Little is known about the ground-dwelling arthropod diversity in tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF). Due to unique habitat conditions in TMCFs with continuously wet substrates and a waterlogged forest floor along with the innate biases of the pitfall trap, Berlese funnel and Winkler extractor are certain to make it difficult to choose the most appropriate method to sample the ground-dwelling arthropods in TMCFs. Among the three methods, the Winkler extractor was the most efficient method for quantitative data and pitfall trapping for qualitative data for most groups. Inclusion of floatation method as a complementary method along with the Winkler extractor would enable a comprehensive quantitative survey of ground-dwelling arthropods. Pitfall trapping is essential for both quantitative and qualitative sampling of Diplopoda, Opiliones, Orthoptera, and Diptera. The Winkler extractor was the best quantitative method for Psocoptera, Araneae, Isopoda, and Formicidae; and the Berlese funnel was best for Collembola and Chilopoda. For larval forms of different insect orders and the Acari, all the three methods were equally effective.

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Species composition, distribution patterns and endemism are outlined for the dung beetles in the ecoregions of the western slopes of the moist South Western Ghats, South India. Among the 142 dung beetle species known, 35 are endemic to the Western Ghats; 29 are endemic to the moist South Western Ghats; 25 are regionally endemic to the South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion; and one each to the Malabar Coast moist deciduous forest ecoregion and the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests ecoregion. Five species, including the 3 flightless species, are local endemics to the upper montane tropical montane cloud forests. The montane rain forests ecoregion has the highest number of endemics in the moist south Western Ghats and the moist deciduous forests ecoregion and Malabar Coast moist deciduous forest ecoregion have the lowest levels of endemism. Of the 137 dung beetle species known prior to the deforestation and habitat modification of the region, only 87 have been collected recently.

Onthophagus tnai new species, belonging to the Onthophagus militaris species group, is described from the Western Ghats, India. Characteristics of the Onthophagus militaris species group are discussed and a modified key to the group is given. A taxonomic assessment of Onthophagus species from the montane rain forest ecoregion (MEF) in the Western Ghats, resulted in the synonymy of O. taruni Biswas & Chatterjee with O.vladimiri Frey and the reassessment of the infrageneric position of O.sahai Biswas & Chatterjee.

<p>An illustrated checklist of 36 species of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) from the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the southern Western Ghats is presented.  Records of eight species endemic to the Western Ghats and a rare primitive old world dung beetle group, <em>Ochicanthon nitidus </em>(Paulian), from the forests of Periyar Tiger Reserve are provided.</p><div> </div>