Abstract

This study compares richness, diversity and evenness of mesostigmatid mites associated with insects between three forest locations. Seventeen genera/species of mesostigmatid mites were collected from thirteen insect species viz., Catharsius capucinus, Oxya sp., Trigona irridipennis, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, Onthophagus ramosus, Onitis philemon, Phyllognathus dionysius, Anomala dorsalis, Batocera rufomaculata, Apis florea, Trilophidia turpis, Apis cerana indica and an unidentified Dipteran fly. Species richness was high in Madurai forest region (1.6872) and low in Mettupalayam forest region (1.0831). A similar trend was observed in the diversity index and evenness with an index value of 1.8538 and 0.6543, respectively. Similarity values ranged from 0.47 to 0.76. The diversity index showed 76 per cent similarity between Coimbatore and Mettupalayam regions, whereas 59 per cent between Madurai and Mettupalayam.

Keywords: Mites, species richness, species diversity, evenness and similarity