University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bangalore - 560 065, Karnataka, (India).
1Division of Crop Proection, Central Institute for Cotton Research, Post Box No. 225, G.P.O., Nagpur-440001, Maharasatra, (India).
Classification of life cycles of 18 carabid species based on their phenology indicated 10 species as monsoon breeders having overlapping generations with adult gonad dormancy during winter and summer. All monsoon breeders were eurytopic. Sex ratio was always female biased coinciding with the onset of breeding season. Receding phase of reproduction was marked invariably by decreasing number of males. Eight species had discrete generations with larval dlapause. Univoltine carabids can either be winter breeders with monsoonal and summer diapause or summer breeders with monsoonal and winter diapause. Bivoltine carabids are of three groups: summer and monsoonal breeders with winter diapause; summer and winter breeders with winter and/or monsoonal diapause and winter and monsoon breeders with summer diapause. Estimated fecundity ranged from 20 to 106 per season with indications on the existence of semelparous and iteroparous reproduction among tropical carabids.
