Islands in the desert for cavity‐nesting bees and wasps: Ecology, patterns of diversity, and conservation at oases of Baja California Peninsula

Aims The oases of Baja California Peninsula (BCP) have been proposed as important hotspots of biodiversity that hold an exceptional richness in the middle of desert conditions. We tested the effect of habitat and anthropogenic disturbance on communities of cavity-nesting taxa, with specific emphasis on bees, wasps, and their natural enemies. Methods In oases of BCP and desert neighbor environments, trap-nesting taxa were evaluated in response to factors affecting the nest abundance, richness, and community structure. We used statistical models to find correlates of nest abundance and patterns of diversity, as well as ecological analyses to determine the effect of habitat and human disturbance on species diversity and community structure. Results Solar irradiation, distance to a perennial waterbody and relative humidity influenced the presence of nests, number of brood cells, and parasitism. In general, abundance, species richness, and parasitism were higher in oases, especially in those with less human disturbance. Bees did not discriminate between oases and deserts to nest, whereas mud-daubing wasps were more dependent of oases. The degree of anthropogenic disturbance did not affect the occurrence of parasitism, but it had an adverse effect on the parasitism intensity (number of attacked cells). The community structure was more complex and even in oases and low-disturbed sites. The similarity between sites did not exceed 30%, and the proportion of shared species between oases and deserts varied from 2.7% to 26.6%. Main conclusions The oases of Baja California are functioning as mesic islands in the desert, each oasis hosting a unique community of cavity-nesting taxa. About 65% of the nests and 50% of species occurred exclusively in the oasis. Thus, cavity-nesting species that depend on mesic conditions could be threatened if the oases of BCP disappear in the future. Local conditions in the oases and deserts of the BCP are shaping the community structure. However, large-scale factors such as climate can influence the seasonality and occurrence of species within the community of cavity-nesting dwellers. Since habitat loss and fragmentation can degrade the oases' functionality, strategies to maintain the ecosystem services of pollination and biological control should be included in the conservation programs of these fragile habitats.Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologiaConsejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACyT) [273254]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Ampliación de la distribución de Dinapate wrightii Horn (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) en Baja Californi Sur, México

We report the presence of the giant palm borer Dinapate wrightii in an oasis of Baja California Sur, Mexico. This beetle is considered a serious pest of the native desert palms of California and Arizona, U.S. It was reported almost 8 decades ago only with the remains of a specimen collected at 500 km forward of the Baja California. This finding extends the range of the species and clarifies its distribution in Mexico.We report the presence of the giant palm borer Dinapate wrightii in an oasis of Baja California Sur, Mexico. This beetle is considered a serious pest of the native desert palms of California and Arizona, U.S. It was reported almost 8 decades ago only with the remains of a specimen collected at 500 km forward of the Baja California. This finding extends the range of the species and clarifies its distribution in Mexico

Gradiente de Conservação de Comunidades de Gastrópodes Terrestres como Indicadores Ecológicos, Al Norte de Chiapas, México

Com o objetivo de conhecer a diversidade e riqueza de gastrópodes terrestres em ambientes com diferentes graus de perturbação, foram realizadas amostragens no município de Juárez, Chiapas - México durante os meses de Fevereiro e Março de 2013. Utilizando amostragens aleatórias simples e coletas manuais que foram peneiradas e analizadas em laboratório. Foram coletados 778 organismos, identificando 20 espécies, duas subclasses, quarto ordens, 16 famílias e 16 gêneros. Noventa por cento dos representantes foram da subclasse Pulmonata e os 10% restantes da subordem Prosobranchia. As únicas espécies de selva foram Averilliaco actiliata, Helicinia (Tristramina) tenuis, Spiraxis sp2 y Streptosthyla meridana. Os ambientes com maior similaridade foram a selva e floresta madura com uma similaridade de 72%.

Riqueza y abundancia de la macrofauna epigea en cuatro sistemas tropicales del estado de Chiapas, México

We sampled four vegetation systems with different degree of disturbance (i. e. tropical forest, mature and young secondary forest, and a cornfield) in northern Chiapas, Mexico. The objective of this study was to determine the differences in the composition and structure of macroinvertebrate communities in litter. We estimated abundance (N), species richness (S), Shannon’s diversity (H´), Pielou’s evenness (J), and Morisita-Horn’s similarity index. Twenty samples were randomly placed in each system by using 1-m2 quadrats. Leaf litter and organic matter (humus) were collected from the quadrat to a depth of 5.0 cm, with the purpose of collecting only the epigeous macroinvertebrates. We collected 1,259 specimens from three phyla, nine classes, 26 orders, 61 families, 17 genera, and 100 morph types. The highest N and S were observed in the tropical forest, however, the highest diversity (H´) occurred in the young secondary forests. The cornfield showed the highest evenness. There was a positive relation between the systems’ conservation level and macroinvertebrate abundance, but not with species richness.Se realizó un muestreo en cuatro sistemas vegetales con diferente grado de perturbación, (i.e. selva tropical, vegetación secundaria madura, vegetación secundaria joven y un cultivo agrícola) al norte de Chiapas, México. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar las diferencias en la composición y estructura de las comunidades de macroinvertebrados presentes en la hojarasca. Para ello, se estimaron datos de abundancia (N), riqueza especifica (S), diversidad de Shannon (H´), equidad de Pielou (J) y el índice de similitud de Morisita-Horn. En cada sistema se tomaron 20 muestras colocadas al azar por medio de cuadrantes de 1 m2. Se recolectó la hojarasca y materia orgánica (humus) del cuadrante hasta una profundidad de 5.0 cm, con la finalidad de colectar únicamente a los macroinvertebrados epigeos. En total se obtuvieron 1,259 especímenes, clasificados en tres phyla, nueve clases, 26 órdenes, 61 familias, 17 géneros y 100 morfotipos. La mayor N y S se encontraron en la selva, sin embargo, la mayor diversidad (H´) ocurrió en la vegetación secundaria en etapa inicial de sucesión. El cultivo agrícola se mostró como el sistema con mayor equidad. Se observó una relación positiva entre el grado de conservación de los sistemas con la abundancia de los macroinvertebrados, pero no siempre con la riqueza de especies

Scolytinae y Platypodinae (Coleoptera: Curculiondae) de Tabasco, México

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diversity of Scolytinae and Platypodinae in five localities of Tabasco between December 2012 and April 2013. Ten flight intercept traps were used with ethyl alcohol as an attractant to collect insects in each site. A total of 4,232 specimens were collected from 62 species, of which 57 belong to Scolytinae and five to Platypodinae. The greatest diversity of species was obtained in Malpasito (MP) with a value of H´=2.11 and the lowest in Boca del Cerro (BC) with a value of H´=0.78, the highest species richness was recorded MP with 39 and the highest species abundance Francisco Rueda (FR) with 1,500 specimens. The genera Hypothenemus and Xyleborus presented the highest species richness with 10 and 7 respectively. The species Premnobius cavipennis Eichhoff, Xyleborus volvulus (Fabricius), Sampsonius dampfi Schedl, Hypothenemus interstitialis (Hopkins) and Corthylus papulans Eichhoff showed the highest abundance with 2,962 specimens, representing 69.99% of the total. The especies Cnesinus elegans Blandford, C. gracilis Blandford, Corthylocurus barbatus (Blandford), Chramesus crenatus Wood, H. effeminatus Wood, H. inaequalis Wood, H. columbi Hopkins and M. robustum (Schedl) are new records for Tabasco. The list of species of these insects in Tabasco, México continues to grow as new samples are taken, suggesting that it has not been possible to collect the real diversity supported by the ecosystems of the state.El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la diversidad de Scolytinae y Platypodinae en cinco localidades de Tabasco de diciembre de 2012 y abril de 2013. Se utilizaron diez trampas de intercepción de vuelo con alcohol etílico como atrayente para recolectar a los insectos en cada sitio. Se recolectaron en total 4,232 especímenes de 62 especies, de las cuales 57 pertenecen a Scolytinae y cinco a Platypodinae. La mayor diversidad de especies se obtuvo en Malpasito (MP) con un valor de H´=2.11 y la menor en Boca del cerro (BC) con un valor de H´=0.78, la mayor riqueza de especies la registró MP con 39 y la mayor abundancia Francisco Rueda (FR) con 1,500 especímenes. Los géneros Hypothenemus y Xyleborus presentaron la mayor riqueza de especies con diez y siete respectivamente. Las especies Premnobius cavipennis Eichhoff, Xyleborus volvulus (Fabricius), Sampsonius dampfi Schedl, Hypothenemus interstitialis (Hopkins) y Corthylus papulans Eichhoff registraron la mayor abundancia con 2,962 especímenes, lo que representa el 69.99% del total. Las especies Cnesinus elegans Blandford, C. gracilis Blandford, Corthylocurus barbatus (Blandford), Chramesus crenatus Wood, H. effeminatus Wood, H. inaequalis Wood, H. columbi Hopkins y M. robustum (Schedl) son nuevos registros para Tabasco. La lista de especies de estos insectos en Tabasco, México continúa creciendo conforme se incrementan los muestreos, lo que sugiere que no ha sido posible recolectar la diversidad real que albergan los ecosistemas del estado

A Fatal Nest Construction: Man-mixed Cement Used by Mud-daubing Wasps

Some sphecid wasps apparently show tolerance to urban habitats. However, resilience to man-made environments may have harmful consequences when behavioral errors can lead to ecological traps. We report failures in nesting construction of Sceliphron jamaicense by erroneous choosing of building material (i.e. mud). We found a proportion of nests (1.26%)where the wasps used both mud and concrete to seal the nests. Consequently, the brood was unable to emerge through the hardened material. It seems that the discrimination between building materials appears to be poor in these hymenopterans. Such ecological traps could have long term negative consequences around urban environments.CIBNOR; CONACyT, Mexico [273254]; CONACyTOpen access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Disentangling the coexistence strategies of mud-daubing wasp species through trophic analysis in oases of Baja California peninsula.

Species within the same trophic level show different strategies to avoid competition. Among these mechanisms, differences in body size, spatio-temporal segregation, and diet preference often leads to a niche partitioning. Nonetheless, little attention on coexisting predatory insects and their network interactions has been paid. In this study, we analyzed the strategies to avoid competition among three sympatric mud-daubing wasps of the genus Trypoxylon (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in oases and their surrounding xeric area from the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. We compared the prey richness, composition and proportion of spider guilds that were captured by the wasps. We tested whether the differences in wasp body size explained the niche breadth, niche overlap and the size of spider prey. We assessed the spider-wasp interactions through a network analysis. With the use of trap-nests, we collected 52 spider species captured by the wasps. Both the guild and species composition of preyed spiders was different between the three wasp species. Differential proportions in the capture of spider guilds and a little diet overlap were found among the wasp species. We found that the wasp body size was positively correlated with prey size, but it was not a proxy of niche breadth. Moreover, the largest wasp species was able to nest in both mesic and xeric habitats, while the two smaller species were restricted to the oases. This study reveals that the diversity of spiders in oases of Baja California peninsula is crucial to maintain highly specialized oasis-dependent wasp species. The niche partitioning between mud-daubing wasps can be shaped by their inherent body size limitations and hunting strategies through foraging specialization for specific spider guilds. Food selection and slight differences in body size reduce competition and allow the coexistence of sympatric wasps. Our study is the first approach exploring the interaction networks between mud-daubing wasps and their spider preys, highlighting new insights into the morphological and ecological factors that shape antagonistic interactions, and allow the coexistence of predators in deserts

GRADIENTE DE CONSERVAÇÃO DE COMUNIDADES DE GASTRÓPODES TERRESTRES COMO INDICADORES ECOLÓGICOS, AL NORTE DE CHIAPAS, MÉXICO

Com o objetivo de conhecer a diversidade e riqueza de gastrópodes terrestres em ambientes com diferentes graus de perturbação, foram realizadas amostragens no município de Juárez, Chiapas - México durante os meses de Fevereiro e Março de 2013. Utilizando amostragens aleatórias simples e coletas manuais que foram peneiradas e analizadas em laboratório. Foram coletados 778 organismos, identificando 20 espécies, duas subclasses, quarto ordens, 16 famílias e 16 gêneros. Noventa por cento dos representantes foram da subclasse Pulmonata e os 10% restantes da subordem Prosobranchia. As únicas espécies de selva foram Averilliaco actiliata, Helicinia (Tristramina) tenuis, Spiraxis sp2 y Streptosthyla meridana. Os ambientes com maior similaridade foram a selva e floresta madura com uma similaridade de 72%.

A new species of Pseudophanerotoma (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from Nayarit, Mexico

Parasitoid wasps are known to be among the most abundant and species-rich on Earth and thus considered an ecologically important group of arthropods. Braconid wasps play a key role in regulating the populations of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. However, the biology and taxonomy of numerous parasitoid species remain poorly known. In Mexico, only 17 species of the subfamily Cheloninae have been described. A new species of Pseudophanerotoma Zettel, 1990 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), P. huichol sp. nov., is described from Nayarit, Mexico. The tortricid moth Cryptaspasma perseana Gilligan & Brown, 2011 is reported as the host of this parasitoid wasp. Detailed taxonomic and barcoding information are provided

Figure 5 from: Falcón Brindis A, Ayala R, Jiménez M, Hinojosa-Díaz I (2017) A missing piece in the puzzle: the presence of Euglossa viridissima (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the Baja California Peninsula. ZooKeys 726: 15-23. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.726.19876

Orchid bees are a conspicuous component of the neotropical bee fauna, with a few species reaching the northernmost natural distribution for the group in northwestern continental Mexico. Among them, Euglossa viridissima Friese is here reported for the first time in the Cape Region of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico, where no species of the group have been found previously. These records are presented, their biogeographical implications discussed, and some interpretations of the local factors that influence the bees is presented