Researcher discovers rare dung beetle species in Meghalaya during personal trip

Shillong, Sept 15: Researchers have discovered a species of dung beetle in Meghalaya that was previously known only in Vietnam and Thailand.

Seena Narayan Karimbumkara, the researcher who identified the dung beetle from the genus Onitis and the subfamily Scarabaeinae, explained that her discovery occurred during a 2013 personal visit to Meghalaya.

Driven by her passion for dung beetle research, she collected samples during her trip.

“I collected samples of elephant dung at Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Ri-Bhoi district in 2013. After returning to my laboratory, the dung was analysed, leading to the discovery of this species. Previously, this species was known only in Vietnam and Thailand, but now its range has expanded to the Indian subcontinent,” she told The Assam Tribune over the phone.

With these findings, the number of Onitis species in the subcontinent has increased to 20, and the total for the Oriental region has reached 26.

Karimbumkara mentioned that after a decade of hard work, these findings have been published in the European journal of Taxonomy.

Karimbumkara highlighted the ecological benefits of dung beetles, “Dung beetles typically bury dung under the soil to lay their eggs and extract micronutrients. They also roll dung to their burrows over considerable distances, which aids in soil fertility, secondary seed dispersal, and pest control.”

She noted that publishing her findings took time because she and her co-author, Dharma Rajan Priyadarsanan, were also preparing to publish research on two other dung beetle species found in Assam and Karnataka. The sample from Assam was collected in 2012.

The discovery of the dung beetle in Meghalaya is notable for its difference from the other two findings, as it was found in elephant dung, whereas the discoveries in Assam and Karnataka involved cattle dung.