author(s)
K Sunil Kumar, T Murali Krishna, K Sreedevi, K Manjula, R Sarada Jayalakshmi Devi and B Ravindra Reddy

abstract
Root grub species diversity and distribution in groundnut ecosystem of Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh was studied as the information on its species diversity and abundance provides valuable inputs in devising suitable management strategies. Light traps installed in major groundnut growing tracts of four districts of Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh during Kharif, 2014 and 2015. A total of 1557.5 adult Scarabaeidae beetles collected from the light traps consisting of 17 species under 9 genera of three subfamilies Melolonthinae constituting 67.22% followed by Dynastinae (17.72%) and Rutelinae (15.06%). Higher species diversity, richness and evenness in Melolonthinae followed by Rutelinae and Dynastinae. Holotrichia reynaudi (34.19%) was the predominant species followed by Phyllognathus dionysius (17.53%), Holotrichia serrata (16.34%), Brahmina mysorensis (9.05%), Anomola dorsalis (8.83%) associated with groundnut in Rayalaseema region. The alpha diversity and species richness were high in Chittoor district followed by YSR, Kurnool and Ananthapuramu. The species evenness was high in Kurnool followed by Chittoor, YSR Kadapa and Ananthapuramu.