Documentation of Aquatic Beetles in Newtown Ecopark, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India (2023-2024)

The publication titled "Documentation of Aquatic Beetles in Newtown Ecopark, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India (2023-2024)" has been published by the Nature Mates Nature Club. This publication is a component of the WBHIDCO Pakhibitan Project, centered on the Ecopark located in Newtown, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.

The study area encompasses a total land area of 480 acres(including a 104 acres waterbody with an island in the middle), comprising a varied array of microhabitats. These microhabitats consist of grassland, a mixed forest containing tree species such as Arjuna, Rain tree, Sal, Mahua, Simul, and Babul within the designated "rainforest" region. Additionally, the study area includes fruit trees, flowering trees, vegetable plants, bushes, and shrubs. Furthermore, there is a designated garden area known as the "Butterfly Garden," which primarily consists of shrubs and herbs.

In addition to this, there exists a grassland region within the "formal garden" and "Golfarena." Located on a periphery of the park, there exists a diminutive expanse of wetland referred to as Pakhibitan, characterized by the presence of cattails, colloquially known as 'hogla' among the indigenous populace. Located opposite the park lies a substantial body of freshwater, encompassing an approximate surface area of 104 acres. In addition to the natural water bodies, the park also features several artificial water bodies that have been created by human intervention. Kolkata experiences four distinct seasons, namely summer, monsoon, winter, and autumn. The annual temperature exhibits a range of 43°C to 9°C. The annual average precipitation is 1400mm. The soil type in this area is classified as alluvial due to its geographical location within the Indo-Gangetic plain.

Various parameters were recorded during the survey, these are pH, TDS, EC, salinity and DO. pH recorded was from 7 to 11. TDS was 283 ± 10 ppm. With EC 566 ± 20 μs/cm, DO was 6.12 ± 1.28 mg/l. Salinity was 0% and remained same throughout the study period

The dataset presented here  comprises a record of aquatic beetles documented during a biodiversity survey conducted over the period spanning from april 2023 to march2024.  

All species have been identified at either the species or genus level. A comprehensive tally of 13 species was documented belonging to 3 separate families under order coleoptera 

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