Click beetle diversity of Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT
The present study unfolds the diversity of click beetles of Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR). A total of
34 elaterid species under 12 genera distributed over 7 subfamilies could be recorded. The forest
appears to be a scaled down West Bengal as the area represents 1/2,1/3rd and 1/5 th of the elaterid taxa
(subfamilies/genera/species). Out of 34 species 13 are considered new to science, while 11 to West
Bengal and 9 to Buxa Tiger Reserve. The fauna shows high degree of endemism. These beetles are
mainly found during premonsoon (88.88%).The fauna is largely Oriental. Heteroderes sericeus
Candeze is the most abundant species (45%), followed by Cardiophorus ferruginosus sp. nov. (15%).
Seventeen species are singletons while 15 species are represented by only two to seven individuals.
Find of more number of males suggests more of their response to sex pheromones and dispersal
ability.

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WSN 19 (2015) 84-96