Studies on assassin bug (Reduviidae: Hemiptera: Insecta) fauna of Dumna Nature Park, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh

The Journal of Zoology Studies 2016; 3(5): 83-86 The Journal of Zoology Studies

ISSN 2348-5914 JOZS 2016; 3(5): 83-86 JOZS © 2016 Received: 07-10-2016 Accepted: 19-10-2016 Altaf Hussain Sheikh Department of Bioscience, Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh-482001, India.

Studies on assassin bug (Reduviidae: Hemiptera: Insecta) fauna of Dumna Nature Park, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh Authors: Altaf Hussain Sheikh, Rita Bhandari, Moni Thomas, Sandeep Kushwaha, Khushboo Bunkar Abstract Reduviidae is among the largest families of Hemiptera and the bugs belonging to it are commonly called as “assassin bugs” because of their predatory nature. They stalk and ambush the prey, finally inject the poison to kill it. Due to their predatory nature, they are potential

Rita Bhandari Department of Zoology, Government O. F. K. College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh482005, India.

biological control agents and play a vital role on top of the arthropod food web. The rostrum of

Moni Thomas Directorate of Research Services, Jawaharlal Nehru KrishiVishwaVidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh-482004, India.

present the taxonomic account of five bug species belonging to four genera of Reduviidae

Sandeep Kushwaha Zoological Survey of India, M Block, New Alipore, Kolkata700053, West Bengal, India. Khushboo Bunkar Department of Bioscience, Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh-482001, India.

these bugs is curved outwards from the head, a diagnostic feature of the insects belonging to this family. India has a rich diversity of these bugs but more exploration can bring many more species to the light to add the diversity of reduviid fauna of the country. In the present paper, we family with from Dumna Nature Park, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. All the five species of bugs are reported first time from the park and species Rhynocoris fuscipes is a new record for the state of Madhya Pradesh. Keywords: Hemiptera; Reduviidae; Assassin bug; Predatory; Dumna Nature Park

1. Introduction The state of Madhya Pradesh is located in the center of India and lies between 210 to 250 N and longitudes 740 to 840 E. One among the unexplored areas of MP till date is Dumna Nature Park (DNP). The DNP covers an area of 1058 ha and is located (23 0 10ʹ, 800 1ʹ) on the way to Dumna Airport Road about 6 km away from the campus of the Rani Durgawati University. It is an Ecotourism centre and mainly embraces two major ecosystems viz. a forest ecosystem (Bamboo forest) and a fresh water ecosystem (Khandhari water reservoir). DNP is unexplored area as far as the insect diversity is concerned. Till date only few Scoliid wasps has been reported (Sheikh et al, 2016) [1]. While as there is no record of Hemiptera fauna from the Park. However, in the present paper, we provide an account of Reduviidae (Hemiptera) fauna of the Park. These insects are typically named as “assassin bugs” because of their habit in hiding in ambush to

Corresponding Author: Altaf Hussain Sheikh Department of Bioscience, Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh-482001, India. Vol. 3 No. 5 2016

pounce and kill their prey (Miller, 1971)

[2]

. Throughout the world this family is represented by

6878 species or subspecies falling under 25 families (Henry, 2009)

[3]

. Out of 25 families, India

is represented by 465 species belonging to 14 families (Ambrose, 2006) [4].

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2. Methodology The Reduviidae fauna from DNP was collected through two sampling methods viz. sweep net and light trap. 2.1 Sweep Net Net sweeping is common and widely used sampling method for diurnal flying insects. It is made up of 11 inch diameter circular iron frame attached to an aluminum handle of 30 inches long and 2.5 inch diameter. A conical net bag of 28 inch length attached to the circular frame, tapers towards the lower end. Reduviidae fauna was collected by sweeping the net against the insect either in air or settled on plants or objects. The trapped insect was carefully transferred to the killing bottle. 2.2 Light Trap A funnel shaped light trap model was installed on May 6, 2014 in the middle of the forest, equidistant to all the four sampling sites. The trap consisted of a mercury bulb (200 W) hanging beneath the roof into the funnel. The roof made of tin protects the trap from rain showers. The tin funnel has a diameter of 18 inches at the end-facing bulb and a diameter of 3 inches at the other end, which receives a box. The box is a square, each side measuring 20 inches. Bulb operated though main supply indirectly with the help of choke. The trap was erected on the iron stand. The insects attracted to the light, hover around the bulb and eventually fall into the funnel. Insects fell down into the box receiving the

narrow end of the funnel, and eventually killed by the killing agent. The trap operated from May, 2014 to May 2016. 3. Results During the expedition, a total of seven bug species belonging to 6 genera, falling under Reduviidae family of order Hemiptera were collected. The systematic list and diagnostic characters are given below. A. Systematic list Suborder HETEROPTERA Infraorder CIMICOMORPHA Superfamily CIMICOIDEA Family REDUVIIDAE Subfamily ECTRICHODIINAE Genus Ectrychotes Burmiester, 1835 1. Ectrychotes dispar Reuter, 1881 Subfamily HARPACTORINAE Genus Rhynocoris Kolenati, 1857 2. Rhynocoris marginatus (Fabricius, 1794) 3. Rhynocoris fuscipes (Fabricius, 1787) Subfamily PEIRATINAE Genus Ectomocoris Mayr, 1865 4. Ectomocoris cordiger Stål, 1866 Subfamily REDUVIINAE Genus Acanthaspis Amyot and Serville, 1843 5. Acanthaspis trimaculata Reuter, 1887

Fig 1: Photographs of five Reduviid bugs

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 B. Systematic Account 1. Ectrychotes dispar Reuter, 1881 1881. Ectrychotes dispar Reuter, Act. Soc. Sc. Fenn., 12: 304.  

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Material examined: India, Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur district, Dumna Nature Park, 17.viii. 2015., Coll. Altaf Hussain Sheikh. Diagnostic characters: Body violet-red in colour; head narrower than thorax; hemelytra and antennae piceous; eyes prominent; base of clavus, lateral areas of posterior lobe of pronotum, corium, scutellum, lateral margins of corium, connexivum, trochanters, apices of coxae, bases of tarsi, basal half of posterior femora, and abdomen beneath, violaceous. Legs comparatively longer with a prominent trochanter. Length 13 mm. Distribution: India: Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Elsewhere: Srilanka, Bhutan.

2. Rhynocoris marginatus (Fabricius, 1794) 1794. Reduvius marginatus Fabricius, Ent. Syst., 4: 196. 1904. Harpactor marginatus (Fabricius): Distant, Fauna of Brit. India, Rhynchota, 2: 332. 2006. Rhynocoris marginatus (Fabricius): Ambrose, Zoos’ Print Journ., 21(9): 11.  

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Material examined: India, Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur district, Dumna Nature Park, 23.viii. 2014., Coll. Altaf Hussain Sheikh. Diagnostic characters: Body red; eyes, inner area of membrane, antennae, scutellum, apical portion of tibiae, abdomen beneath violaceous black. Thorax: pronotum with wrinkled posterior lobe; anterior lobe sculptured; the transverse cell near base of membrane with reddish margin, corium wrinkled; first joint of antennae almost equal in length to anterior femora; anterior lobe of pronotum, trochanters and coxae of legs, disc of sternum reddish yellow. Length 19 mm. Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand . Elsewhere: China and Sri Lanka.

3. Rhynocoris fuscipes (Fabricius, 1787) 1787. Reduvius fuscipes Fabricius, Mant. Ins., 2 : 312. 1986. Rhynocoris fuscipes (Fabricius): Ambrose and Livingstone, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 83(1): 176.

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Material examined: India, Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur district, Dumna Nature Park, 21.viii. 2015., Coll. Altaf Hussain Sheikh. Diagnostic characters: Body blood red; antennae, an oblong spot between antennae, rostrum, disk of scutellum, upper surface of post ocular area, anterior area of the posterior lobe of pronotum, two spots to pronotum, legs, black. Thorax: anterior lobe of pronotum sculptured, posteriorly centrally a minute impressed; membrane passing abdominal apex with its posterior margin pale fuliginous. Length 15 mm. Distribution: India: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh (New record), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Elsewhere: China and Sri Lanka.

4. Ectomocoris cordiger Stål, 1866 1866. Ectomocoris cordiger Stål, Ofv. Vet.-Ak. Forh., p. 256.  

 

Material examined: India, Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur district, Dumna Nature Park, 11.ix. 2015., Coll. Khushboo Bunkar. Diagnostic characters: Black, opaque; antennae prominent and hairy; scutellum and pronotum olivaceous black; antennae, small spots to connexivum above and beneath, greater part of second and third joints of rostrum, legs, yellowish brown in colour; apical half of clavus confluent with somewhat similar sized spot on corium, small spot on outer area of basal cell to membrane, brownish yellow legs. Length 14 mm Distribution: India: Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Elsewhere: Iran, Iraq, New Guinea, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates.

5. Acanthaspis trimaculata Reuter, 1887 1887. Acanthaspis trimaculata Reuter, Rev. d’Ent., 6: 157.  

Material examined: India, Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur district, Dumna Nature Park, 17.vii. 2015., Coll. Altaf Hussain Sheikh. Diagnostic characters: Body, antennae, rostrum and legs pilose, black; scutellum totally black, apical area ascendant; a large transverse spot, anteriorly medially excised, a round spot behind middle of corium, to posterior lobe of pronotum, yellowish brown; a subapical spot to membrane, with its apex emarginated, white; yellowish spots to connexivum; anterior lobe of pronotum a little shorter than posterior lobe, posterior lateral angle prominent, shortly dentately produced, their apices

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suberect; first segment of rostrum little longer than second; pronotum with anterior angles acute, posterior lobe with disk transversely rugulose, anterior lobe sculptured; antennae relatively longer. Length 20 mm. Distribution: India: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. Elsewhere: Srilanka, Bhutan.

4. Conclusion Five species of assassin bugs belonging to four genera of reduviidae family were collected from DNP. Because of the large size of the assassin bugs, they can consume large number of insects coming in their way and are promising potential biological control agents. For instance species belonging to genera like Sinea and Zelus feed on other insects both on nymphs and adults. They inflict a formidable bite by their rostrum which is short and powerful. As the prey is punctured, saliva is injected in to a canal between the stylets, immobilizes and dissolves the internal organs of the prey. These bugs contribute and play an essential role in the arthropod food web to sustain the energy flow. 5. Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to Dr. S. Samband, Officer-inCharge of Jabalpur Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur for providing sophisticated

laboratory facilities. We thank, Commissioner, Jabalpur Municipal Corporation and the Conservator Forests, Forest division Jabalpur, for allowing us to explore the insect diversity at Dumna Nature Park. We thank Mr. Solanki and Mr. Yadaw for their assistance in maintaining the electric supply and other support particularly during the night hours. First author is grateful to Ms. Jocelyn Carsula Villarin, Mr. Vivek Sharma, Mr. Irtik Shamim and Mr. Mohd Hanief Sofi for the valuable support during field work. 6. References 1. Sheikh AH, Thomas M, Rita B. New records of Scoliid wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) from Dumna Nature Park, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. The journal of zoology studies. 2016; 3(5): 23- 26. 2. Miller NCE. The Biology of the Heteroptera. E.W. Classey Ltd, 1971; Hampton, UK. 3. Henry TJ. Biodiversity of Heteroptera in Insect Biodiversity Science and Society. Edt. By Robert G. Foottit, Piter HA, Blackwell Publisher ltd., 2009; 224-263. 4. Ambrose DP. A Checklist of Indian Assassin bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae) with taxonomic status, distribution and diagnostic morphological characteristics. Zoos’Print. 2006;21(9):2388-2406.

Sheikh AH, Bhandari R, Thomas M, Kushwaha S, Bunkar K. Studies on assassin bug (Reduviidae: Hemiptera: Insecta) fauna of Dumna Nature Park, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Journal of Zoology Studies. 2016b; 3(5):83-86.

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