan, as a pinned and dry preserved and small insects were Kharif crop with an annual production of 45217 tons preserved in 70% ethanol. In this study, methods of from an area of 4027 hectares (Rahim et.al., 2013) [6]. insects trapping employed were, hand capture for Pumpkin are blessed with anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, wingless insects, hand net for flying insects and pitfall anti-hypertension, anti-hypercholesterolemia, trap for soil dwelling or crawling insects. antibacterial, immunedulation, intestinal antiparasitic, anti-inflammation and antalgic effects. It was found 2.4.1. By hands and by using Forceps that technologies such as fermentation and germination The plants were visually observed for the presence of could reduce nutritional materials and affect the insects which were then collected in small plastic jars. pharmacological activities of pumpkin (Caili et.al., Slow moving insects were collected by hands and 2006) [7]. forceps. In Pakistan, the pumpkin loss up to 27 % is reported 2.4.2 By beating and jerking method due to pests and insects, causing significantly Simple sheets were placed beneath the plants and the economic loss. Keeping in view the above mentioned insects were knocked down from the plant onto the facts and figures, the present study was aimed to sheet by beating with a stick or by simply jerking. The determine species composition and abundance of insects were then picked up from the sheet with aid of insects in the pumpkin plants in the study area in order forceps and placed into jars. to keep the economic injury level at a manageable level. 2.4.3. By sweep net The pollinator species were collected by using sweep 2. Materials and Methods nets. 2.1. Study area This research was carried out at two localities of 2.4.4. By pit fall method district Haripur, the selection of sites was based on the Water filled bottles were placed on the ground before presence and cultivation period of pumpkin. Haripur the sampling about one to two hours. Crawling insects “the town of Hari or God” is the District in the region or flying insects fall into the water which was then of Hazara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. The city captured from the bottles (Sharma et.al., 2013) [8]. lies on Karakoram Highway. It is adjacent to Federal capital of Islamabad i.e. in South, 65km away. It is 2.5. Insect preservation bounded by District Abbottabad to the North East, by The insects were then preserved in 70% alcohol or Swabi and Buner to the North West and Punjab to the 70% formalin. The bottles were labeled with the South East. Hilly plain area at an altitude of 520m information like: (1700ft) above the sea level. It has latitude 3 - 1. Collection date and longitude - 2. Locality. 3. Plant part. 2.2. Sampling site Insect sampling was done during July to November, 2.6. Laboratory processing 2015 from two selected localities where the host plant After preservation, collected insects were brought to was cultivated which are; Entomology Research lab, Department of Zoology University of Peshawar. The insects were grouped into 2.2.1. Insect sampling orders and families based on their morphological Collections of various insects group was done characteristics using identification keys. The genera fortnightly between July to November, 2015 from three and species names of some insect specimens were fields of the pumpkin in District Haripur. The insect identified. Some online sources and pictorial keys sampling was carried out in the early hours of the day were also used for identification. as insects are active and easily observed at early sun rise. Plant feeder insects (phytophagous) were easy to 2.7. Taxonomic keys for identification locate on their hosts during sun rise. The host plants Taxonomic keys used for identification purposes were; Vol. 3 No. 3 2016 Page 12 Journalofzoology.com The Journal of Zoology Studies 2.7.1 Dichotomous Key Dichotomous key (divided or dividing into two parts) 3.1 Taxonomic composition key, offering two alternatives at any point for the A total of 212 insect specimens were collected from identification at various levels. (Keyto Common Insect pumpkin plants during the present survey. Nine insects Orders. University of Kentucky). orders were identified; Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Homoptera, 3. Results Thysanoptera, Dermaptera and Orthoptera. Sixteen The present study was carried out to determine insect different families; Chrysomelidae, Coccinellidae, diversity and relative abundance in cucurbit fields in Apidae, Vespidae, Bombidae, Formicidae, district Haripur and to determine the status of different Phloethripidae, Forficulidae, Cicadellidae, Aphididae, insect groups. The insect sampling was done during Pentatomidae, Anthocoridae, Acrididae, Noctuidae, July to November 2015 from randomly selected plants Pyralidae and Culicidae were collected (Fig 3.1). throughout the field. The insect collection was carried Among the different orders, Chrysomelidae was the out in the early hours of the day as they are active and most abundant family in terms of number of specimens easily observed at early sun rise. Sampling was done while hymenoptera was the most diverse in terms of by various methods like using forceps, beating and highest number of families (4). Family Apidae was jerking method, pitfall method and by using sweep represented by genus Apis, Bombidae was represented nets. The collected specimens were identified up to by Bombus