BIODIVERSITY AND SPECIES COMPOSITION OF LADY BIRD BEETLES (COCCINELLIDAE: COLEOPTERA) FROM MIRPUR DIVISION OF AZAD JAMMU KASHMIR, PAKISTAN

The present study reveals biodiversity (diversity, abundance, richness and evenness) and species composition of Ladybird Beetles from Mirpur Division of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. A total of fifty one species from 6 subfamilies were recorded from the study area. Further, there are thirty seven species of Ladybird beetles in district Mirpur, twenty nine in district Kotli and forty one in district Bhimber. Diversity was calculated by using Shannon- Wiener’s diversity index and Simpson’s index. Richness was calculated by Margalef’s and Menhinick’s Indices and evenness was calculated by Shannon-Wiener’s Equitability Index, Pielou’s index and Nakamuras’s R-I index. The calculated values of diversity indices showed that highest diversity was recorded from district Bhimber and lowest from district Kotli. Diversity was also calculated for each locality of the three districts. In district Kotli, lowest diversity was calculated from Holar and highest diversity from Dhongi, in district Mirpur, the lowest diversity was calculated from Islamgarh and highest diversity from Jaltlan. Similarly in district Bhimber, the lowest diversity was calculated from Pindichunja and the highest from Bhimber city.