Faunistic analysis of insects of Deva Vatala National Park and agroecosystem of Gujrat Pakistan

Abstract

Insect biodiversity drives ecological functioning and provides ecosystem services in different landscapes. Protected areas with the least anthropogenic disturbances provide resources with the least disturbance in habitat favouring insect species belonging to different guilds to coexist and contribute to the ecosystem processes. Studies have highlighted the significance of anthropogenic landscapes including agricultural ecosystems for harboring rich native biodiversity. To understand the species composition and abundance agricultural landscape, we explored insect fauna in Deva Vatala National Park (DVNP), Bhimber (Azad Kashmir), and associated croplands of Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan. We aimed to assess the abundance, richness and diversity of the insect orders, families and species found in the two habitats i.e. national park and croplands. Fortnightly surveys were conducted during 2017-2019. Sampling methodology consisted of handpicking, using sweep nets, light traps, pitfall traps and insect collection was identified by using taxonomic keys. A total of 239 insect species representing 10 orders and 69 families were collected and identified from both habitat types. For both diversity and abundance, we detected a significant difference in community composition at species, family and order levels. Several insect orders and families demonstrated significant differences (p< 0.05) in either abundance or richness or both between the two types of habitats. Several families of Coleoptera, which contains dung beetles, ground beetles, ladybird beetles showed greater richness in DVNP. However, we also detected that several insect orders showed greater richness in the croplands of Gujrat. But we observed the pattern of the greater abundance of insect orders in DVNP. Both types of habitat can have important consequences on insect fauna having great importance in the ecosystem services and functions. Protected areas nearby associated croplands have the potential to contribute immensely to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision both at the local scale and the landscape scale.

Molecular Identification of Ixodid Tick Species and their Screening for Selected Protozoan Pathogens Collected from Large Ruminants of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan

“…Several studies have been conducted to explore major insect fauna from Pakistan (Hussain and Umar, 2021;Hussain et al, 2023;Ramzan et al, 2021;Asghar et al, 2022;Maryam et al, 2020;Ane and Hussain, 2016). Major insect taxa assessed from different habitats and climatic zones during last two decades include butterflies (Roberts, 2001;Khan et al, 2014Khan et al, , 2015Khan et al, , 2021Abbas et al, 2002;Bibi et al, 2022;Yu-Feng et al, 2020;Mangi et al, 2023), dung beetles (Siddiqui et al, 2014;Noureen et al, 2015b;Ghazanfar et al, 2017;Nasir et al, 2016;Hussain et al, 2020Hussain et al, , 2022aAbbas et al, 2015;Ali et al, 2015;Noureen et al, 2015aNoureen et al, , 2021, coccinellid beetles (Hussain et al, 2018(Hussain et al, , 2022bAhmed et al, 2017), grasshoppers (Hussain et al, 2017;Ali and Panhwar, 2017), bees and wasps (Bashir et al, 2019;Hussain et al, 2010Hussain et al, , 2012Bashir et al, 2023), and ground beetles (Rafi et al, 2017;Rahim et al, 2013b;Azadbakhsh and Rafi, 2017;Bibi and Rehman, 2020;Hussain et al, 2022c).…”

Observing Pollinator Attraction to Winter Annual Flowering Plants in an Urban Ecosystem

“…Several studies have been conducted to explore major insect fauna from Pakistan (Hussain and Umar, 2021;Hussain et al, 2023;Ramzan et al, 2021;Asghar et al, 2022;Maryam et al, 2020;Ane and Hussain, 2016). Major insect taxa assessed from different habitats and climatic zones during last two decades include butterflies (Roberts, 2001;Khan et al, 2014Khan et al, , 2015Khan et al, , 2021Abbas et al, 2002;Bibi et al, 2022;Yu-Feng et al, 2020;Mangi et al, 2023), dung beetles (Siddiqui et al, 2014;Noureen et al, 2015b;Ghazanfar et al, 2017;Nasir et al, 2016;Hussain et al, 2020Hussain et al, , 2022aAbbas et al, 2015;Ali et al, 2015;Noureen et al, 2015aNoureen et al, , 2021, coccinellid beetles (Hussain et al, 2018(Hussain et al, , 2022bAhmed et al, 2017), grasshoppers (Hussain et al, 2017;Ali and Panhwar, 2017), bees and wasps (Bashir et al, 2019;Hussain et al, 2010Hussain et al, , 2012Bashir et al, 2023), and ground beetles (Rafi et al, 2017;Rahim et al, 2013b;Azadbakhsh and Rafi, 2017;Bibi and Rehman, 2020;Hussain et al, 2022c).…”

Distributional Patterns of Carabid Beetles under Humid Subtropical Climate in Croplands of Sialkot

“…Several studies have been conducted to explore major insect fauna from Pakistan (Hussain and Umar, 2021;Hussain et al, 2023;Ramzan et al, 2021;Asghar et al, 2022;Maryam et al, 2020;Ane and Hussain, 2016). Major insect taxa assessed from different habitats and climatic zones during last two decades include butterflies (Roberts, 2001;Khan et al, 2014Khan et al, , 2015Khan et al, , 2021Abbas et al, 2002;Bibi et al, 2022;Yu-Feng et al, 2020;Mangi et al, 2023), dung beetles (Siddiqui et al, 2014;Noureen et al, 2015b;Ghazanfar et al, 2017;Nasir et al, 2016;Hussain et al, 2020Hussain et al, , 2022aAbbas et al, 2015;Ali et al, 2015;Noureen et al, 2015aNoureen et al, , 2021, coccinellid beetles (Hussain et al, 2018(Hussain et al, , 2022bAhmed et al, 2017), grasshoppers (Hussain et al, 2017;Ali and Panhwar, 2017), bees and wasps (Bashir et al, 2019;Hussain et al, 2010Hussain et al, , 2012Bashir et al, 2023), and ground beetles (Rafi et al, 2017;Rahim et al, 2013b;Azadbakhsh and Rafi, 2017;Bibi and Rehman, 2020;Hussain et al, 2022c).…”