Abstract

Beetles of the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as dung or rhinoceros beetles, can be easily identified by their lamellate or clubbed antennae and stout body. These insects are very important, ecologically and economically, both. They act as nature’s scavengers and enrich the soil by recycling human feces and dung of animals in the soil. Some of the beetles are plant eaters, and are serious pests of agriculture, forestry and fruit trees. This study reports 19 species of scarab beetles belonging to 17 genera under 13 tribes and 5 subfamilies from the state of Tripura, northeast India. These include 9 species and 12 genera as new reports from the state. Taxonomic keys for the identification of subfamilies, tribes, genera and species are provided by studying the morphological characteristics of the specimens that were collected from different locations of the state.

Keywords

Scarabaeidae, Taxonomic keys, New records, Tripura, Northeast India.

Received on 15/08/2018, Accepted on 25/08/2018, Published on 25/10/2018