Review of the flower-inhabiting water scavenger beetle genus Cycreon (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae), with descriptions of new species and comments on its biology

The hydrophilid genus Cycreon Orchymont, 1919, previously known from two historical specimens only, is reviewed based on the numerous material collected recently from the inflorescences of various Araceae species in the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. Four species are recognized in the genus: C. sculpturatus Orchymont, 1919 from Sumatra, C. armandi Shatrovskiy, 2017 from Singapore, C. adolescens sp. n. from peninsular Malaysia, and C. floricola sp. n. with two subspecies, the nominotypical one from Peninsular Malaysia, and C. floricola borneanus subsp. n. from Borneo. All species are very similar, differing only by the pronotal punctation, shape of the clypeus and the mentum, and the form of the median lobe of the aedeagus. Specimens of C. floricola sp. n. and C. adolescens sp. n. were collected from inflorescences of various genera of the family Araceae. The field observations and analysis of mid gut contents indicates that they feed on organic material on internal organs of the inflorescences, including the pollen of the host plant. They were also observed to carry a large amount of pollen and are likely pollinators of their host species of Araceae

A new genus of coprophagous water scavenger beetle from Africa (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Sphaeridiinae, Megasternini) with a discussion on the Cercyon subgenus Acycreon

A new genus of coprophagous beetle, Evanesternum gen. n. (Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae: Megasternini), is described in order to accommodate Cercyon (Acycreon) pulsatus d’Orchymont, 1937 from the Republic of South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A detailed description is provided along with habitus photographs, line drawings and SEM micrographs of relevant diagnostic characters. The new genus possesses the tribal synapomorphies of Megasternini but bears several unique morphological characters which are discussed in detail. The morphology of the remaining three species classified in the subgenus Acycreon d’Orchymont, 1942 (i.e. C. punctiger Knisch, 1921, C. collarti d’Orchymont, 1942 and C. apiciflavus Hebauer, 2002), is illustrated in order to provide evidence that Acycreon is an assemblage of morphologically dissimilar and likely not related species. An identification key to the Megasternini genera and subgenera known from the Republic of South Africa is presented

Forest leaf litter beetles of Taiwan: first DNA barcodes and first insight into the fauna

We report the publication of 953 DNA barcodes of forest leaf litter beetles from central Taiwan, in total representing 334 spe- cies of 36 beetle families. This is the first bulk of data from the Taiwanese Leaf Litter beetles project focused on uncovering the under-explored diversity of leaf litter beetles across Taiwan. Based on these data, we provide the first records of the following taxa for Taiwan: family Sphindidae (genus Aspidiphorus Ziegler, 1821); tribes Trichonychini, Ctenistini, and Bythinoplectini (all Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae); genera Gyrelon Hinton, 1942, Thyroderus Sharp, 1885, Cautomus Sharp, 1885 (all Cerylonidae), Dermatohomoeus Hlisnikovský, 1963 (Leiodidae), Paraploderus Herman, 1970 (Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae), Thinocharis Kraatz, 1859 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Cephennodes Reitter, 1884, Napoconnus Franz, 1957 (both Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae), Bicava Belon, 1884 (Latridiidae), Otibazo Morimoto, 1961, Seleuca Pascoe, 1871 and Acallinus Morimoto, 1962 (all Curculioni- dae); species Oodes (Lachnocrepis) japonicus (Bates, 1873) (Carabidae: Licininae), Drusilla obliqua (Bernhauer, 1916) (Staphylin- idae: Aleocharinae) and Coccotrypes advena Blandford, 1894 (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). The records of Anapleus Horn, 1873 (Histeridae) and Batraxis Reitter, 1882 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) have been confirmed. The male of Sivacrypticus taiwanicus Kaszab, 1964 (Archeocrypticidae) is described for the first time. Gyrelon jenpani Hu, Fikáček & Matsumoto, sp. nov. (Cerylon- idae) is described, illustrated, and compared with related species. DNA barcodes associated larvae of 42 species with adults, we are concisely illustrating some of these: Oodes japonicus, Perigona cf. nigriceps Dejean, 1831 (both Carabidae), Ptilodactyla sp. (Ptilodactylidae), Maltypus ryukyuanus Wittmer, 1970 (Cantharidae), Drusilla obliqua, Myrmecocephalus brevisulcus (Pace, 2008), Diochus sp., Mimopinophilus sp. (all Staphylinidae), Stelidota multiguttata Reitter, 1877, Lasiodites inaequalis (Grouvelle, 1914) (both Nitidulidae), Lagria scutellaris Pic, 1910, and Anaedus spinicornis Kaszab, 1973 (both Tenebrionidae). We also report the first cases of Rickettsia infections in Scydmaeninae and Pselaphinae. All data (sequences, metadata, and voucher photos) are made public in BOLD database and in a Zenodo Archive

Co stojí za evoluční explozí diverzity terestrických vodomilů?

Výsledky obsažené v této disertační práci shrnují výzkum zaměřený na systematiku, taxonomii, evoluční historii a biogeografii tribu Megasternini (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae), skupiny vodomilovitých brouků vyznačující se mimořádnou druhovou diverzitou 600 popsaných druhů a ca. 1000 druhů celkem. Zástupci této skupiny obývají široké spektrum habitatů bohatých na rozkládající se materiál, např. listovou hrabanku, mrtvé pletivo kaktusů, mořské řasy naplavené na pobřeží, květy atd. Vysoká druhová a ekologická diverzita a celosvětové rozšíření dělají z tribu Megasternini modelovou skupinu pro studium procesů ovlivňujících diverzifikaci, biogeografii a evoluci brouků, tj. nejúspěšnější skupiny živočichů. Vědecká část této práce obsahuje sedm studií: tři publikované články, jeden akceptovaný k tisku, jeden zaslaný do redakce a dva rukopisy. Kapitoly 1-4 jsou zaměřeny na taxonomii vybraných skupin různého rozšíření (Velké Antily, severní neotropy, Afrika a JV Asie) a ekologie (druhy obývající hrabanku, rozkládající se kaktusy a květy). Je popsán jeden nový rod a osm nových druhů. Kapitola 5 je revizí všech známých vodomilovitých brouků z baltského jantaru. Ke studiu suboptimálně zachovaných kusů, jejichž znaky nejsou dobře viditelné, jsem použil techniku microCT. Jsou popsány tři nové fosilní...The research contained in this thesis explores the phylogenetic systematics, taxonomy, evolution and biogeography of tribe Megasternini (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae). Megasternines are an oustandingly diverse group of terrestrial water scavenger beetles with almost 600 described species and probably up to 1,000 species in total. Its species can be found in a wide array of habitats with abundant decaying material like humid leaf litter, dung, rotten cacti, beach wrack, flowers, etc. The specific and ecological diversity as well as their global distribution makes Megasternini an interesting model group for the understanding of processes underlying the diversification, biogeography and evolution of beetles. The scientific part of the thesis contains seven papers: three published, one accepted, one submitted and two manuscripts. Chapters 1-4 are focused on the taxonomy of selected groups. These chapters aim to cover a variety of cases in terms of biogeography (the Greater Antilles, northern Neotropics, Africa and Southeast Asia), ecology (species associated with leaf litter, dung, flower and rotten cacti) and different taxonomic scenarios. One new extant genus and eight new extant species are described in these chapters. Chapter 5 is a revision of all known hydrophilid fossils from Baltic...Katedra zoologieDepartment of ZoologyPřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

Understanding the biodiversity boom in terrestrial hydrophilid beetles

The research contained in this thesis explores the phylogenetic systematics, taxonomy, evolution and biogeography of tribe Megasternini (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae). Megasternines are an oustandingly diverse group of terrestrial water scavenger beetles with almost 600 described species and probably up to 1,000 species in total. Its species can be found in a wide array of habitats with abundant decaying material like humid leaf litter, dung, rotten cacti, beach wrack, flowers, etc. The specific and ecological diversity as well as their global distribution makes Megasternini an interesting model group for the understanding of processes underlying the diversification, biogeography and evolution of beetles. The scientific part of the thesis contains seven papers: three published, one accepted, one submitted and two manuscripts. Chapters 1-4 are focused on the taxonomy of selected groups. These chapters aim to cover a variety of cases in terms of biogeography (the Greater Antilles, northern Neotropics, Africa and Southeast Asia), ecology (species associated with leaf litter, dung, flower and rotten cacti) and different taxonomic scenarios. One new extant genus and eight new extant species are described in these chapters. Chapter 5 is a revision of all known hydrophilid fossils from Baltic..

Electribius relictus, a new extant species of Artematopodidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) from Veracruz, Mexico

Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel, Escobar, Federico (2014): Electribius relictus, a new extant species of Artematopodidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) from Veracruz, Mexico. Zootaxa 3895 (2): 292-296, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3895.2.1

FIGURES 1–8 in Electribius relictus, a new extant species of Artematopodidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) from Veracruz, Mexico

FIGURES 1–8. Electribius relictus sp. nov. (1) pronotum and elytra; (2) antenna; (3) prosternum; (4) abdomen; (5) phallobase, ventral view; (6) aedeagus, ventral; (7) aedeagus, lateral; (8) aedeagus, dorsal.Published as part of <i>Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel & Escobar, Federico, 2014, Electribius relictus, a new extant species of Artematopodidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) from Veracruz, Mexico, pp. 292-296 in Zootaxa 3895 (2)</i> on page 293, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3895.2.10, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10086509">http://zenodo.org/record/10086509</a&gt

Coelocratus Burmeister 1842

Coelocratus Burmeister, 1842 Coelocratus rufipennis (Gory & Percheron, 1833)Published as part of Seidel, Matthias, Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel & Sousa, Rafael, 2018, Catalogue of the Incini with the description of the first Archedinus species from Honduras (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), pp. 389-405 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 58 (2) on page 402, DOI: 10.2478/aemnp-2018-0031, http://zenodo.org/record/450487