Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) is recorded for the first time from Belize. Detailed information on its capture in that country is presented.  Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) est signalée pour la première fois de Belize. Des informations détaillées sur sa capture dans cette pays sont présentées ici

Gillett, Conrad P. D. T.

English

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Insecta Mundi Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida 12-2009 A new country record for Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) in Central America Conrad P. D. T. Gillett National Zoological Collections of Suriname, conradgillett@hotmail.com Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi  Part of the Entomology Commons Gillett, Conrad P. D. T., "A new country record for Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) in Central America" (2009). Insecta Mundi. 632. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/632 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Insecta Mundi by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. CENTER FOR SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY, INC., Gainesville, FLA new country record for Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) in Central AmericaConrad P. D. T. GillettNationale Zoölogische Collectie van Suriname,Universiteitscomplex Leysweg,Postbus 9212, Paramaribo, SurinameDate of Issue: December 11, 2009INSECTAMUNDI A Journal of World Insect Systematics0108Conrad P. D. T. GillettA new country record for Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae:Rutelinae) in Central AmericaInsecta Mundi 0108: 1-3Published in 2009 byCenter for Systematic Entomology, Inc.P. O. Box 141874Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 U. S. A.http://www.centerforsystematicentomology.org/Insecta Mundi is a journal primarily devoted to insect systematics, but articles can be published onany non-marine arthropod taxon. Manuscripts considered for publication include, but are not limited to,systematic or taxonomic studies, revisions, nomenclatural changes, faunal studies, book reviews, phylo-genetic analyses, biological or behavioral studies, etc. Insecta Mundi is widely distributed, and refer-enced or abstracted by several sources including the Zoological Record, CAB Abstracts, etc.As of 2007, Insecta Mundi is published irregularly throughout the year, not as quarterly issues. Asmanuscripts are completed they are published and given an individual number. Manuscripts must bepeer reviewed prior to submission, after which they are again reviewed by the editorial board to insurequality. One author of each submitted manuscript must be a current member of the Center for System-atic Entomology.Managing editor: Paul E. Skelley, e-mail: insectamundi@gmail.comProduction editor: Michael C. Thomas, e-mail: insectamundi@gmail.comEditorial board: J. H. Frank, M. J. PaulsenSubject editors: J. Eger, A. Rasmussen, F. Shockley, G. Steck, A. Van Pelt, J. ZaspelPrinted copies deposited in libraries of:CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaMuseu de Zoologia, São Paulo, BrazilAgriculture and Agrifood Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaThe Natural History Museum, London, EnglandMuzeum i Instytut Zoologii Pan, Warsaw, PolandNational Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanCalifornia Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USAFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, USAField Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USAElectronic copies in PDF format:Printed CD mailed to all members at end of year.Florida Center for Library Automation: http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/insectamundiUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/Author instructions available on the Insecta Mundi page at:http://www.centerforsystematicentomology.org/insectamundi/Printed Copy ISSN 0749-6737On-Line ISSN 1942-1354CD-ROM ISSN 1942-136210108: 1-3 2009A new country record for Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) in Central AmericaConrad P. D. T. GillettNationale Zoölogische Collectie van Suriname,Universiteitscomplex Leysweg,Postbus 9212, Paramaribo, Suriname conradgillett@hotmail.comAbstract. Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) is recorded for the first time from Belize. Detailed information on itscapture in that country is presented.Résumé. Chrysina diversa (Ohaus, 1912) est signalée pour la première fois de Belize. Des informations détailléessur sa capture dans cette pays sont présentées ici.Key words. Belize, Cayo, Las Cuevas Research Station, scarab beetle, jewel scarab, shining leaf chaferIntroductionThe ruteline scarab beetle genus Chrysina Kirby is composed of approximately 100 species (Hawks2001) distributed from the southwestern United States to Ecuador, with over 90% of these species occur-ring in Mexico and Central America. Several species have been described recently, with at least 35 specieshaving been described in the last 20 years since Morón’s iconographic summary (Morón 1990). A highdiversity of Chrysina species is especially present in upland cloud forest areas or pine-oak forests, andthere is often a high degree of local endemism. This high diversity is especially apparent along the centralspine of cordilleras running the length of Central America, with a reduced diversity in lowland areas (seemaps in Morón 1990). One area of predominantly low elevation is the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico andthe neighbouring country of Belize. Hitherto only a single species of Chrysina has been recorded fromBelize: C. purulhensis Warner and Monzón, which was described from specimens collected in the Guate-malan departments of Baja Verapaz and Alta Verapaz, in addition to specimens from the Cayo district ofBelize (Warner and Monzón 1993). The Belizian locality for the paratypes of C. purulhensis is in theMountain Pine Ridge, which, at an altitude of approximately 1000 m, represents the highest relief in thatcountry. It is an area of pine-oak woodland which has since been devastated by the scolytine Dendroctonusfrontalis Zimmermann (personal observation, June 2006). Several more specimens of C. purulhensis(belonging to two color forms) were subsequently recorded from the area (Thomas 2008).A second species of Chrysina can now be added to the Belizian fauna with the recent discovery of C.diversa (Ohaus, 1912) in the Maya mountains of Cayo district. The present record relates to four speci-mens of C. diversa which James Kitson and I collected in June 2006 while undertaking postgraduatefieldwork in Belize. The label data of these specimens and an additional older specimen from Belize, nowhoused in the Natural History Museum, London, are detailed below.Material examinedCollection acronyms are as follows:BMNH - The Natural History Museum, London, UKMGCB - Michael P.T. Gillett collection, Birmingham, UKJKCE - James Kitson collection, Edinburgh, UK1 male (with parameres dissected and mounted on card): BELIZE (Cayo), Chiquibul Forest Reserve, LasCuevas Research Station, 16o44’N 88o59’W, June 2006, BMNH{E} 2006-141, C. Gillett & J. Kitson(BMNH), illustrated in Figure 1.1 female: BELIZE (Cayo), Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas Research Station, 16o44’N 88o59’W,June 2006, J. Kitson coll. (JKCE).2 • INSECTA MUNDI 0107, December 2009 GILLETT1 male and 1 female: BELIZE (Cayo), ChiquibulForest Reserve, Las Cuevas Research Station,16o44’N 88o59’W, 500m Tropical rainforest,June 2006, C. Gillett leg., M.P.T. Gillett coll.(MGCB).1 male (with parameres dissected and mountedon card): Belize: Cayo, Las Cuevas/ 23.vi.95,A. Howe/ V0831/ Belize, 1995, Chiquibul For-est Res., Las Cuevas field station, 88o59’W;16o44’N, BMNH{E} 2005-78/ Chrysina diversaOhaus, det. B.C. Ratcliffe 2007 (BMNH)DiscussionThe four specimens collected in June 2006 wereall collected at light on the night of the 12th ofJune. The circumstances relating to their captureare worth recounting here. During the first twoand a half weeks of June 2006, James Kitson andI collected beetles every night from a mercuryvapor light set up on the side of the main buildingof the Las Cuevas Research Station. We also col-lected at the many lights around the various build-ings in the vicinity and, during the last week, ata second mercury vapor light set up approximately500 m away along the road leading to the station.No specimens of C. diversa were collected at anyof these lights throughout that time, although theoverall scarab beetle diversity was substantial (C.Gillett personal observation). However, during oneevening of light rain we were able to take a rela-tively weak actinic bulb (powered from a portablebattery pack) approximately 1 km along a path deep into the forest to where a small natural clearing hadbeen made by a fallen tree. Here we set up a sheet and were able to collect the four specimens detailedabove within 2 or 3 hours before 21:00. Very few other Coleoptera were collected together with the C.diversa in the forest. Las Cuevas is situated at approximately 500 m altitude in an area of tropicalevergreen forest that experiences an annual wet season beginning around May/June which coincided withour sampling. During most days in early- to mid-June, Las Cuevas experienced anywhere from half anhour to several hours of rain, most notably during the late afternoon before nightfall. Although oursamples were small, it is possible that the species may prefer the deep cover of forest at the site, onlyrarely venturing out into clearings.Chrysina diversa has been recorded only from the following Mexican states: Chiapas, Oaxaca andVeracruz (Morón 1990). It is apparently common in Mexico, being widely distributed in evergreen tropicalforests between 50 m and 800 m in the aforementioned states (Morón et al. 1997). The present recordextends the distribution of this species considerably to the east, posing the question of whether it may oneday be discovered in the intervening area of northern Guatemala (particularly in the Departments of ElPetén and Alta Verapaz). It also suggests the possibility that further species of Chrysina may awaitdiscovery in Belize, which has received comparatively little attention from entomologists. The remotearea of the Maya mountains to the southwest of Las Cuevas would appear to offer the greatest probabilityof new discoveries. The ruteline scarab fauna of Las Cuevas unsurprisingly contains several specieshaving distributions extending from the tropical southern Mexican states - e.g. Macropoides crassipes(Horn) and Macropoidelimus mniszechi (Sallé), in addition to more widespread species found throughoutCentral America (e.g. Chasmodia collaris Blanchard) and more localized species narrowly shared onlywith neighbouring Guatemala (e.g. Epichalcoplethis monzoni Soula). It thus will not be wholly surpris-Figure 1. Male Chrysina diversa (Ohaus) collected atthe Las Cuevas Research Station, Cayo, Belize, scale inmillimeters. Photograph by Harry Taylor.INSECTA MUNDI 0108, December 2009 • 3A NEW COUNTRY RECORD FOR CHRYSINA DIVERSAing if additional species of Chrysina belonging toany of these three distribution patterns may oneday be recorded in Belize. Species assemblages inthe genus Chrysina have been used in biogeographicstudies which have identified areas of endemismin Guatemala. As a result, it has been suggestedthat the study of Chrysina distributions should beconsidered during the prioritization of areas forconservation and/or protection in Central America(Schuster and Canio, 2006).AcknowledgmentsI thank the staff of the Belize Forest Depart-ment for assistance in obtaining research and ex-port permits. I am also grateful to Stefan Viggiani(Natural History Museum, London) and the Brit-ish Airways conservation scheme for generous as-sistance with travel, and Imperial College, Lon-don, for a bursary that allowed the fieldwork to beundertaken. I thank James Kitson (University ofEast Anglia, UK) for his companionship in the fieldwhile we completed our MSc. projects in Belize.My gratitude is extended to Ron Cave (Universityof Florida, USA) and to David Hawks (Universityof California) for generously taking the time to re-view this note, and to Harry Taylor (Natural His-tory Museum photographic unit) for the photo-graph.The research undertaken for this publicationwas possible through the following Belize ForestDepartment permits: Scientific collection/researchpermit, wildlife protection act No. 4/1981. Ref. No.CD/60/3/06 (15) 29th May 2006. Wildlife protectionact #4 of 1981 – section 15, permit to export faunaof Belize. Ref. No. CD/60/3/06 (38) 29th May 2006.Literature citedHawks, D. C. 2001. Taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in Chrysina and a synonymic checklist ofspecies (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae). Occasional Papers of the Consortium Coleopterorum 4: 1-8.Morón, M. A. 1990. Rutelini 1: Plusiotis - Chrysina - Chrysophora - Pelidnotopsis- Ectinoplectron. Thebeetles of the world 10. Sciences Nat; Venette, France. 145 p., 32 pl.Morón, M. A., B. C. Ratcliffe, and C. Deloya. 1997. Atlas de los escarabajos de México (Coleoptera:Lamellicornia). Vol 1. Familia Melolonthidae. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de laBiodiversidad (CONABIO) y Sociedad Mexicana de Entomologia; México. 280 p.Schuster, J. C., and E. B. Cano. 2006. What can Scarabaeoidea contribute to the knowledge of thebiogeography of Guatemala? Coleopterists Society Monograph 5:57–70.Thomas, D. 2008. Lavender Blue - An annotated checklist of the Chrysina of Belize. Scarabs 24:1-8.URL: http://www.museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/Newsletter/Scarabs24.pdfWarner, W. B., and J. Monzón. 1993. A new Plusiotis from Guatemala and Belize (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae). Insecta Mundi 7(1-2): 211-213.Received October 1, 2009; Accepted October 22, 2009.Figure 2. Approximate location of Las Cuevas ResearchStation in Belize (shown by black dot).4 • INSECTA MUNDI 0107, December 2009 GILLETT

A new country record for \u3ci\u3eChrysina diversa\u3c/i\u3e (Ohaus, 1912) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) in Central America

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A new country record for \u3ci\u3eChrysina diversa\u3c/i\u3e (Ohaus, 1912) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) in Central America

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