Collecting parasitic Aculeata (Hymenoptera) from rice ecosystems of Tamil Nadu, India

Surveys were conducted to explore the parasitic aculeate fauna in rice ecosystems of Tamil Nadu in 2015–2016 in three different rice growing zones, viz., the western zone, the Cauvery delta zone and the high rainfall zone.  The study recorded a total of 32 aculeates that represent 12 species under seven families belonging to three super families, viz., Apoidea (Apidae), Chrysidoidea (Bethylidae, Chrysididae, & Dryinidae), and Vespoidea (Mutillidae, Scoliidae, & Thiphiidae).  Alpha and beta diversity were computed for the three zones and the diversity indices (Simpson’s index, Shannon-Wiener index, Pielou’s index) revealed the high rainfall zone as the most diverse zone, with the Cauvery delta zone being the least diverse.  On comparing the species similarities using the Jaccard’s index in between the three zones taken in pairs, it was found that 42 per cent similarity existed between the western and Cauvery delta zone and 11 per cent similarity between high rainfall and Cauvery delta zones and 16 per cent similarity between the high rainfall and western zones.