Flower Visiting Beetles of Bedkot Municipality Kanchanpur, Nepal

Abstract

Beetles are highly diverse and most primitive flower visiting insects. Beetles visit portions of flowers and help to disperse pollen grains to support cross pollination. Flowers are also important microhabitat for large number of beetles. This study aims to describe the flower visiting beetles of homegardens in Bedkot Municipality, Kanchanpur Nepal. Sampling was taken during October 2020 to August 2021 covering autumn, winter, spring and summer seasons. Observation was taken in 20×20 m plot size for 45 minute. Only the beetles visiting the plant inflorescence were recorded. This study recorded 1273 individuals, 19 morphospecies of flower visiting beetles from seven beetle families and these are found interacting with 40 plant species belonging to 16 plant families. Chrysomelidae (8 species) are most abundant flower visitor followed by Coccinellidae (4 species), Curculionidae (2 species), Meloidae (2 species), Nitidulidae (1 species), Scarabaeidae (1 species) and Brentidae (1 species). Flower visitors were most abundant during autumn season (n=907) than other season and diverse during spring (H'=1.46) season and were evenly distributed during winter season (J=0.78). Bipartite graph of Plant-Pollinator interaction network was constructed to study the interaction between flower visiting beetles and plants. Cucurbitaceae and Asteraceae were reported as most diverse plant families visited by flower visitors. Cucurbitaceae were visited by 12 species (756 individuals) of beetle representing six beetle families. Aulacophora foveicollis was most abundant flower visitor, visiting flowers of 10 species of plants mainly of Cucurbitaceae plants. Aulacophora lewisii was second abundant flower visitor, visiting mostly flowers of Cucurbitaceae plants and Coccinelid beetle Micraspis univittata was third abundant and most generalist flower visitor visiting 28 plant species.