Conservation status of the elegant yellow-black bush-cricket Meruterrana elegans (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae)—a critically endangered species on Mount Kenya

Two populations of Meruterrana elegans, a monotypic bush-cricket genus, endemic to Mount Kenya in Kenya were surveyed. The species is restricted to Cassipourea forest, a forest community vanishing rapidly on Mount Kenya and with it Meruterrana elegans, which therefore should be included to the IUCN red list of threatened species as Critically Endangered.Keywords: Red list, insects, East Afric

Die mögliche Rolle der antennalen Cuticularporen beim Sexualverhalten von Cyaneolytta sp. (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

Cantharidin, which is mainly found in blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae), is one of the most intensively studied natural products of insect (Dettner, 1997; McCormick & Carrel, 1987). The involvement of cantharidin in courtship behaviour has been already confirmed for certain canthariphilous insects (Eisner & al. 1996a,b; Frenzel & Dettner 1994; Frenzel & al. 1992; Schütz & Dettner, 1992; Hemp & al. 1999). The function and intrinsinc role of cantharidin in the courtship behaviour of Meloids has been never fully established. McCormick & Carrel (1987) only suggested that cantharidin might be used by female meloids when selecting a mate at close range. Pinto (1974, 1975) was, in fact, the first to consider male cuticular pores as being involved in the courtship behaviour of species from the genus Linsleya and Tegrodera (Meloidae). Based on morphology and chemical analyses of Cyaneolytta sp. (Coleoptera: Meloidae), we have hereby provided some further evidences that cantharidin may act as an infochemical in courtship behaviour of meloid beetles.Ölkäfer (Col: Meloidae) gehören zu den Insekten mit medizinischer Bedeutung. Cantharidin, das im gesamten Körper (v.a. in den Sexualorganen beider Geschlechter) der Käfer zu finden ist, verursacht Blasen auf der Haut. Die mögliche Rolle des Cantharidins im Sexualverhalten der Ölkäfer ist von besonderem wissenschaftlichem Interesse. Cyaneolytta sp. wurde in Karen, Kenia, gesammelt. Nach der Sektion wurden die Insektenkompartimente hydrolysiert und mittels quantitativer GC-MS chemisch analysiert. Um Poren der Kutikula und andere äußere Merkmale zu untersuchen, wurde ein Rasterelektronenmikroskop verwendet. Für Dünnschnitte der inneren Gewebe wurden Mikrotomschnitte angefertigt. Statistische Analysen wurden mit dem Softwarepaket Statistica durchgeführt. In den Antennen von Cyaneolytta sp. Péringuey, 1909 finden sich extrem hohe Cantharidinmengen. Die Daten zeigen eine deutliche Korrelation zwischen der Dichte der Kutikularporen und dem Cantharidingehalt der Antennenglieder Scapus und Pedicellus der Cyaneolytta-Männchen. Es existieren zahlreiche kanalartige Strukturen, die sich von der Hämolymphe der Antennen zur Oberfläche erstrecken, wo sich die Kutikularporen befinden. Betrachtet man den Cantharidingehalt der Antennensegmente, so enthalten die Glieder der Männchen viel größere Mengen als die der Weibchen. Auch besitzen die Kutikularporen der Weibchen eine deutlich geringere Dichte auf den Antennensegmenten. Die kanalartigen Strukturen auf den ersten beiden Antennensegmenten der Weibchen könnten uni- oder multizelluläre Tubuli sein, die das in der Hämolymphe zirkulierende Cantharidin an die Oberfläche bringen, aber die Poren auf den Antennen der Weibchen müssen eine andere Funktion haben. Während des Balzverhaltens berühren sich beide Geschlechter mit den Antennen, wobei die cantharidinhaltigen Poren in direkten Kontakt mit den weiblichen Antennen gelangen. Es wird vermutet, dass Cantharidin an die Oberfläche der Antennen der Männchen abgegeben wird. Demnach könnte der porenhaltige Bereich der männlichen Antennen eine Struktur sein, die Cantharidin abgibt, während der porenhaltige Bereich der weiblichen Antennen ein Rezeptorfeld darstellen könnte, dessen Chemorezeptoren einen bevorzugten Geschlechtspartner erkennen. Damit wurden weitere Hinweise für die Hypothese gesammelt, dass Cantharidin eine Rolle bei der sexuellen Selektion im Nahbereich spielt

El tipo de Macroscirtus bicolor Bolívar, 1893 (Orthoptera, Ensifera, Tettigoniidae, Mecopodinae)

The type of Macroscirtus bicolor Bolívar, 1893, at present in the genus Euthypoda Karsch, 1886, was discovered in the entomological collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid (MNCN-CISC). The specimen was thought to be lost. It is compared to two other Euthypoda species also known from the Côte d‘Ivoire.Se localiza el tipo que se creía perdido de Macroscirtus bicolor Bolívar, 1893, ahora incluido en el género Euthypoda Karsch, 1886, en la colección de Entomología del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) de Madrid. El ejemplar se compara con otras dos especies de Euthypoda encontradas en la Costa de Marfil

Compilation of canthariphilous insects.

Die durch Cantharidin angezogenen Insekten werden aufgelistet. Die meisten Cantharidin-abhängigen Insekten sind in der Käferfamilie Anthicidae mit 185 Arten in den drei Unterfamilien Anthicinae (179), Lemodiinae (1) und Tomoderinae (5) gefunden worden. Weitere Cantharidin-abhängige Arten sind bekannt aus den Käferfamilien Endomychidae (5), Cleridae (4), Chrysomelidae (3), und Staphylinidae (1). In der Familie Pyrochroidae sind 23 Arten aus der Unterfamilie Pedilinae und 6 Arten aus den Pyrochroinae Cantharidin beeinflußt. Bei den Dipteren sind dies in den Familien Anthomyiidae (3), Cecidomyidae (2), Ceratopogonidae (22) Chloropidae (1), Platystomatidae (1) und Sciaridae (5). Manche Arten der Heteropterenfamilie Miridae (29) sind bekannt wegen des Einflusses von Cantharidin ebenso jeweils eine Art aus den Familien Lygaeidae und Tingidae. Parasiten der Hymenopterenfamilie Braconidae (6) zeigen eine positive Reaktion auf Cantharidin, ebenso wie Arten der Unterfamilie Diapriinae der Familie Diapriidae. Chemische Analysen von Arten der Fulgoridae und Cicadidae zeigen, dass auch Arten der Homoptera Cantharidin-abhängig scheinen.Stichwörtercantharidin, canthariphilous insects, Coleoptera, Diptera, Heteroptera, Homoptera.A list of insects attracted to cantharidin is given. Most canthariphilous insects are found within the heteromeran beetle family Anthicidae with 185 species in the three subfamilies Anthicinae (179), Lemodiinae (1) and Tomoderinae (5). Further cantharidin baited species are known from the beetle families Endomychidae (5), Cleridae (4), Chrysomelidae (3), and Staphylinidae (1). In the beetle family Pyrochroidae 23 species from the subfamily Pedilinae and 6 species of the Pyrochroinae are canthariphilous. The insect order Diptera is represented by the families Anthomyiidae (3), Cecidomyidae (2), Ceratopogonidae (22) Chloropidae (1), Platystomatidae (1) and Sciaridae (5). Many species from the heteropteran family Miridae (29) are known to be attracted by cantharidin, also one species from the families Lygaeidae and Tingidae respectively. Parasites of the hymenopteran family Braconidae (6) show a positive reaction to cantharidin as well as species from the subfamily Diapriinae of the family Diapriidae. Chemical analyses of a fulgorid and a cicadid species revealed that also species of Homoptera may contain cantharidin.Keywordscantharidin, canthariphilous insects, Coleoptera, Diptera, Heteroptera, Homoptera

Stakeholder perspectives on nature, people and sustainability at Mount Kilimanjaro

Effective approaches towards sustainability need to be informed by a diverse array of stakeholder perspectives. However, capturing these perspectives in a way that can be integrated with other forms of knowledge can represent a challenge. Here we present the first application of the conceptual framework of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) to a participatory assessment of local perspectives on nature, people and sustainability on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. This assessment was organized in the form of a participatory workshop with five different groups of stakeholders. Following this framework, we assembled information on the state of and trends in species diversity, Nature's Contributions to People (NCP), and on the main drivers of changes in species and habitats. Additionally, we gathered perspectives on the needs and opportunities for the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources from the individual to the international level. The various stakeholders agreed that both the condition and extent of the various habitats and NCP are declining. In line with available knowledge, the key direct drivers of change mentioned by the workshop participants were land use and climate change, whereas human population growth was singled out as the most important indirect driver. The most frequently suggested measures to address the observed decline in species diversity and its drivers were related to land and water management and to education and awareness raising. Yet, the stakeholder groups differed in the measures they suggested. The willingness of a diversity of knowledge holders to systematically engage in a structured discussion around all the elements of the IPBES framework provides support for its applicability in participatory workshops aimed at capturing nuanced and context-based perspectives on social–ecological systems from informed stakeholders. The application of the IPBES framework enabled the comparability needed for developing narratives of stakeholder visions that can help identify new pathways towards sustainability and guide planning while retaining the context-based nuances that remain unresolved with non-participatory methods

Bush-crickets with very special ears and songs – review of the East African Phaneropterinae genus Dioncomena Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, with notes on its biogeography and the description of new species

This study focuses on the genus Dioncomena and its acoustics, particularly the unique songs produced by male Dioncomena that consist of several distinct elements in a fixed sequence, culminating in a coda that typically elicits a response from a receptive female. We also examine the inflated pronotal lobes, which we term prebullae, that are prominently developed in some Dioncomena species but not in others. We discuss the role of prebullae in the context of acoustic communication in Dioncomena and other related Phaneropterini genera that have similar lateral pronotal lobes. We found that prebullae size is correlated with habitat distribution, with larger prebullae occurring in isolated species while aggregation-prone species have smaller or less pronounced prebullae. Using micro-computer tomography we show sexual dimorphism in the 3D geometry of the acoustic tracheae, being larger in the male. Interestingly, the tracheae are coupled by a septum, like in field crickets, which suggests potential cross talk. We define three groups of Dioncomena based on altitude preferences, ecology, color patterns, and songs: the jagoi-, tanneri-, and ornata-groups. We describe the songs of several species, including newly identified species such as D. flavoviridis sp. nov., D. magombera sp. nov., D. ngurumontana sp. nov., D. sanje sp. nov., D. tanneri, D. versicolor sp. nov., and D. zernyi. We also provide information on the nymphs, development time, and mating behavior of various species reared in the laboratory, shedding light on their phenology and adaptations to their habitats

Bush-crickets with very special ears and songs - review of the East African Phaneropterinae genus Dioncomena Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878, with notes on its biogeography and the description of new species

This study focuses on the genus Dioncomena and its acoustics, particularly the unique songs produced by male Dioncomena that consist of several distinct elements in a fixed sequence, culminating in a coda that typically elicits a response from a receptive female. We also examine the inflated pronotal lobes, which we term prebullae, that are prominently developed in some Dioncomena species but not in others. We discuss the role of prebullae in the context of acoustic communication in Dioncomena and other related Phaneropterini genera that have similar lateral pronotal lobes. We found that prebullae size is correlated with habitat distribution, with larger prebullae occurring in isolated species while aggregation-prone species have smaller or less pronounced prebullae. We define three groups of Dioncomena based on altitude preferences, ecology, color patterns, and songs: the jagoi-, tanneri-, and ornata-groups. We describe the songs of several species, including newly identified species such as D. flavoviridis n. sp., D. magombera n. sp., D. ngurumontana n. sp., D. sanje n. sp., D. tanneri, D. versicolor n. sp., and D. zernyi. We also provide information on the nymphs, development time, and mating behavior of various species reared in the laboratory, shedding light on their phenology and adaptations to their habitats. Finally, we describe six new species and provide the first description of the female D. zernyi

Potential of Airborne LiDAR Derived Vegetation Structure for the Prediction of Animal Species Richness at Mount Kilimanjaro

The monitoring of species and functional diversity is of increasing relevance for the development of strategies for the conservation and management of biodiversity. Therefore, reliable estimates of the performance of monitoring techniques across taxa become important. Using a unique dataset, this study investigates the potential of airborne LiDAR-derived variables characterizing vegetation structure as predictors for animal species richness at the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. To disentangle the structural LiDAR information from co-factors related to elevational vegetation zones, LiDAR-based models were compared to the predictive power of elevation models. 17 taxa and 4 feeding guilds were modeled and the standardized study design allowed for a comparison across the assemblages. Results show that most taxa (14) and feeding guilds (3) can be predicted best by elevation with normalized RMSE values but only for three of those taxa and two of those feeding guilds the difference to other models is significant. Generally, modeling performances between different models vary only slightly for each assemblage. For the remaining, structural information at most showed little additional contribution to the performance. In summary, LiDAR observations can be used for animal species prediction. However, the effort and cost of aerial surveys are not always in proportion with the prediction quality, especially when the species distribution follows zonal patterns, and elevation information yields similar results

The contribution of insects to global forest deadwood decomposition

The amount of carbon stored in deadwood is equivalent to about 8 per cent of the global forest carbon stocks. The decomposition of deadwood is largely governed by climate with decomposer groups—such as microorganisms and insects—contributing to variations in the decomposition rates. At the global scale, the contribution of insects to the decomposition of deadwood and carbon release remains poorly understood. Here we present a field experiment of wood decomposition across 55 forest sites and 6 continents. We find that the deadwood decomposition rates increase with temperature, and the strongest temperature effect is found at high precipitation levels. Precipitation affects the decomposition rates negatively at low temperatures and positively at high temperatures. As a net effect—including the direct consumption by insects and indirect effects through interactions with microorganisms—insects accelerate the decomposition in tropical forests (3.9% median mass loss per year). In temperate and boreal forests, we find weak positive and negative effects with a median mass loss of 0.9 per cent and −0.1 per cent per year, respectively. Furthermore, we apply the experimentally derived decomposition function to a global map of deadwood carbon synthesized from empirical and remote-sensing data, obtaining an estimate of 10.9 ± 3.2 petagram of carbon per year released from deadwood globally, with 93 per cent originating from tropical forests. Globally, the net effect of insects may account for 29 per cent of the carbon flux from deadwood, which suggests a functional importance of insects in the decomposition of deadwood and the carbon cycle