How Habitat Change and Rainfall Affect Dung Beetle Diversity in Caatinga, a Brazilian Semi-Arid Ecosystem

The aim of the present study was to evaluate how dung beetle communities respond to both environment and rainfall in the Caatinga, a semi-arid ecosystem in northeastern Brazil. The communities were sampled monthly from May 2006 to April 2007 using pitfall traps baited with human feces in two environments denominated “land use area” and “undisturbed area.” Abundance and species richness were compared between the two environments and two seasons (dry and wet season) using a generalized linear model with a Poisson error distribution. Diversity was compared between the two environments (land use area and undisturbed area) and seasons (dry and wet) using the Two-Way ANOVA test. Non-metric multidimensional scaling was performed on the resemblance matrix of Bray-Curtis distances (with 1000 random restarts) to determine whether disturbance affected the abundance and species composition of the dung beetle communities. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine whether rainfall was correlated with abundance and species richness. A total of 1097 specimens belonging to 13 species were collected. The most abundant and frequent species was Dichotomius geminatus Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The environment exerted an influence over abundance. Abundance and diversity were affected by season, with an increase in abundance at the beginning of the wet season. The correlation coefficient values were high and significant for abundance and species richness, which were both correlated to rainfall. In conclusion, the restriction of species to some environments demonstrates the need to preserve these areas in order to avoid possible local extinction. Therefore, in extremely seasonable environments, such as the Caatinga, seasonal variation strongly affects dung beetle communities

How Do Regeneration Stages of Caatinga Forests Influence the Structure of Dung Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Assemblage?

Salomão, Renato P., Iannuzzi, Luciana (2017): How Do Regeneration Stages of Caatinga Forests Influence the Structure of Dung Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Assemblage? The Coleopterists Bulletin 71 (3): 578-588, DOI: 10.1649/0010-065X-71.3.578, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1649/0010-065x-71.3.57

Dung beetle (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) assemblage of a highly fragmented landscape of Atlantic forest: from small to the largest fragments of northeastern Brazilian region

AbstractHuman activities in tropical forests are the main causes of forest fragmentation. According to historical factor in deforestation processes, forest remnants exhibit different sizes and shapes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the dung beetle assemblage on fragments of different degree of sizes. Sampling was performed during rainy and dry season of 2010 in six fragments of Atlantic forest, using pitfall traps baited with excrement and carrion. Also, we used two larger fragments as control. We used General Linear Models to determine whether the fragments presented distinguished dung beetle abundance and richness. Analysis of Similarities and Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling were used to determine whether the dung beetle assemblage was grouped according to species composition. A total of 3352 individuals were collected and 19 species were identified in the six fragments sampled. Dung beetle abundance exhibited a shift according to fragment size; however, richness did not change among fragments evaluated. Also, fragments sampled and the two controls exhibited distinct species composition. The distinction on abundance of dung beetles among fragments may be related to different amount of resource available in each one. It is likely that the dung beetle richness did not distinguish among the different fragments due to the even distribution of the mammal communities in these patches, and consequent equal dung diversity. We conclude that larger fragments encompass higher abundance of dung beetle and distinct species. However, for a clearer understanding of effects of fragmentation on dung beetles in Atlantic forest, studies evaluating narrower variations of larger fragments should be conducted

Daily activity of Dichotomius geminatus (Arrow, 1913) and Deltochilum verruciferum Felsche, 1911 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) facing carrion: from resource perception to feeding

Dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) interact with resources in different ways and are classified according to resource relocation guilds. Dichotomius geminatus (Coprini) and Deltochilum verruciferum (Canthonini) are two of the most abundant and ecologically important species of the semi-arid region of Brazil, and understanding their behaviour may facilitate the comprehension of strategies associated to competition for resources. The aim of the present study was to investigate the behavioural repertoire of D. geminatus (tunneler) and D. verruciferum (roller), in isolation and controlled setting in the Brazilian semi-arid biome, using carrion as a food resource. Our hypothesis was that, due to the distinct food relocation strategies presented by these species, distinct behaviours would occur involving resource utilization. We also compared the behaviour of the two species and investigated the period of diel activity. Both species were more active during the night, but D. geminatus presented a shorter peak of nocturnal activity when compared to D. verruciferum. Although there was activity during the day, feeding was only observed during the night, for both species. During the periods of inactivity, D. verruciferum commonly went underneath the carrion, remaining still. As the target species of the study are very abundant, the differences in behaviour associated with the distinct relocation guilds may indicate a strategy to avoid direct competition. Keywords: Arena, Activity budget, Scarabaeidae, Semi-arid, Foragin

Ovomanonychus, a new genus of South American Sericoidini (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

Costa, Fábio Correia, Cherman, Mariana Alejandra, Iannuzzi, Luciana (2020): Ovomanonychus, a new genus of South American Sericoidini (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Zootaxa 4759 (1): 65-76, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4759.1.

Ovomanonychus Costa & Cherman & Iannuzzi 2020

<i>Ovomanonychus</i> Costa, Cherman, & Iannuzzi, new genus <p> <b>Type species</b>. <i>Manonychus rosettae</i> Frey, 1976, here designated.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>Ovomanonychus</i> is distinguished from all other Sericoidini by the following combination of characters: ovate body; labrum vertical, with superior margin inflated, hidden below the clypeus, not on same plane; galea with outer margin curved; labium longer than it is wide; antennae with nine antennomeres and club (with three antennomeres) longer than flagellum; absence of membrane along median of anterior pronotal margin; six fused ventrites, except the VI articulate; ventrite I with basal half hidden by metacoxae and ventrite VI one quarter the length of other ventrites; ventrite V and propygidium separated by suture; tarsomeres with sparse setae ventrally; elytra with strong costae; procoxae conical; apical protibial spur in both sexes; mesocoxae three times longer than wide; metacoxae longer than ventrite II; mesotarsomere I longer than mesotarsomere II; claws simple on all tarsi; metatibia with two apical spurs, spurs set below and above the tarsal articulation.</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Length: 10.0–12.0 mm; width: 4.0– 5.5mm. Body reddish brown, ovate sides slightly arcuate at middle of elytra (Fig. 1A). <i>Head</i>: Anterior margin rounded; distance between eyes twice or three times the width of one eye; frons densely punctate; frontoclypeal suture strongly impressed; canthus covered by clypeus; clypeus trapezoidal, punctate (Fig. 1E), strongly reflexed, and separated from labrum by a suture; labrum with superior margin bulged, vertical, hidden below the clypeus, not on same plane; galea of maxilla with outer margin curved (Fig. 1B); galea with tooth I projected; lacinia with distal portion forming a tooth–like projection; labium densely setose along the lateral margin, longer than wide (Fig. 1D); palp insertion covered by the labium and placed submedially; ligula and labium fused; antennae with nine antennomeres, club with three antennomeres and longer than flagellum (Fig. 1E). <i>Prothorax</i>: Pronotum wider than long, glabrous, densely punctate, disc narrowly smooth along midline; absence of membrane along median of anterior pronotal margin (Fig. 1E); anterolateral region slightly depressed; lateral margin sparsely setose; anterior angle rounded; anterolateral margin arcuate, posterolateral margins straight; proepimeron smooth laterally. <i>Pterothorax</i>: Scutellum subtriangular; mesosternum with foveolate, bristled punctures; internal posterior angle of mesepimeron acute and projected; metasternum bristles long; distance between the mesocoxae and metacoxae equal to length of metacoxae; metepisternum with coarse punctures. <i>Elytra</i>: Shiny, with costae parallel to the elytral suture, which is elevated (Fig. 1A). <i>Legs</i>: Procoxae conical, with sparse punctures on proximal region; profemurs with aggregated punctures extending from the base to the disc; protibia with sculpture and three teeth well developed, tooth II forming an acute angle with tooth III; apical protibial spur in both sexes; protarsomeres cylindrical; mesocoxae contiguous, punctate distally and three times longer than wide; mesofemur with parallel double row of punctures; mesotibia gradually enlarged towards apex, and with two transverse carinae; transverse carina II incomplete (non-reaching inner margin of mesotibia); two apical spurs, spurs set below and above the tarsal articulation; mesotarsomere I longer than mesotarsomere II (Fig. 2A); metacoxae longer than ventrite II, with dense or sparse bristles; metacoxal lateral margin in obtuse angle; metafemur with row of punctures posteriorly and smooth basally; transverse carina II incomplete; metatibial apical spurs with equal or different size (Fig. 2B), spurs set below and above the tarsal articulation; apex of metatibia prominent at the tarsal articulation; ventral surface of all tarsomeres with sparse bristles (Fig. 1F); all claws simple. <i>Abdomen</i>: Six fused ventrites, except ventrite VI which is articulate; ventrite I with basal half hidden by metacoxae and ventrite VI one quarter the length the others (Fig. 2C); lateral keel along the ventrites; ventrites II–VI with transverse row of setose punctures; pygidium and propygidium separated by suture; propygidium punctate. <i>Male genitalia</i>: Parameres symmetrical, converging at apex; outer margin slightly curved on distal third; inner margin on distal portion curved; medial portion of proximal margin lobed.</p> <p> <b>Sexual dimorphism.</b> Males and females are quite similar, except in the protibial tooth I stronger in females and pygidium slightly convex in females and flat in males.</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> Adjective in the nominative singular. From the Latin <i>ovum</i> (“egg”) + <i>Manonychus</i> in reference to the body shape and original placement of the type species. The name is masculine in gender.</p> <p> <b>Composition.</b> <i>Ovomanonychus rosettae</i> (Frey, 1976) <b>new combination</b>, <i>Ovomanonychus inajae</i> <b>new species</b>, and <i>Ovomanonychus striatus</i> <b>new species</b>.</p> <p> <b>Geographical distribution.</b> Endemic to the Midwest (Mato Grosso), Southeastern (Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo), Northeastern (Bahia), and Southern (Paraná) regions of Brazil (Fig.3).</p> <p> <b>Remarks.</b> <i>Ovomanonychus</i> <b>new genus</b> resembles <i>Manonychus</i> in the labrum hidden by the clypeus (in dorsal view), with superior margin inflated; and labium quadrate. <i>Ovomanonychus</i> differs from <i>Manonychus</i> (characters in parenthesis), in the galea with outer margin curved (Fig. 1B) (galea with outer margin lobed; Fig. 1C); elytra with costae (Fig. 1A) (elytra almost smooth); tarsomeres in all legs with sparse bristles ventrally (Fig. 1F) (protarsomeres and mesotarsomeres with pads; Fig. 1G); metacoxae longer than ventrite II (Fig. 2C) (metacoxae length equal to ventrite II; Fig. 2D).</p> <p> We place <i>Ovomanonychus</i> <b>new genus</b> in Sericoidini based on the following combination of characters: labrum hidden by the clypeus (in dorsal view); clypeus and labrum separate by suture; ligula and labium fused; metatibial apically with two spurs, spurs set below and above the tarsal articulation; lateral keel along the abdominal ventrites; abdomen with six ventral sternites (basal sternite partially hidden by metacoxae), sternites approximately equal in length, evenly convex, separated by distinct sutures (Smith 2008).</p>Published as part of <i>Costa, Fábio Correia, Cherman, Mariana Alejandra & Iannuzzi, Luciana, 2020, Ovomanonychus, a new genus of South American Sericoidini (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), pp. 65-76 in Zootaxa 4759 (1)</i> on pages 66-70, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4759.1.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3735986">http://zenodo.org/record/3735986</a&gt

Entomofauna associated to fruits and seeds of two species of Enterolobium Mart. (Leguminosae): harm or benefit?

Entomofauna associated to fruits and seeds of two species of Enterolobium Mart. (Leguminosae): Harm or benefit? The aims of the present study were to identify the entomofauna associated to the fruits and seeds of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong and Enterolobium timbouva Mart. (Leguminosae), as well as to determine relationships among insects and the possible harm and/or benefit stemming from these associations. Fruit infestation was evaluated and the insects were identified. Seed consumption (%) and the germination of predated seeds (%) were determined. The fruits of E. contortisiliquum exhibited a high percentage of infestation (91%). The most representative species in the fruits were Lophopoeum timbouvae Lameere, 1884, Merobruchus bicoloripes (Pic, 1930) and Stator limbatus (Horn, 1873). In the fruits of E. timbouva, only one species was found (S. limbatus). E. contortisiliquum seed consumption was proportionately higher (55.2%) to that of E. timbouva (15%). The germination of predated seeds from E. contortisiliquum was null, whereas 40% of predated seeds from E. timbouva germinated