Body temperatures of Namib Desert tenebrionid beetles: their relationship in laboratory and field

Abstract The body temperatures of six apterous species of Namib Desert tenebrionid beetles were measured continuously with indwelling thermocouples under laboratory conditions and in the field. The range of body temperatures selected was within the upper half of their 'tolerated range', which we defined as the temperatures lying between measured critical thermal maximum and critical thermal minimum. In the field, individuals also maintained their body temperatures within the upper half of the 'tolerated range'. These beetles maintained higher body temperatures than those recorded for any other ectothermic insect. Three of the six species maintained lower body temperatures in the field than they selected in the laboratory. The other three species showed no significant difference between field and laboratory body temperatures. We conclude that these beetles are not forced by biotic or abiotic factors to adopt thermal niches which present them with physiological difficulties.     

The reproductive behavior of six species of Namib desert tenebrionid beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

The reproductive behavior of six species of tenebrionid beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) was studied in the Namib Desert of southern Africa. In three species, males follow closely behind females (following behavior), while in the other three species, males mount females and remain clasped to them for extended periods (riding behavior). Following behavior occurs before and sometimes after copulation, while riding behavior occurs primarily after copulation. Males of all six species guard females from contesting males, although the effectiveness of guarding is greater in riding species. The evolution of the two male mating strategies does not appear to be related to operational sex ratio differences but, rather, to differential tendencies of females to remate. Variation in total pair duration within following and riding species may be attributed partly to species differences in operational sex ratio. However, pair durations are not affected by experimental manipulations of sex ratio in each species.     

The genus Alphitobius Stephens (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae, Alphitobiini) in Africa and adjacent islands

All species of the genus Alphitobius Stephens, 1829 (Alphitobiini Reitter, 1917, subfamily Tenebrioninae Latreille, 1802) from Africa and adjacent islands are revised. New species: Alphitobius capitaneus sp. n. from Kenya. New synonyms: Cryptops ulomoides Solier, 1851, syn. n. of Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1796); Alphitobius rufus Ardoin, 1976, syn. n. of Alphitobius hobohmi Koch, 1953); Peltoides (Micropeltoides) crypticoides Pic, 1916, syn. n. of Peltoides (Micropeltoides) opacus (Gerstaecker, 1871), comb. n. Homonym: Alphitobius ulomoides Koch, 1953 = Alphitobius arnoldi nom. n. New combinations from Alphitobius: Ulomoides basilewskyi (Ardoin, 1969), comb. n.; Peltoides (Micropeltoides) opacus (Gerstaecker, 1871), comb. n. Figures of all examined species are added and a species key is compiled.     

Species distribution,ecology, abundance,body size and phylogeny originate interrelated rarity patterns at regional scale

The most pervasive macroecological patterns concern (1) the frequency distribution of range size, (2) the relationship between range size and species abundance and (3) the effect of body size on range size. We investigated these patterns at a regional scale using the tenebrionid beetles of Latium (Central Italy). For this, we calculated geographical range size (no. of 10‐km square cells), ecological tolerance (no. of phytoclimatic units) and abundance (no. of sampled individuals) using a large database containing 3561 georeferenced records for 84 native species. For each species, we also calculated body mass and its ‘phylogenetic diversity’ on the basis of cladistic relationships. Frequency distribution of range size followed a log‐normal distribution as found in many other animal groups. However, a log‐normal distribution accommodated well the frequency distribution of ecological tolerance, a so far unexplored issue. Range size was correlated with abundance and ecological tolerance, thus supporting the hypothesis that a positive correlation between distribution and abundance is a reflection of interspecific differences in ecological specialization. Larger species tended to have larger ranges and broader ecological tolerance. However, contrary to what known in most vertebrates, not only small‐sized, but also many medium‐to‐large‐sized species exhibited great variability in their range size, probably because tenebrionids are not so strictly influenced by body size constraints (e.g. home ranges) as vertebrates. Moreover, in contrast to other animals, tenebrionid body size does not influence species abundances, probably because these detritivorous animals are not strongly regulated by competition. Finally, contrary to the assumption that rare species should be mainly found among lineages that split from basal nodes, rarity of a tenebrionid species was not influenced by the phylogenetic position of its tribe. However, lineages that split from more basal nodes had lower variability in terms of species geographical distribution, ecological tolerance and abundance, which suggests that lineages that split from more basal nodes are not only morphologically conservative but also tend to have an ecological ‘inertia’.     

中国细甲族二新纪录属及二新种记述(鞘翅目,拟步甲科)

记述中国细甲族2新纪录属和2新种,前者是四脊细甲属Tetranillus Wasmann,1899和印细甲属Induchillus Koch,1941,后者是长四脊细甲T longicarinatus sp.nov.(西藏拉萨)和隆颊印细甲I.convexigena sp.nov.(西藏拉萨).给出了已知种检索表.模式标本保存于河北大学博物馆.1长四脊细甲,新种Tetranillus longicarinatus sp.nov.(图3～12,23)体长5.4～6.2 mm,宽1.6～1.8 mm.正模♂,西藏拉萨,3 380 m,2003-08-23,任国栋采;副模5♂♂,2♀♀,记录同正模.新种与T.costatus Wasmann,1899(印度,马哈拉施特)相近,两者主要区别:前者头部中脊较侧脊长;触角第4～9节长明显大于宽;前胸背板长于宽1.29倍;鞘翅长于宽2.0倍,肩角尖小且后突.词源:种名意指头部中脊长于侧脊.2隆颊印细甲,新种Induchillus convexigena sp.nov.(图13～22,24)体长3.6～4.1 mm,宽1.1～1.2 mm.正模♂,西藏拉萨,3 380 m,2003-08-23,任国栋采;副模5♂♂,4♀♀,记录同正模.新种与分布印度安达曼岛的J.andamanus Kaszab,1981相近,两者主要区别:前者头卵圆形并有模糊刻点;前胸背板长宽近等,镶嵌稠密粗刻点;鞘翅第2脊中部较基部低矮;缘折刻点向后渐变细.词源:种名意指后颊隆起.     

Anonymous single‐copy nuclear DNA (scnDNA) markers for two endemic log‐dwelling beetles: Apasis puncticeps and Adelium calosomoides (Tenebrionidae: Lagriinae: Adeliini)

Three approaches — microsatellite library screening, consensus primer PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and sequencing with arbitrary primer pairs (SWAPP) — were used to develop single‐copy nuclear DNA (scnDNA) markers for log‐dwelling beetles Apasis puncticeps and Adelium calosomoides. We are unaware of other nuclear markers for Adeliini. We tested > 70 primer pairs per species, but despite exhaustive optimization, we obtained only five polymorphic markers. Nonetheless, the markers are valuable in detection of effects of habitat fragmentation.     

Notes of the genus Chlorophila Semenow with descriptions of two new species from China (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Lagriinae: Lagriini: Statiriina)

The genus Chlorophila Semenow, 1891 is reviewed with all known eight species worldwide in this present paper. Two new species, Chlorophila carinadorsum sp. n. and Chlorophila longicornia sp. n. are described. Four known species are described again from freshly collected specimens. The diagnostic characters of, and a key to all known eight species are provided.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8DFE3353-9B83-4950-ACE9-918A42017C56.