Faunistic analysis of insects of Deva Vatala National Park and agroecosystem of Gujrat Pakistan.

Protected areas provide diverse resources with the least disturbance in a habitat that favours insect species belonging to different guilds to coexist and contribute to the ecosystem processes. Whereas agricultural landscapes are expected to affect the distribution patterns of insect fauna. To understand the species composition and abundance of the agricultural landscape, we explored insect fauna in Deva Vatala National Park (DVNP), Bhimber (Azad Kashmir), and associated croplands of Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan. We explored the diversity of insect orders, families, and species. Fortnightly surveys were conducted during 2017-2019. We sampled insects by handpicking, using sweep nets, light traps, and pitfall traps. The specimens were identified by using taxonomic keys. We recorded a total of 239 insect species representing 10 orders and 69 families from both habitat types. Data showed significant differences in community composition at species, family, and order levels. Overall insect orders and families demonstrated significant differences (p< 0.05) in either abundance or richness or both between the two types of habitats. Coleoptera was the dominant insect order with 15 families and 71 species with a relative abundance of 14.20 %. Among families, Scarabaeidae (dung beetles), Carabidae (ground beetles), and Coccinellidae (ladybird beetles) showed greater species richness in DVNP. Similarly, we also noted 12 families and 54 species of Coleoptera with a relative abundance of 14.20 % in the croplands of Gujrat. The overall greater abundance of insect orders was observed in DVNP. The study concludes that both habitats share insect diversity though variations in species richness of different groups differ significantly. Protected areas adjacent to croplands have the potential to contribute immensely to biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]