The region of Vidarbha holds valuable significance for insect biodiversity, thanks to species both discovered here and closely associated with its landscapes.

The insect fauna of this area offers insights into the richness of Indian arthropods, their taxonomy, and their broader geographical spread. In presenting this listicle, the goal is to focus purely on the facts.

When a species was described, its origin and what current data show about its distribution were noted. The article does not seek to argue that these species are exclusively found in Vidarbha, but will highlight how the region features in their documented history.

The introduction of each species will include original descriptions, known research, and limitations of claims about uniqueness to the region.

Readers will understand how initial description, locality, naming, and subsequent records can lead to mistaken assumptions about endemism. This approach aligns with journalistic clarity, reporting what is known, what is claimed, and where evidence leaves gaps.

1. Notosacantha chandrapurensis

This leaf-beetle species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae) was described from the Indian state of Maharashtra, specifically Chandrapur district. According to the original taxonomic paper, it was identified from material labelled “Chandrapur: Maharashtra State”, and formally named Notosacantha chandrapurensis n. sp. The genus Notosacantha is known to have many species with restricted ranges in the Old World tropics. Current Indian checklists state that N. chandrapurensis is recorded from India and synonymously noted as endemic to the country, with the only location given being Chandrapur (Tadoba Tiger Reserve) in Maharashtra.

While this suggests it may be known only from the Vidarbha region so far, there has been no published finding of it outside that locality in peer-reviewed literature. Therefore, the correct statement is: this species was first described from Vidarbha and to date has only been recorded from that region in India. It cannot yet be confidently claimed as exclusive to Vidarbha permanently, since the absence of records elsewhere does not prove absence. The initial description acknowledges that many species in the genus have small ranges.

2. Onthophagus nagpurensis

This species of dung beetle (genus Onthophagus, family Scarabaeidae), named Onthophagus nagpurensis Arrow, 1931, carries the location-derived epithet “nagpurensis” after the Nagpur region. A recent checklist of Indian Onthophagus species cites O. nagpurensis among more than one hundred species in India. However, the investigation shows that there is no published evidence that this species is restricted to the Vidarbha region alone. For example, a paper on dung beetles in India lists many Onthophagus species with wide distributions and does not confirm that O. nagpurensis is limited to Maharashtra or Nagpur.

Thus, the accurate description for this species is: it was named from the Nagpur region (which lies in Vidarbha) and included in Indian faunal lists, but is not confirmed as endemic to Vidarbha. It stands as an example of a species with its name derived from a Vidarbha locality, but with distribution beyond that region not excluded by the literature.

3. Idioscopus nagpurensis

This species is a leaf-hopper insect (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, subfamily Idiocerinae) named Idioscopus nagpurensis (Pruthi). It was described from the Nagpur area (Vidarbha) and has been studied in the context of mango leaf-hopper pests. Diagnostic publications note its description and taxonomy, plus its biology on mango plants. According to a taxonomic database entry, its known distribution is in India (Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) and beyond India (Sri Lanka) as of a 2024 update. A checklist for Pakistan also reports the species as newly recorded outside India.

Therefore, the correct summarisation is: Idioscopus nagpurensis was first described from the Nagpur (Vidarbha) area, but subsequently recorded in multiple Indian states and Sri Lanka, thus not confined solely to Vidarbha.

4. Holotrichia nagpurensis

This beetle belongs to the white-grub group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae) and was named Holotrichia nagpurensis Khan & Ghai, 1982. Its original description associated it with the Nagpur area in Maharashtra. A survey of white grubs in Maharashtra lists H. nagpurensis among 13 species found across agro-climatic zones of the state. More recent research records H. nagpurensis from the Terai region of Uttarakhand in northern India.

Consequently, while the species was named from a Vidarbha locality (Nagpur) and appears in white-grub inventories of Maharashtra, it cannot be said to be restricted to Vidarbha alone. The accurate phrasing was first described from the Vidarbha region, but has a broader Indian distribution.

The insect fauna of the Vidarbha region invites attention because of the number of species whose initial discovery or naming ties them to that landscape. Each of the four species described here, Notosacantha chandrapurensis, Onthophagus nagpurensis, Idioscopus nagpurensis and Holotrichia nagpurensis, reflects that connection in varying degrees. In one case (N. chandrapurensis), the known Indian record remains confined to Chandrapur district in Vidarbha, and in others, the range has proved wider than the original locality.

The exercise illuminates a common pattern in entomology: the first described location may give the appearance of “only found here,” but later surveys often reveal broader distributions. It underlines the importance of cautiously stating claims of regional endemism and emphasises the value of further surveys in Vidarbha and beyond.

The region’s role in insect taxonomy remains significant, even if full exclusivity of occurrence is unconfirmed for most species. In focusing purely on documented facts without inference or solutions, one sees how naming, description and subsequent distribution records interact to shape our understanding of biodiversity in Vidarbha.