ISS 0375- 5 Rec. zool, Sura. India: 113(Part-4): 103-128,2013 T I BIOG -OG · AP CA D ST · BUT ON OF SP -CI SO THE SUPERFAMILY COREOIDEA: HEM_PTERA IN _NDlA D. PRABAK_AR Zoological Survey ofIndia, Southern R~gional Centre . 30, Santhome High Road, Chennai-600 028 E-mail : dprabaka.r14@gmailcom INTRODUCT ON with spines and tubercles. Antennae 4 segmented; Coreoidea is a large Superfamily of ocelli 2i beak 4 segmented; fr{)nt wing with many veins; t~si 3 segmented; scent glands present on predomin~ntly herbivorus insects that belong in the Hemipteran Suborder Heteropter,a. The the thorax; head narrower than and often shorter Superfamily Coreoidea is divided into 4 famjlies than the pronotum; hind tibia ,of some species namely Coreiddae, Stenocephalidae, Alydidae.. expanded and resembling leaves. The species in Rhopalidae but the Coreoidea as a whole are part the family Coreidae are separated from those in of a close-knit group with the Lygaeoidea ~d Alydidae by differences in width and length of Pyrrhocoroidea and it is likely that these three their heads relative to the pro I otum. ' The~e aIe super families are paraphyletic to a significant mor,e than 1800 species have been ' ecorded unde extent. They are therefore in need of revision and this family in the woOrld. red limitation. There ar-e more than 3400 species The family Stenocephalidae is represented by recorded in the world. only one (Dicranocephalus) genera. They are , e', ectsofthefamilyCore'daevaryfr,om7 commonly ,called as spurge bugs. These af'e phytophagus insects. They feed on Euphorbia to 45 nun, making the larger species some of ~he species. They are small to large in size. Length of big I ete opterans (Sehuh ,and Slater, 1950), I e body shape ,of these insects is quite variable, with the body ranges from 8~14 nun long; fliers; some specIes broadly oval while others are r-elativlely stout bodied; not stilt-legged; with slender. Coreids are found throughout the world ,conspicuous dark and pale banding on the but most species af'e found in the ~opics and antennae and legs. Head non-linear, Rostrum subtropics. They are also called Hleaf-footed bugs dearly separated ventrally froOm the prostemum and squash bugs" due to the leaf like ,expansions by a sclerotized gula; 4 segment-ed. Antennae some species have on their hind leg. These bugs longer than the head, readily visible from ,abov,ei 4 feed on the shoots, buds, fruits and unripe seeds segmented; non-striae. Ocelli present. ScuteUtLm of many plants throughout the world. Thoracic relativ,ely smalL Forewings well developed; scent glands produce strong smelling, defensive diff.erentiated into a basally thickened and chemicals. Some species are considered serious distally membraneous r,egion with a clavus, pests. The general morphological ~eatures of Membrane -of the hemelytron with numevous Coreidae are oval shaped body, antennae veins reaching or almost reaching the margin. composed of 4 segments, numerously veined Tarsi 3 se,gmented. The abdomen without ventral forewing membrane, a metathoracic stink gland silvery pubesoence. The second dorsal ,abdominal and enlarged hind tibia. Many species are covered scent gland aperture not displaced into the fifth 104 Rec. zoot Surv. India tergite and distant from the first gland. They are Scheiding (1980), Hahn (1826), Herrich-Schaffer dark-brown bugs with black and yellow banded (1853), Horvath (1917), ~erzhner (1962), Kirldady antennae, front of the head bilobed. (1903), Latreille (1829), Lethif1eey & Severin Alydidae commonly ,called broad headed (1894), O'Shea & C. W. Schaefer (1980), Putshkov, bugs, have a he.ad that is nearly as wide as and .as V. G. & Kerzhner (1983), Schmidt (1911), StaI long as the pronotum.1t is similar to Coreidae, but (1866, 1871, 1873), Van Duzee (1914), Walker buccula not extending past base of .antennae; (1871),1873), White (1839) etc. these are common and notable because of their The insects are known to be most successful noxious smell and the nymphs that resemble ants. and diverse animals on earth. They have adapt-ed They feed on plants. for almost every conceivable type of environment The body length of the members of the family from the equator to the alIctic and from sea level to Rhopalidae the Scentless plant bugs range from 4 the snowfield of highest mountain, on land, in air and water and almost everywhere. Coreoids are to 15 mID. They vaIY greatly in shape and ,colou..r. The majority are dull brownish and resemble found throughout the world but most species are species of Orsillinae (Lygaeidae), with which one found in the tropics and subtropics. The often finds them confused ' collections. The Coreoidea fauna on the oriental region comprises remainder is much la..rger ,and simila..r in shape, of 212 species and the Indian fauna pertains to 160 .are body form and bright ,colouration to species ,of species belonging to 59 genera which about Lygaeinae and many species of Pyrrhocoreidae 5'% of the world fauna. and Largidae. The ,c1ypeus surpassing Biogeo,graphy is the study is the study of the mandibular plates; ocelli situated on low distribution of species, organJsms a.lld ecosystems tubercles; antennae never dilated, first segment in space and th-.rough geological time. Organisms constricted basally; metathoracic scent gland and biological communities vary in a highly openings usually obsolete or obsol@scent; corium regular fashion along geographic .gradients of frequently with large hyaline areas; membrane of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area. forewing always with numerous v,eins; Knowledge of spatial variation in the numbers tricobothira on abdominal sterna 3 and 4 and types of organisms is as vital to us today as it mediolateral, those of 5,6 and 7 lateral; abdominal was to our early human ancestors, as we adapt to spiracles ventral; inner laterotergites p][lesent; heterogeneous but g,@ographically predictable nymphs with dorsal abdominal sc,ent gland environments. Biogeography is an interactive openings between terga 4/5 and 5/6 the later field of inquiry that unites concepts and displaced forward, a unique and universally information from ecology, evolutionary biolo.gy, occurring character in the family; pygophore with geology .and physical geogr.aphy. Modem later.al, median and paralater.allobes; ovipositor biogeogr.aphic rese.arch combines information plate-like; abdominal sternum '7 of females entire; and ideas from m.any fields, from the spermatheca consisting of a round bulb, small physiological and ecological constr.aints on pump and long, generally ·coiled duct. They ieed organismal d ispersal to g,eological and on the seeds 'of box elder and aggregate 0 the domatological phenomena operating at global sunny, south fadn~ sides 'of the houses in the fall, spatial scales and evolutionary tLme frames. looking for sites to overwinter. An ,e,coregion (Biogeographic region) Some important workers on the taxonomy sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecolo.gically and distribution of Coreoidea ,are: Agassiz (18-43), and geographically defined area that is smaller Basu & Mitra (1977,1978,1996,2003,2004), Dallas than an ec,ozone and larger than an ec·osystem. (1852), Distant (1902, 1904, 1908, 1918), Dohm Ecoregions ·cover relatively large areas of land or (1859), Dolling (2006), F.allen (1814), Gollner~ water and contain characteristic geographically PRABAKAR : The Biogeographical Distribution ,of Species 105 Biogeographic Regions of India distinct assemblages ,of natural communities and Himachal Pradesh. Ladakh, located at the edge of species. The biodiversity 'Of flora, fauna and the Tibetan plateau, gets an annual rainfall 'Of only ecosystems that characterizes an ecoregi'OflS tends 140 mm. The major portion of the precipitation to be distinct from that of other ecoregions. India occurs in the Eorm of snow in the wint-er months has ,a highly variable natu..ral ,conti-.nuum divided and, hence, cannot be used for agriculture. Kargil into .s major separat-e biogeographic regions district is nestled in the Himalayas, giving it a (Ecoregions). They are the Himalayan, the Desert.. ,cool, temperate climate. Summets ,are warm with the Arid and Semiarid, the Western Ghats, the cool nights, while winters are lon.g and cold with Deccan Plateau, the Gangetic plain, the ortheast temperatures often df'opping to-40°C (-40°F) India and the Islands. The regions discerned with recorded temper,atures of - 60°C (-76°F) in primarily according to Rodgers.. Panwar and the tiny town of Dras, situated some 56 km (35 mi) Mathur.. 2002. Since, only 'One hemipteran family from the Kargil town. The Zanskar plateau is even is dealt with, further divisions of these regions colder, making it thus a near-uninhabitable place into sub regions .I as been avoided so as to yield for humans, e~cept for the hardy Khampas. The numerically significant data. entire Kargil district is spread 'Over 14,086 km2 The Trans-Himalayan re,gion (5,439 sq mi). The Suru River flows through the district. The Lahaul-Spiti bOWlded by Tibet in the 'The Trans-Himalayan regi'Ofi of India consists east and Ladakh in the north, the Lahaul.. Spiti of the cold deserts of Ladakh and Kar,gil inJammu district of .Himachal Pradesh ~s located at a mean and Kashmir, and the Lahaul and Spiti valleys of elevation of 3.. 048-4,.572 m. The low monsoon 106 Rec. zool. SUrl}. Indw clouds ,get blocked by the hi,gh mountains and temperatures as ow as 4°C and summer is leave the area dry and devoid of vegetation. ex~emely hot around 45°C. The area receives ,an alUlUal rainfall of 300 ..500 mIn. Vegetation is The Himalayan lIe,gion usually dry deciduous tropical forests and dry The Himalayan re,gion consists of Jammu & grasslands. Kashmir, parts of Himachal Pr,adesh, 'The Desert region Uttarakhand-l Sikkim, Oatjeeling district of West Bengal and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh.