Utilización de excrementos de herviboros en la nidifación de Penepodium fumipenne (Tasch) (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae)

The nesting behaviour of Penepodium fumipenne is described. The use of dung of hervibores to close the nest and its evolutionary significance is analyzed.The nesting behaviour of Penepodium fumipenne is described. The use of dung of hervibores to close the nest and its evolutionary significance is analyzed

A fossorial petalurid trace fossil from the Albian of Patagonia

Maichnus wetkaroae igen. isp. nov., from the Albian of Patagonia, is composed of two or three ellipsoidal oblate chambers connected to shafts that show swellings and concentrically laminated linings. Such laminated linings are also present in chambers, and probably originated by radial backfilling and/or the successive discharges of liquid organic excretions. This unique morphology occurs in paleosols showing evidence of waterlogging. Trace fossil morphology and the occurrence of traces in clusters in waterlogged soils indicate that M. wetkaroae igen. isp. nov. represents larval burrows of fossorial petalurids. This is the first record of Odonatan trace fossils from paleosols and also the oldest one. M. wetkaroae igen. isp. nov. is one of the oldest insect trace fossils recorded from paleosols. It represents the first and unique paleontological evidence of the ancient origin of the burrowing behavior of petalurids postulated only theoretically until now in evolutionary scenarios of Odonata.Fil: Genise, Jorge Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Poire, Daniel Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Mirta Gladys. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentin

Food Relocation Behavior, Nests, and Brood Balls of Canthon quinquemaculatus Laporte de Castelnau (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Individuals of Canthon quinquemaculatus Laporte de Castelnau rolled balls up to 4 m from the food source. Stealing balls was common. Male headstand position was observed at the entrance of chambers containing a rolled ball and a female. Nests were shallow, telecoprid, and compound. Male and female cooperate, and parental care is performed (Nesting Pattern V). A total of 23 brood balls from five nesting chambers were obtained from terraria. The brood balls display a protuberance that is separated from the provision chamber by a partition of soil material. An egg chamber that lacks an organic lining is located at the base of the protuberance. At the roof of the egg chamber, there is an aeration conduit that ends in a filter composed of loose soil. The carrion provisions contain a high percentage of soil material. Some brood balls have larval fecal pellets in the external surface of the wall. Egg chamber separated from provisions, lack of an organic lining coating the egg chambers, ejection of larval fecal pellets, and loose soil filters are typical characters of brood balls made by necrophagous Scarabaeinae. The first three characters might reflect a set of adaptive characters of the necrophagous species to their food. These characters might be useful to distinguish fossil brood balls constructed by necrophagous Scarabaeinae from those constructed by coprophagous species.Fil: Cantil, Liliana Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Dinghi, Pablo Adrián. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Filogeografía y Filogenias Moleculares; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Genise, Jorge Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentin

Nesting behavior and ecological preferences of five Diphaglossinae species (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Colletidae) from Argentina and Chile

The nests of Cadeguala albopilosa (Spinola, 1851), Diphaglossa gayi Spinola, 1851, Ptiloglossa tarsata (Friese, 1900), Ptiloglossa matutina (Schrottky, 1904) and Zikanapis tucumana (Moure, 1945) (Colletidae, Diphaglossinae) from Argentina and Chile are described herein. They show similar features to those of other Diphaglossinae: they consist of a main tunnel, cells disposed radially, isolated or in pairs, and connected to the main tunnel by laterals ones. Main tunnels are mostly vertical in species nesting in soil surface but horizontal to inclined in D. gayi, which nests in banks. Cells are vertical with curved necks. The cells of C. albopilosa show less curved necks (less than 90°), whereas in the remaining four species the cell neck is highly curved (90° or more). Cells of P. tarsata have a spiral earthen closure and a wad cottonlike material, whereas in P. matutina only had the last one. In the remaining studied species any type of closure were found. Cocoons of C. albopilosa and P. tarsata are coriaceous showing a closure composed of three disks. Zikanapis tucumana and possibly P. matutina showed dim-light foraging. The remaining species are diurnal. The climate in their nesting sites is highly diverse, ranging from 8°C to 20°C in mean annual temperature, and from 250 mm to 3000 mm in mean annual precipitation. Only C. albopilosa and, to a lesser extent, Z. tucumana nested gregariously. Zikanapis tucumana and P. tarsata were observed visiting flowers of Solanum.Fil: Sarzetti, Laura Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina;Fil: Genise, Jorge Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina;Fil: Sánchez, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina;Fil: Farina, Juan Luis. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Municipalidad de General Pueyrredon; Argentina; Provincia de Buenos Aires. Municipalidad de General Pueyrredon. Secretaría de Cultura. Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales Lorenzo Scaglia; Argentina;Fil: Molina, María Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina; Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto Superior de Entomología; Argentina

An assemblage of large-sized insect traces in paleosols from the middle miocene of northern Patagonia related to the climatic optimum

A new assemblage of large insect trace fossils is recognized in paleosols of the middle Miocene pyroclastic deposits from extra-Andean north Patagonia. This assemblage includes Racemusichnus jacobacciensis igen. isp. nov., the largest trace fossil in paleosols attributed to solitary insects. R. jacobacciensis is represented by clusters of two to seven thickly walled cylinders horizontally orientated in the paleosol. The cluster arrangement, its orientation, the large size and wall of the cylinders suggest a dung beetle, probably a representative of the Geotrupidae as the possible trace maker. The new ichnoassemblage, also comprising large-sized specimens of Coprinisphaera ispp., Teisseirei barattinia and Feoichnus challa, belongs to the Rosellichnus assemblage-SAPIA of the Coprinisphaera Ichnofacies. Mollic paleosols along with the trace fossils, mammal remains and previous data for this unit suggest an open grassy habitat compatible with high productive grass savannas, under a temperate-warm and seasonal subhumid climate. This assemblage of large-sized trace fossils is attributed to highly productive ecosystems related to the rise of temperature occurred during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum.Fil: Sánchez, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Bellosi, Eduardo Sergio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Genise, Jorge Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Kramarz, Alejandro Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Sarzetti, Laura Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentin

Diffuse termitinae nests shed light on the affinities of Laetolichnus kwekai (Krausichnidae)

The insect trace fossil Laetolichnus kwekai, which is composed of a small chamber extending to slender cylinders at each end, was tentatively included in the ichnofamily Krausichnidae as termite nests. New evidence presented here provides information to validate these inferences. A more complex structure formed by interconnected Laetolichnus was recently found in the same Pliocene deposits (Laetoli, Tanzania) as the isolated specimens reported previously. Our study confirms inclusion of Laetolichnus in Krausichnidae and supports the inference that it represents a nest of a social insect. Neoichnological field studies in the coastal dunes of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, were undertaken to refine further the nature of these affinities. Survey of the dune surface revealed abundant loose fragments of termite nests of a size and shape comparable to that of L. kwekai. The fragile nests constructed by Onkotermes brevicorniger, which are described here in detail for the first time, enable us to interpret the fossil structures. They consist of connected chambers similar to the interconnected Laetolichnus. These were frequently exposed and broken by wind action resulting in loose fragments similar to the isolated Laetolichnus. The Celliforma ichnofacies represented at Laetoli, which contains L. kwekai, indicates arid or semiarid shrublands and woodlands. The distribution of O. brevicorniger also corresponds to arid and semiarid shrublands and dry woodlands of Argentina. Although the African termite producer of L. kwekai and the South American Onkotermes would be phylogenetically unrelated, the analogous structures probably reflect convergent nesting behaviors as an adaptation to similar arid to semiarid environmental conditions.Fil: Cantil, Liliana Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Genise, Jorge Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Farina, Juan Luis. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Municipalidad de General Pueyrredon. Secretaría de Cultura. Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales Lorenzo Scaglia; ArgentinaFil: Lupo, Sebastián Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario; ArgentinaFil: Porrini, Darío Pablo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Municipalidad de General Pueyrredon. Secretaría de Cultura. Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales Lorenzo Scaglia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Kwekason, Amandus. National Museum of Tanzania; TanzaniaFil: Harrison, Terry. University of New York; Estados Unido

100 Ma sweat bee nests: Early and rapid codiversification of crown bees and flowering plants

100 Ma sweat bee nests reported herein are the oldest evidence of crown bees. A new phylogeny for short-tongued bees, calibrated with these nests dated with 40Ar/39Ar, attests for the first time for a late Albian rapid diversification of bees along with angiosperms. Such hypothesis lacked paleontological support until this study. The new ichnospecies Cellicalichnus krausei, which was found along with wasp trace fossils and new beetle trace fossils in the Castillo Formation of Patagonia, represents typical Halictini nests composed of sessile cells that are attached to main tunnels. According to geological, paleosol, paleobotanical, and ichnological data, bees, and angiosperms cohabited in an inland and dry environment comparable to an open dry woodland or savanna, under warm-temperate and semiarid-subhumid climate, in the Southern Hemisphere by the Albian.Fil: Genise, Jorge Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Bellosi, Eduardo Sergio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Sarzetti, Laura Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Krause, Javier Marcelo. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Dinghi, Pablo Adrián. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Filogeografía y Filogenias Moleculares; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Umazano, Aldo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Puerta, Pablo. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; ArgentinaFil: Cantil, Liliana Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Jicha, Brian R.. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unido

Observaciones sobre el comportamiento de nidifación de Eromnophilia eximia (LEP.) (Hymenoptera, sphecidae)

Observations on the nesting behavior on Eromnophila eximia (Lep.) (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae). The nesting behavior of Eremnophila eximia is described. The primitive and the specialized behavior patterns of this activity are enumerated.Observations on the nesting behavior on Eromnophila eximia (Lep.) (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae). The nesting behavior of Eremnophila eximia is described. The primitive and the specialized behavior patterns of this activity are enumerated