Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore-560 065 (India).
A survey of dilterent agro-ecosystems in peninsular India including states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu revealed the presence of eight species of carabid larvae representing six tribes and eight genera under two subfamilies. These were recorded in different habitats, viz., Calosoma maderae Fabr. var. indicum Hope (Tribe Carabini) collected under mud clods, in maize fields and predating on Mythimna separata; Distichus mahratta (Andrewes), Scarites indus Olivier collected under leaf litter, and Oxylobus dekkanus Andrewes (Tribe Scaritini) predating on termites. These four species belonged to sub-family Carabinae. The other sub-family Harpalinae was represented by remaining four species, viz., Pheropsophus bimaculatus (Linnaeus) (Tribe Brachinini) occurred under weed stubbles in paddy fields; Chlaenius quadricolor Olivier (Tribe Chlaenini) located under leaf litter; Omphra pilosa Klug (Tribe Helluonini) diurnal predating on termites; and Parena nigrolineata Chaudoir (Tribe Lebiini) arboreal collected from coconut leaflets. The larval behaviour, morphological descriptions with illustrations were provided for each species. Grubs are campodeiform with prognathous head with clearly differentiated three and ten segmented thorax and abdomen, respectively. The antennae and labial palps are four segmented and maxillary palps are two segmented. These grubs are easily distinguished based on shape and structure of antennae, maxillary palpi, labial palpi and mandibles. Species of Calosoma, Omphra, Parena and Scarites have chitinous plates on the ventral side of abdomen, whereas the remaining species are without plates. Grubs of Chlaenius, Parena and Scarites have long and segmented urogomphi, whereas the grubs of Omphra, Calosoma and Distichus have short unsegmented urogomphi. However, urogomphi is absent in Oxylobus and Pheropsophus.
