Abundance and Season Variability of Rove Beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in the Mangrove Ecosystem of Akalapuzha Coastal Region, Kerala, South India

Abstract

The species composition and diversity of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) in the mangrove coastal region remain poorly explored, particularly in South India. This study aims to understand the rove beetle diversity in the Akalapuzha mangrove coastal ecosystem with respective seasonal changes (pre-summer, summer, and monsoon) as well as the efficacy of different collection methods (pitfall trap, light trap, Berlese funnel, and flotation method). From the study, the collected specimens came under five subfamilies: Oxytelinae, Aleocharinae, Staphylininae, Paederinae, and Tachyporinae. Among this, high taxa abundance was observed in Oxytelinae, followed by Aleocharinae, Staphylininae, Paederinae, and Tachyporinae. Among the documented subfamilies, three subfamilies, namely Oxytelinae, Staphylininae, and Aleocharinae were recorded in all three seasons. In the case of diversity analysis, the highest diversity was observed in the summer season (1-D = 0.277, & H = 0.630), followed by pre-summer (1-D = 0.306, & H = 0.678) and monsoon (1-D = 0.533, & H = 1.069). Among all the different insect collection methods, the flotation method (p<0.05) is the most suitable for collecting rove beetles, regardless of seasonal variations, and is followed by light traps, pitfall traps, and Berlese funnel traps. The study revealed the inevitability of protecting the mangrove ecosystem, as it is identified as an ideal habitat for the economically, ecologically, and medically important Coleopteran family, Staphylinidae.