Morphometric investigation of adult dung beetles in Hassan district of Karnataka

Abstract

Dung beetle species are one of the most important components of the ecosystem for its regulation and maintenance and represent a well-established community within an ecosystem. In the present study we report the morphometric investigation of Adult dung beetles, were identified based on the comparison of the earlier reports in India. The beetles were collected by handpicking in the field in and around the veterinary college premises which arrives due to the light sources in the night. The specimens were studied under stereozoom microscope. The illustrations were made with the use of digital camera attached to Lawrence and Mayo stereomicroscope and Nikon DSLR D-7000. In the present study noticed the presence of the golden color mark at the junction between the head and Pronotum on the dorsal aspect of the Heliocopris bocephalus. Also noticed the presence of tiny hairs on ventral aspect of the body in all the four species of beetles in the current study. In addition on each half of the elytra prominent elytral striae of 6-7 are noticed in all three species of beetles except in Bolbohamatum calanus where very ill defined numerous elytral striae are noticed. Complete length of the beetle Heliocopris bocephalus, Catharsis molossus, Catharsius sagax and Bolbohamatum calanus in the current study includes of 4.5cm, 2.1cm, 2.4cm and 1.4cm respectively. Further the outcome of the present study will be an eye opener and provides the basic Morphometric parameters of the dung beetles in the current geographical locations also its ecological importance.