Feeding Fauna and Foraging Habits of Tiger Beetles Found in Agro-ecosystems in Western Ghats, India.

Cicindela (Calochroa) whithilli (Hope) and Cicindela (Calochroa) flavomaculata Hope (Cicindelidae: Coleoptera) are seasonally dominant predatory insects in the cultivated, and irrigated rice paddy fields of the South Indian peninsula. While studying the feeding ecology of these tiger beetles in rice paddy agro‐ecosystems in Sringeri area of the central Western Ghats, we examined their potential as biocontrols on the major rice paddy pest populations available in this region. Earthworms and tadpoles were significant prey organisms during the early cultivation period, while other traditional prey organisms like ants and spiders (mainly wolf and jumping spiders) were more common as prey organisms toward the mid‐season. The results showed that the feeding fauna of tiger beetles can extend to prey items beyond arthropods, to include vertebrates.Cicindela (Calochroa) duponti Dejean is another common species that occurs abundantly in the Areca orchards and on the bunds that separate rice paddy fields from adjacent uncultivated lands. We performed laboratory tests to determine the feeding guild of these beetles, and to investigate their possible role as a predator of the rice paddy pests. Although preliminary in nature, the results suggest that both C. whithilli and C. flavomaculata are ineffective as biocontrol agents of rice paddy agro‐ecosystems. They appear to have only a marginal impact on the larvae of Leptocorisa acuta, a major insect pest of paddy rice, but further experimental and observational studies are needed to firmly establish the significance of this observation.