FIRST STUDY OF INSECTS FROM THE TRUONG SA ARCHIPELAGO, KHANH HOA PROVINCE, VIETNAM

Abstract

On the basis of the recent field surveys conducted during 2020–2021, the first list of insects was reported from the Truong Sa archipelago, Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam. A total of 54 species in 49 genera, 26 families of nine orders have been recorded from eight islands namely Nam Yet, Phan Vinh, Son Ca, Sinh Ton Dong, Sinh Ton, Song Tu Tay, Truong Sa Dong and Truong Sa Lon. Among nine insect orders, Lepidoptera is the most diverse from Truong Sa archipelago with 19 recorded species, followed by Coleoptera with 17 species, Hemiptera with five species, Orthoptera with four species, Blattodea with three species, Diptera and Odonata with two species, each, Dermaptera and Hymenoptera with one species, each. Most insect species recorded from Truong Sa archipelago are widespread on the mainland of Vietnam, whereas two species are recorded for the first time from Vietnam, namely Derosphaerus vicinus Pic, 1923 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Utetheisa (Pitasila) inconstans (Butler, 1880) (Lepidoptera: Acrtiidae). The tenebrionid beetle Derosphaerus vicinus Pic was recorded previously from Indonesia. The acrtiid moth Utetheisa (Pitasila) inconstans (Butler) was known from Taiwan and southern Japanese islands. Our preliminary results enrich the knowledge of insect fauna of Vietnam by filling the gap from the offshore islands, especially from Truong Sa, a well known archipelago of the country.