Aquatic and semi aquatic Hemiptera community of Sonebeel, the largest wetland of Assam, northeastern India

Main Article Content

Anupama Saha
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9315-9317
Susmita Gupta
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2738-6789

Abstract

Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera bugs play significant ecological roles, and they are important indicators and pest control agents.  Little information is currently available concerning its populations in southern Assam.  This study assessed hemipterans in four sites of Sonebeel, the largest wetland in Assam (3458.12 ha at full storage level), situated in Karimganj District.  The major inflow and outflow of the wetland are the rivers Singla and Kachua, respectively (the Kachua drains into the Kushiyara River).  Samples were trapped with pond nets and were seasonally recorded.  This study recorded a total of 28 species of aquatic and semiaquatic hemipterans belonging to 20 genera under nine families.  Population, geographical and environmental data (e.g., rainfall) were used to assess the relative abundance of species, species richness and different diversity indices, and species distribution. 

Article Details

Section
Communications
Author Biographies

Anupama Saha, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar, Assam 788011, India

Anupama Saha, a research scholar in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University Silchar is working on diversity of aquatic  and semiaquatic Heteroptera (Insecta : Hemiptera) of Barak Valley, Assam, northeastern India.

Susmita Gupta, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar, Assam 788011, India

Susmita Gupta is the Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar.

References

Bal, A. & R.C. Basu (1994a). Insecta: Hemiptera: Mesoveliidae, Hydrometridae, Veliidae, and Gerridae. Fauna of West Bengal, State fauna series 5, India, 511–534.

Bal, A. & R.C. Basu (1994b). Insecta: Hemiptera: Mesoveliidae, Hydrometridae, Veliidae and Gerridae. State Fauna Series 5, Fauna of West Bengal, India, 535–558pp.

Bassi, N., M.D. Kumar, A. Sharma & P. Pradhasaradhi (2014). Status of wetland in India: A review of extent, ecosystem benefits and management strategies. Journal of Hydrology. 2: 1–19; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2014.07.001

Brittain, J.E. (1974). Studies on the lentic Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera of southern Norway. Norsk Entomologiskl Tidsskrift 21: 135–151.

Bouchard Jr., R.W. (2004). Guide to aquatic macroinvertebrates of the Upper Midwest. Water Resources Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Documents/Benthic/UMW/Hemiptera.pdf)

Bouchard Jr., R.W. (2009). HEMIPTERA (Aquatic & Semiaquatic True Bugs), pp. 87-103. In: Bouchard Jr, R.W. (ed.). Guide to Aquatic Invertebrate Families of Mongolia: Identification Manual for Students Citizen Monitors and Aquatic Resource Professionals’ Chironomidae Research Group, University of Minnesota.

Choudhury, D. & S. Gupta (2015). Aquatic insect community of Deeporbeel (Ramsar site), Assam, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 3(1): 182–192.

Chakravarty, H., H. Singha & B.K. Dutta (2015).Avian Diversity in and around SoneBeel, Assam. Asian Journal of Advanced Basic Science 3(2): 147–153.

Das, K. & S. Gupta (2012). Seasonal variation of Hemiptera community of a temple pond of Cachar District, Assam, northeastern India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(11): 3050–3058; https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2724.3050-8

Dudgeon, D. (1999). Tropical Asian Streams Zoo benthos, Ecology and Conservation. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Dudgeon, D., A.H. Arthington, M.O. Gessner, Z.I. Kawabata, D.J. Knowler, C. Leveque, R.J. Naiman, A.H. Prieur- Richard, D. Soto, M.L.J. Stiassny & C.A. Sullivan (2006). Freshwater biodiversity: importance, threats, status and conservation challenges. Biological Reviews 81: 163–182; https://doi.org/10.1017/S1464793105006950

Engelmann, H.D. (1978). Zurdominanzklassifikazierung von bodenarthropoden. Pedobilogia 18: 378–380

Magurran, A.E. (2003). Measuring Biological Diversity. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 256pp.

Nieser, N. (2004). Guide to the aquatic Heteroptera of Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. III. Pleidae and Notonectidae. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52: 79–96

Nieser, N. & P. Chen (2005).The water bugs (Hemiptera: Nepomorpha and Gerromorpha) of Vanuatu. Tijdschriftvoor entomologie 148: 307–327.

Purkayastha, P. & S. Gupta (2012). Insect diversity and water quality parameters of two ponds of Chatla Wetland, Barak Valley, Assam. Current World Environment 7(2): 243–250; https://doi.org/10.12944/CWE.7.2.08

Purkayastha, P. & S. Gupta (2015). Ecology of Monabeel, a floodplain ecosystem of Cachar, Assam with special reference to aquatic insect community. Tropical Ecology 56(2): 245–255.

Sala, O.E., F.S. Chapin, J.J. Armesto, R. Berlow, J. Bloomfield, R. Dirzo, E. Huber-Sanwald, L.F. Huenneke, R.B. Jackson, A. Kinzig, R. Leemans, D. Lodge, H.A. Mooney, M. Oesterheld, N.L. Poff, M.T. Sykes, B.H. Walker & D.H. Wall (2000). Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100. Science 287: 1770–1774; https://doi.org/10.1126/science.287.5459.1770

Strayer, D.L. & D. Dudgeon (2010).Freshwater biodiversity conservation: Recent progress and future challenges. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 29: 344–358; https://doi.org/10.1899/08-171.1

Subramanian, K.A. & K.G. Sivaramakrishnan (2007). Aquatic Insects for Biomonitoring Freshwater Ecosystems - A Methodology Manual. Ashoka Trust for Ecology and Environment, Bangalore, India, 30pp.

Takhelmayum, K. & S. Gupta (2011). Distribution of aquatic insects in phumdis (floating island) of Loktak Lake, Manipur, northeastern India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 3(6): 1856–1861; https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2526.1856-61

Takhelmayum, K. & S. Gupta (2015).Aquatic insect diversity of a protected area, KeibulLamjao National Parkin Manipur, North East India. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 18: 335–341.

Thirumalai, G. (1989). Aquatic and semiaquatic hemiptera (Insecta) of Javadi hills, Tamil Nadu, Occasional paper. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 118: 1–64.

Thirumalai, G. (1994). Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera (Insecta) of Tamilnadu-1. Dharmapuri and Padukkottai Districts’ Occasional Paper. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 165: 1–45.

Thirumalai, G. (1999). A new genus of Microveliinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from north eastern India with a checklist of the Indian species of the subfamily. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 97(3): 205–211.

Thirumalai, G. (2002). A check list of Gerromorpha (Hemiptera) from India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 100(1-2): 55–97.

Tordoff, A.W., M.R. Bezuijen, J.W. Duckworth, J.R. Fellowes, K. Koenig, E.H.B. Pollard & A.G. Royo, (2012). Ecosystem Profile: Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, 2011 Update. Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Washington, DC, 381pp.

Vorosmarty, C.J., P.B. McIntyre, M.O. Gessner, D. Dudgeon, A. Prusevich, P. Green, S. Glidden, S.E. Bunn, C.A. Sullivan, C.R. Liermann & P.M. Davies (2010). Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity. Nature 467: 555–561; https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09440

Wilhm, J.L. (1970). Range of diversity index in benthic macro invertibrate population. Journal of Water Pollution Control Federation 42: 221–224.

ZSI (2004). State fauna series 10: fauna of Manipur, (Part-2) Insect, Director, (ed.). Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 10: 293–310.