Advances in Zoology and Botany Vol. 11(4), pp. 289 - 301
DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110406
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Assessment of Insect Diversity in Sugarcane Fields of Kuchanur, Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India

Mohamed Meeran ¹, Vellaichamy Iswarya ¹, Syedali Fathima ¹, Subramanian Arivoli ², Samuel Tennyson ^3,*
1 Department of Zoology, Hajee Karutha Rowther Howdia College, India
² Department of Zoology, Thiruvalluvar University, India
³ Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, India

ABSTRACT

The insect diversity in sugarcane fields of Kuchanur, Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India, was studied. This study documented diversity indexes, abundance, dominance, richness, and evenness of insects, as well as information on their ecological function, and seasonal incidence. Various methods were employed for insect collection, and the collected specimens up to the species level for each family of each order with the aid of taxonomic dichotomous keys were done. A total of 569 insects, and forty different species were identified belonging to seven orders: Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Lepidoptera, Odonata, and Orthoptera. Lepidoptera (22.5%) was the most diverse order with nine species, and Odonata (33.56%), was the most abundant with 191 individuals. The majority of the species recorded (62.5%) were found to be pests, followed by predators (27.5%) and pollinators (10%). Lepidoptera had high species richness according to Hill, Margalef, and Menhinick indexes. Coleoptera had high Brillouin's and Shannon's species diversity indexes, whereas Odonata had high Hill's and Simpson's indexes. Shannon's diversity index was 1.406 as a whole. Coleoptera had high species evenness denoted by Heip and Sheldon indexes, while Isoptera had strong Alatalo, Pielou, and Shannon indexes. Odonata also scored highly on other indexes, such as Berger-Parker dominance and community dominance. Coleoptera had a high Hill's number abundance, and Lepidoptera had a high relative dominance and relative frequency. This study helped in obtaining and providing information to be recorded for future use, with regard to data on community structure, insect abundance and distribution, as well as insect biodiversity and taxonomy. To obtain more thorough information, a long-term seasonal study is required to examine the species' occurrence of insect diversity and their interactions with the environment.

KEYWORDS
Sugarcane Fields, Insects, Abiotic Factors, Ecological Role, Species, Diversity, Richness, Evenness

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Mohamed Meeran , Vellaichamy Iswarya , Syedali Fathima , Subramanian Arivoli , Samuel Tennyson , "Assessment of Insect Diversity in Sugarcane Fields of Kuchanur, Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India," Advances in Zoology and Botany, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 289 - 301, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110406.

(b). APA Format:
Mohamed Meeran , Vellaichamy Iswarya , Syedali Fathima , Subramanian Arivoli , Samuel Tennyson (2023). Assessment of Insect Diversity in Sugarcane Fields of Kuchanur, Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India. Advances in Zoology and Botany, 11(4), 289 - 301. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110406.