The dung beetle fauna richness are very high in tropical regions of the world, mainly, the African and South-East Asian regions. Dung beetle occur throughout the world (except Antarctica) comprising approximately 7000 species. The dung beetles (scarabaeoid) are a member of the order Coleoptera. Scarabaeidae is one of the taxonomically richest group of beetles with many representatives worldwide among the coleopteran families. Scarabaeidae, family of dung beetle in India includes the subfamilies like, Scarabaeinae, Aphodiinae, Geotrupinae, Hybosorinae, Orphininae, Chironinae and Dynamopinae. Dung beetles measure from 3 to 70 mm long and usually are brown or black; sometimes they have a metallic luster. The name (dung-beetles) has been earned by them through their most universal utilization of animal dung as food for themselves, and for their larvae, though, some species for dung beetle larvae are feed upon the other diets, such as, carrion, fungi, other decaying vegetable matters etc., too. The beetles differ in their feeding habits and accordingly, can be categorized into their distinct sub groups.

Insects are the most interesting and diverse group of organisms on earth, many of which are useful as pollinators of crops and wild plants while others are useful as natural enemies keeping pestiferous insects in check. It is important to conserve these insects for our survival and for this the diversity of insect species inhabiting the different ecosystems of our country must be known. The cornerstone to studies of any kind of organismal diversity is their taxonomic identity. Even after over two and half centuries of studies, so little is known of the insect wealth of our country. It has contributions from taxonomists who have been studying Indian insects for long, this book offers up to date information on many important groups of Indian insects seeking to fill the lacuna of a long felt need for a comprehensive work on the taxonomy of Indian insects. Salient features: Provides an up-to-date taxonomy of major insect groups of India Presents identification keys with illustrations of several important groups of Indian insects Gives a new insight into why insects are so abundant Addresses fundamental questions in mechanoreception and cross kingdom interactions using insects as model systems Indian Insects: Diversity and Science is a festschrift to Professor C. A. Viraktamath, an insect taxonomist par excellence. It has been designed to cater to the needs of academicians, researchers and students who wish to identify insects collected from local environments and will be an invaluable aid for those working in the areas of systematics, ecology, behaviour, diversity and the conservation of insects.

This book draws on world-wide experiences and valuable lessons to highlight community-ecosystem interactions and the role of traditional knowledge in sustaining biocultural resources through community-based adaptations. The book targets different audiences including researchers working on human-environment interactions and climate adaptation practices, biodiversity conservators, non-government organizations and policy makers involved in revitalizing traditional foods and community-based conservation and adaptation in diverse ecosystems. This volume is also a source book for educators advocating for and collaborating with indigenous and local peoples to promote location-specific adaptations to overcome the impacts of multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This title is co-published with NIPA.

Study conducted at Narmada River Watershed in Madhya Pradesh, India.