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International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ___________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202
Vol. 1(7), 1-6, November (2012) I. Res. J. Biological Sci.
International Science Congress Association 1
Short Communication
Distribution and Abundance of White grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
in Khed Taluka, part of Northern Western Ghats, MS, India
Theurkar SV1, Patil S.B.2, Ghadage M.K.3, Zaware Y.B.3 and Madan S.S.4
1JJT University, Rajasthan, INDIA
2Department of Zoology, Hutatma Rajguru Mahavidyalaya, Rajgurunagar, Rajasthan, INDIA
3Hutatma Rajguru Mahavidyalaya, Rajgurunagar, Rajasthan, INDIA
4Life Sciences, JJT University, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, INDIA
Available online at: www.isca.in
Received 31st July 2012, revised 2012, accepted 2012
Abstract
White grubs became increasingly difficult pests in India for the last few years. The white grubs are called Chaffer beetle or
May- June beetle. White grubs are root feeders and their beetles feeds on the leaves of host plants. Their infestation
has been reported throughout the country and magnitude of the problem has been widespread over the past years. In
majority of the farming situation, control of these pests are largely abandoning because of the lack of control over their
damages. Khed Taluka (Pune) is a part of Northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. Five major species of white grubs
especially in Maharashtra namely Holotrachia consaguinea Bl., Holotrachia serrata Fab., Holotrachia fissa Br.,
Leucopholis lepidophora Bl. (Melolonthidae), Anomola sp. (Rutelidae) in distribution. In the present study, Scarabaeidae
adults were collected from leaves of host plants like Neem, Babhul, Ber and Khair. The Holotrachia serrata is most abundant
species found in Khed Taluka which is part of Northern Western Ghats (MS), India.
Key words: Diversity and abundance, Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Holotrachia serrata, Northern Western Ghats.
Introduction
Khed Taluka (Rajgurunagar) is a part of Northern Western
Ghats which is situated at 18° 51' North and 73° 56' east. It is
located at the end of northern block of the Pune district in
Maharashtra state of India. Rajgurunagar is located on the bank
of the Bhima River and 40 km away from Pune. White grubs
cause damage to roots of commercial crops the damage caused
by the White grub up to 70%1.The Scarabaeids causing damage
to groundnut (Peanut) in the world, listing a total of 22 species
from 9 genera associated with groundnut in India2. The many
Melolonthine genera found under the crop in India, the genus
Holotrachia includes the most important pest species in
groundnut3,4. They recorded Holotrachia serrata as a serious
pest in many parts of western Maharashtra.
The fauna of the Indian sub region is very rich and diverse, but
it is yet to be fully explored5. White grubs have become serious
pests of most agricultural crops, fruits, vegetables, ornamental
plants, plantation crops, pastures, turf and meadow grasses,
lawns, golf courses and forest trees in different part of the
world6,7. The biology of the insect has been reported8. Different
species of white grubs have similar patterns of life cycle but
may vary according to the climatic factors at the time of
emergence, egg lying, active larval period, time of pupation and
other stages. The life history of some of the beetles which take
more than three years in temperate regions and two years seems
to be the normal8. Some appears every year, though indicating
the existence of three broods in those regions where three- year
life cycle exists but the size of the broods may be markedly
different and the injury varies correspondingly. Few species
may complete their life cycle in one year e.g. all the known
species of Holotrichia4 the others like Chapter 2: General review
of the literatures 46. European cock chafer Melolontaha
melolontha has at least of three years cycle9 and many others
have biannual cycle.
Normally in India, adult beetles emerge from the soil during
April-June in response to the first seasonal rains4,5. Adults of
Indian Holotrachia species become active with the arrival of the
monsoon or heavy pre-monsoon showers; if the monsoon is late,
the beetle’s emergence is similarly delayed4. Emergence takes
place at dusk between 19.30 and 20.45 h at 27-30°C. The
second fortnight of June observed is the peak period of
emergence of the June beetles and emergence continued until
the fortnight of August10. It has also been observed that the
particular intensity of light at dusk also triggers the emergence
of adults. Mating can occur on trees not normally fed on, with
beetle subsequently moving to preferred species to feed4. The
adults mate in the evening and at dawn. Females return to the
ground to deposit the eggs in the soil depending upon the
softness of the soil. White grub damaging groundnut in the
region includes1, 11, 12.
International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202
Vol. 1(7), 1-6, November (2012) I. Res. J. Biological Sci.
International Science Congress Association 2
Material and Methods
Beetles are nocturnal in habit and defoliate the foliage of the
plants during night hours. They attack at any stages such as
vegetative or growing and fruiting stage on leaves inflorescence.
Adult surveys to determine species occurrence were conducted
in the groundnut, maize, pea, potato and sugarcane growing
areas in Khed Taluka during at the time of first monsoon rainy
season of April to August, 2012. Such plants can be easily
pulled out from the soil. The severely infested fields show
patchy appearance due to withering or drying up of the plants.
Beetles were collected from host plant of Neem (Azadirachta
indica), wild Ber (Zizyphus ssp.), Babhul (Acacia Arabica) and
Khair (Acacia catechu) located on roadside of the
predominantly groundnut fields. Beetles were collected
handpicked and/ or shaken from the host trees during their
nightly activity period and few species are preserved in 70%
ethyl alcohol for identification and other was cultured in
laboratory.
The Scarabaeid adults were collected during the survey and
identified to species level based on the key and characters lists
given8,13,14.
Results and Discussion
The survey of major groundnut, maize, pea, potato and
sugarcane growing areas of Khed Taluka during the first
monsoon rainy season of May to August, 2011 reveled two
species of Melolonthinae in one genera (table 1). The 836
numbers of beetles observed on and collected from various tree
species indicated that distinct host preferences occur among the
species encountered. Holotrachia serrata species dominant in
the Khed Taluka almost collected from host plant Neem
occasional taken from babhul. Holotrachia fissa was collected
almost ber, with occasional specimen taken from babhul, neem,
and Khair. The adult survey resulted in two species of
Holotrachia serrata and Holotrachia fissa, beetles from several
villages in Khed Taluka were collected (mostly from Neem,
Ber, Khair and Acacia) in April to August, 2011.
Table-1
Melolonthinae white grub species collected as adults on host
trees in the groundnut, maize, pea, potato and sugarcane
ecosystem of Khed Taluka
Species
Qty.
Location
Host Plants
Holotrachia
serrata
824
Wadgaon-Patole,
Kadus (Tokewadi)
Jaulake Khurd
and Chas
Neem, Babhul
Holotrachia
fissa
12
Wadgaon-Patole,
Kadus (Tokewadi)
Ber, Neem,
Babhul and
Khair
Out of 836 beetles in which Holotrachia serrata are 824 in
number and Holotrachia fissa are 12 in number shown in table 1
and endemism distribution of white grubs shown in figure 1.
Figure-1
Graph shows distribution of white grub species
Figure-2
Graph shows Endemism of white grub species found in Khed
Taluka, part of Northern Western Ghats (MS), India
Endemism diversity and distribution of white grubs found in
Khed Taluka, Holotrachia species were collected very common
(508) in Wadgaon – Patole village, common (256) in Kadus
(Tokewadi) village, moderate (58) in Jaulake Khurd,
Bhamburwadi, Chas villages, low (14) in Waki Bk. (Bham),
Dawadi, Nimgaon villages and very low (Not recorded) in
Varude, Wafgaon, Gulani, Yelwadi, Wada, Bhorgiri, Dehane
villages.
Conclusion
The data provided clear evidence of the link between
commercial crops as well as host plant loss in Khed Taluka and
the presence of white grubs (Holotrachia) adults. The present
study in which major groundnut, maize, pea, potato and
sugarcane growing areas were highly infested. However, of
these four trees species, only the two were observed as hosts in
the present study especially Neem is highly in damaged. It is an
urgent need to control the white grub infestation of commercial
824
12
Holotrachia
serrata
Holotrachia
fissa
508
256
58
14
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202
Vol. 1(7), 1-6, November (2012) I. Res. J. Biological Sci.
International Science Congress Association 3
crops and host plants. In other Indian cropping system,
Holotrachia serrata occur in high population under fibrous
rooted crops, but cause more visible damage to these crops.
Adults of Holotrachia serrata were attracted to Neem and
Babhul but high in Neem and Holotrachia fissa were attached to
Ber, Neem, Babhul and Khair but especially highly in Babhul
(Acacia Arabica). The predominance of Holotrachia adult’s
collections and the diversity of species in the ‘Other’ group;
these other species were not studied further.
Rainfall, temperature, atmospheric humidity and wind velocity
largely govern the emergence, movement and distribution of
adults5. The adult beetles strip the foliage of the shade trees,
crop plants or any forest trees. Females crawl or fly to a low
branch or other support, where they hang with the tip of the
abdomen extruded. Males emerge shortly afterwards and mate
for 10-15 minutes after a short searching flight, hanging
inverted from the female genitalia.
The compilation of adult preference for trees for feeding and/ or
mating (table 2) provides valuable data for the Khed Taluka
environment that will assist farmers and their advisor in
identifying the existence of pest problems prior to planting,
through identifying which trees to search for adults. Also, an
additional host trees, tamarind, not recorded4,12 or was recorded
for Holotrachia serrata but in Khed Taluka also not recorded.
These differences perhaps reflect the availability of trees species
in the difference environments, and suggest the adult host
preference for Holotrachia species need to be confirmed
wherever the spectrum of tree species in the local environment
is different. Table-2
Preference of adults of Scarabaeid species on host trees in
areas of Khed Taluka
Plant Species
Holotrachi
a serrata
Holotrachia
fissa
Azadirachta indica (Neem)
Zizyphus zizupa (Ber)
Acacia Arabica (Babhul)
Acacia catechu (Khair)
+++
Nil
+
Nil
++
++
+
+
Preference rating is the frequency of occurrence on host trees:
+++= High, ++= Moderate, += Low.
Acknowledgement
Authors are thankful to Chairmen, Secretary K.T.S.P. Mandal,
Principal of Hutatma Rajguru Mahavidyalaya, Rajgurunagar,
Authorities of Pune University and JJT University, Rajasthan
for providing and necessary laboratory, facilities to complete
this research work.
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