PJB-2021-464
TAXONOMIC STUDY OF FAMILY SCARABAEIDAE (COLEOPTERA) FROM DISTRICT MALAKAND, KHYBER-PAKHTUNKHWA-PAKISTAN
Sohail khan
Abstract
TAXONOMIC STUDY OF FAMILY SCARABAEIDAE (COLEOPTERA) FROM DISTRICT MALAKAND, KHYBER-PAKHTUNKHWA-PAKISTAN Sohail Khan and Toheed Iqbal Department of Entomology Faculty of Crop Protection Sciences The University of Agriculture Peshawar July, 2021 ABSTRACT Current study on scarabaeidae of district Malakand was initiated during the year 2020. The study yielded as a result of field collection from different collection sites of District Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 950 specimens were collected from the subject area with help of hand picking method, light, pitfall traps and forceps were used for collecting dung beetles from dung. The identification of all specimens were done at Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) Islamabad. The study revealed 2 subfamilies i.e. Scarabaeinae, Aphodinae. Subfamily Scarabaeinae comprise of 8 genera i.e. Onthophagus, Digitonthophagus, Catharsius, Onitis, Chironitis, Euonticellus, Gymnopleurus and Sisyphus. Genus Onthophagus contain five species i.e. Onthophagus mopsus, Onthophagus ramosellus, Onthophagus hindu, Onthophagus variegates and Onthophagus bicolor. Genus Digitonthophagus comprise of two species i.e. Digitonthophagus gazelle and Digitonthophagus bonasus. Genus Catharsius contain two species i.e. Catharsius molossus and Catharsius sagax. Genus Onitis contain three species i.e. Onitis philemon, Onitis subopacus and Onitis Virens. Genus Chironitis contain one species i.e. Chironitis arrowi. Genus Euonticellus contain one species i.e. Euonticellus Pallipes. Genus Gymnopleurus contain one species i.e. Gymnopleurus milliaris. Genus Sisyphus contain one species i.e. Sisyphus longipies. Subfamily Aphodinae contain one genus i.e. Aphodius. Genus Aphodius contain two species i.e. Aphodius (Calaphodius) moestus and Aphodius (Paraphodius) crenatus. The Identification keys for each subfamily, genus and species were constructed from the most observable characters for the fauna of District Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Except Cheironitis all the genera reported in current studies are new records for the Scarab beetles fauna of District Malakand. Colored photographs of each species along with scale length size were also provided.
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