Ascertaining the insect biodiversity of Cockscomb (Celosia argentea L.) Ecosystem

Field experiment was conducted to enumerate the insect fauna in the cockscomb, Celosia argentea L. habitat at Coimbatore. A total of 21 different species of insects belonging to 19 families under 8 orders were collected. Among the eight orders, the relative density was higher for Lepidoptera with 40.94% followed by Hemiptera (29.70). The Lepidoptera order had the highest Simpson's index of diversity (0.16), followed by Hemiptera (0.08). Similar pattern was also observed for Shannon and Wiener diversity index (H’) and Margalef index (a). The Lepidoptera had the highest species evenness (0.85), followed by Hemiptera (0.78). Ten herbivores, seven natural enemies, and three pollinators were discovered among the various insect species. This is the first study in India to provide novel information and raise consciousness about insect biodiversity in C. argentea ecosystem.