Agra, arboreal beetles of Neotropical forests: feisthameli group systematics (Carabidae)

Abstract. This paper is the sixth in a series designed to cover taxonomically all species groups of Agra , whose cumulative ranges extend from southernmost Texas to northernmost Argentina. The feisthameli, mixta, virgata and ohausi groups constitute the Feisthameli Section of the genus. The feisthameli group consists of seventeen species which have a composite range extending from Guatemala to Bolivia and southeastern Brazil.
Among this group, nine new species are described from the following type localities: chapada (BRAZIL, Chapada de GuimaráTes), phite (BOLIVIA, Provencia de Gutierrez), para (BRAZIL, Pará), rubra (BRAZIL, Para, SáTo Félix do Xingu), dation (BRAZIL, Minas Gerais, Teófilo Otoni), tuitis (PERU, San Martin, Tarapoto), memnon (BRAZIL, Espírito Santo, SáTo Mateus), lata (BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz), magdalena (COLOMBIA, Santander). A dot map illustrates the range of each taxon.
Distribution and relationships are discussed in general, but detailed cladistic analysis is deferred until taxonomy of other sections is completed. Species distributions correspond in part to pleistocene refuges suggested by other authors based on other classes of organisms; however, more species occur outside such centres than in them.     

Agra, arboreal beetles of Neotropical forests: mixta group, virgata group, and ohausi group systematics (Carabidae)

Abstract. This paper is the fifth in a series designed to cover taxono-mically all species-groups of the lebiine genus Agra , whose cumulative ranges extend from southernmost Texas to northernmost Argentina. The mixta, virgata, feisthameli and ohausi groups constitute Section Feisthameli of the genus, and a key to these groups is provided. The mixta group consists of two species which have a composite range extending from southeastern Brazil to middle Mexico; the virgata group consists of nine species which have a composite range extending from southeastern Brazil to Guatemala; and the ohausi group consists of four species which have a composite range restricted to southeastern Brazil. The speciose feisthameli group is covered in a separate paper.
Among the three groups in the present paper, eleven new species are described from the following type localities: perkinsorum (MEXICO, Nayarit, 17.6 km southwest of Compostela), vate (MEXICO, Veracruz, Los Tuxtlas, La Playa Escondida), nola (REPUBLIC OF PANAMA, Panama, Cerro Campana), cadabra (EQUADOR, Pichincha, 47 km south of Santo Domingo de los Colorados, Rio Palenque Station), chocha (WEST INDIES, Trinidad, Arima Valley), phainops (FRENCH GUIANA, Pariacabo), imaginis (BRAZIL, Goias, Jatahy), inca (PERU, Madre de Dios, Rio Tambopata Reserve, 30 km (air) southwest of Puerto Maldonado), itatiaya (BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro, Parque Nacional Itatiaya), calamitas (BRAZIL, Bahia, Itamaraju), anthrax (BRAZIL, Espirito Santo, Parque Socretama). A dot map illustrates the range of each taxon.
Distribution and relationships are discussed in general, but detailed cladistic and biogeographic analysis is deferred until taxonomy of the four groups of Section Feisthameli is completed. Species distribution correspond to Pleistocene refuges suggested by other authors based on other groups and classes of organisms.     

Rainforest understory beetles of the Neotropics, Mizotrechus Bates 1872, a generic synopsis with descriptions of new species from Central America and northern South America (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Perigonini)

Information on the single previously described species, Mizotrechus novemstriatus Bates 1872 (type locality: Brazil - Amazonas, Tefé), is updated and 17 new species for the genus from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyane are described. The species records in the literature and on determined specimens in some collections of Mizotrechus novemstriatus Bates from Central America are not that species; currently, Mizotrechus novemstriatus is known only from its type locality in Amazonian Brazil. For the new species described, their known general distributions are as follows: Mizotrechus batesisp. n. (Guyane), Mizotrechus bellorumsp. n. (Guyane), Mizotrechus bruleisp. n. (Guyane), Mizotrechus belevederesp. n. (Guyane), Mizotrechus costaricensissp. n. (Costa Rica), Mizotrechus dalensisp. n. (Guyane), Mizotrechus edithpiafaesp. n. (provenance unknown), Mizotrechus fortunensissp. n. (Panamá), Mizotrechus gorgona. sp. n. (Colombia), Mizotrechus grossussp. n. (Guyane), Mizotrechus jefesp. n. (Panamá), Mizotrechus marielaforetaesp. n. (Guyane), Mizotrechus minutussp. n. (Guyane), Mizotrechus neblinensissp. n. (Guyane, Venezuela), Mizotrechus poirierisp. n. (Guyane), and Mizotrechus woldaisp. n. (Panamá). Long-term use of flight intercept traps in Guyane provided so many new species that apparently the use of FITs is the way to collect adults of this taxon, previously known from very few specimens. Many more species of this genus can be expected to be discovered throughout the Neotropics; the present contribution is a preliminary synopsis with identification key and adult images of all known species. Likely numerous species are yet to be discovered throughout tropical climes.     

Parasitism of Neotropical Tiger Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) by Anthrax (Diptera: Bombyliidae)

Bee flies (Bombyliidae) were recorded as parasitoids of larval tiger beetles at two rain forest localities (near São Paulo and Manaus) in Brazil. Anthrax gideon was reared from larvae of Oxycheila tristis. Up to 33 parasitoid larvae were found on a single tiger beetle host. Pupation of the bee fly took place in late August and the pupal stage lasted 14 days. The host digs horizontal burrows in contrast to the great majority of cicindelids, as does Pseudoxycheila tarsalis, the other known host of A. gideon. Two pupae of another undetermined Anthrax species were reared from larvae of Pentacomia ventralis in Central Amazonia. Pupation of this Anthrax sp. took place in October, the period of lowest host abundance.     

Temporal and Spatial Diversity and Distribution of Arboreal Carabidae (Coleoptera) in a Western Amazonian Rain Forest1

Diversity of arboreal carabid beetles was sampled by fumigation in 100 3 × 3 m stations within a 100 × 1000 m terra firme forest plot in Ecuadorian Amazonia. Nine sampling dates from January 1994 to October 1996 yielded 2329 individuals belonging to 318 species of which more than 50 percent were undescribed species. A high percentage of the species sampled were rare; the proportion that occurred once per sampling date (singletons) ranged from 50.0 to 62.5 percent. Estimates of species richness were from 82 to 282 species of arboreal carabids in the study plot on a given sampling date. Most richness values were greater than 173 species. Species accumulation curves attained asymptotes for all but one sampling date, indicating that an adequate level of sampling effort was used to characterize the diversity of carabid fauna. Total accumulation curves based on pooled data failed to reach asymptotes. There was a high turnover in species composition between sampling dates; less than 50 percent of the species between the majority of sampling dates were shared, suggesting that the total species pool may be extremely large. Although species composition changed seasonally, species richness varied little. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that the structure of this species assemblage was significantly patterned at distances below 280 m. Taken together, the large percentage of undescribed species, die failure of the overall species accumulation curves to level off, and the high turnover in species composition indicate that the species diversity of carabid beetles is far higher than previously thought.     

The effects of forestry on carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in boreal forests

As compared to natural forests, managed boreal forests are younger, more homogeneous in terms of tree age and species composition, and consist of smaller fragments. Here we examine the effects of such characteristics caused by forestry on carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the boreal region. The main results are the following. (1) Fragmentation of forests and the size of a fragment appear not to be crucial for the survival of the majority of forest carabids, as they tend to be distributed over various successional stages, but species requiring old-growth habitats suffer. (2) For carabids there appear to be no or very few edge specialist species, and forest-open land edges appear to be effective barriers for species associated with forest or open habitat. However, generalist species easily cross the edge, and edges of forest fragments may be invaded by species from the surrounding open habitat. (3) Habitat change following clear-cutting dramatically changes the composition of carabid assemblages: species restricted to mature forests disappear and open-habitat species invade, while habitat generalists survive at least in the short term. Carabid diversity can probably best be maintained if forest management mimics natural processes, maintains natural structures and includes the natural composition of vegetation and other structural elements (such as dead wood) within the stands, provided that these forest features can be maintained and recreated through forest management practices. At a larger scale, the whole spectrum of forest types and ages (especially old-growth forests), and different successional processes (especially fire) should be maintained. These require the development and use of innovative logging methods, and the planning, implementation, and assessment of landscape-scale ecological management strategies.     

Review of subtribe Singilina Jeannel, 1949, of the Middle East and Central Asia (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini)

Species of the genus Singilis Rambur, 1837 (Phloeozeteus Peyron, 1856, syn. n., Agatus Motschulsky, 1845, syn. n.), occurring in the Middle East and Central Asia are reviewed, with 24 species now recognized in the region, including ten species described as new: Singilis makarovi sp. n. (Tajikistan), Singilis jedlickai sp. n. (Afghanistan), Singilis kolesnichenkoi sp. n. (Iran), Singilis kabakovi sp. n. (Afghanistan, Iran), Singilis timuri sp. n. (Uzbekistan), Singilis klimenkoi sp. n. (Iran), Singilis saeedi sp. n. (Iran), Singilis felixi sp. n. (UAE), Singilis kryzhanovskii sp. n. (Iran, Turkmenistan), and Singilis timidus sp. n. (Iran); Singilis libani (Sahlberg, 1913) is recognized as a valid species; and Singilis solskyi nom. n. is proposed as a replacement name for Agatus bicolor (Solsky, 1874, not Rambur 1837), now placed in Singilis as junior homonym. New synonymies include: Singilis cingulatus (Gebler, 1843) = Singilis jakeschi Jedlička, 1967, syn. n.; Singilis mesopotamicus Pic, 1901 = Singilis apicalis Jedlička, 1956, syn. n. A key to species is provided. Habitus and aedeagal illustrations are provided for all species. Distributional data include many new country records.     

Results from two sampling techniques for carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in temporarily flooded and terra firme rainforest of western Amazonia

Carabidae beetles (Coleoptera) were sampled by flight intercept traps (FITs) and hand sampling in the understory of a lowland rainforest in eastern Ecuador. Sampling occurred in June and July of 2011 and 2012 at 24 sites within temporarily flooded forest (FP) and non-flooded terra firme (TF) forest. A total of 674 Carabidae (excluding Cicindelinae) individuals, representing 18 tribes, 50 genera and 133 morphospecies, were collected. Significantly more individuals were collected by hand compared to FITs, particularly by hand in FP forests. After correction through sample-based rarefaction there are no significant differences in species richness between sampling methods and forest types. Ordination and dissimilarity analysis show FITs and hand sampling target different portions of the Carabidae community. Understanding sampling biases for various sampling methods and how it may be affected by forest type will result in more accurate and efficient surveys in tropical forests.     

Mandibles and labrum-epipharynx of tiger beetles: basic structure and evolution (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelitae)

Using for comparison with, and as outgroups for, supertribe Cicindelitae, we describe and illustrate the mandibles and labrum-epipharynx of the basal geadephagans Trachypachus gibbsii LeConte, 1861 (family Trachypachidae), and family Carabidae: Pelophila rudis (LeConte, 1863) (supertribe Nebriitae, tribe Pelophilini) and Ceroglossus chilensis (Eschscholtz, 1829) (supertribe Carabitae, tribe Ceroglossini). The range and pattern of variation in structure of mandibles and labrum-epipharynx within the supertribe Cicindelitae was assessed using scanning-electron (SEM) images of these structures in nine exemplar taxa: Amblycheila baroni (Rivers, 1890), Omus californicus (Eschscholtz, 1829) and Picnochile fallaciosa (Chevrolat, 1854) (representing the Amblycheilini); Manticora tuberculata (DeGeer, 1778) (representing the Manticorini): Tetracha carolina (Linnaeus, 1767) (representing the Megacephalini); Pogonostoma chalybeum (Klug, 1835) (representing the Collyridini); and Therates basalis Dejean, 1826, Oxycheila species, and Cicindela longilabris Say, 1824 (representing the Cicindelini). An evolutionary transformation series was postulated for the mandibles and labrum-epipharynx, based on a reconstructed phylogenetic sequence, which, in turn, was based on morphological and DNAevidence.Principal features of the transformation series for the mandibles included development of a densely setose basal face; wide quadridentate retinaculum; a lengthened incisor tooth; a multidentate terebra (one to five teeth; two-three most frequent), followed by subsequent loss of one or more such teeth; development of a diastema in the occlusal surface; development and subsequent loss of scrobal setae, and reduction and loss of the scrobe. Principal features of the transformation series for the labrum included evolution of form from transverse, sub-rectangular to elongate almost square, to triangular; position and number of setae evolved from dorsal to insertion on the apical margin, the number increased from 8-10 to as many as 36, and decreased to as few as four. The epipharynx broadened evolutionarily, the pedium evolving in form from narrow, triangular and nearly flat, to broad, palatiform, and markedly convex; anterior parapedial setae both increased and decreased in number, and in orientation, from a row parallel to the parapedial ridge to a setal row extended forward at about a right angle to the latter.     

Mariapanteles (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), a new genus of Neotropical microgastrine parasitoid wasp discovered through biodiversity inventory

A new genus of microgastrine parasitoid wasps, Mariapanteles Whitfield & Fernández-Triana, gen. n., is described from rain forests of the Neotropics. The new genus is related to the common and speciose genus Pseudapanteles, but can be distinguished from the latter by having a complete transverse carina on the propodeum which forks around the spiracles. A molecular analysis based on data from COI from specimens of the proposed new genus plus possibly related genera confirms its generic distinctness. A key to two known species, Mariapanteles felipei Whitfield, sp. n. (Costa Rica) and Mariapanteles dapkeyae Fernández-Triana, sp. n. (Brazil) is provided. Evidence from collections suggests that there are other undescribed Neotropical congenerics. Specimens of Mariapanteles were likely confused in the past with the genus Beyarslania (referred to as Xenogaster until recently) but present information suggests that Beyarslania is restricted to the Afrotropical region while the Neotropical species clearly belong to a different genus, which we propose as new.     

中国沟胸步甲属分类研究及一新种描述(鞘翅目： 步甲科： 壶步甲族)

【目的】沟胸步甲属Holcoderus属于鞘翅目(Coleoptera)步甲科(Carabidae)壶步甲族(Lebiini)。本研究旨在对该属在中国分布的各个种进行分类厘定。【方法】基于中国科学院动物研究所的馆藏标本以及欧洲多家博物馆的模式标本,采用形态比较学方法开展研究。【结果】共发现中国沟胸步甲属5种,其中包括新种1种(双毛沟胸步甲H. bisetus sp. n.,模式产地：云南西双版纳),中国新纪录种3种(雅沟胸步甲H. gracilis、绿沟胸步甲H. smaragdinus和红腿沟胸步甲H. aeripennis)。提供了中国所有种类的形态描述及特征图,并编制了分种检索表。【结论】至此,我国所分布的沟胸步甲属物种从此前记录的1种增加至5种。     

Gap felling as a forest harvesting method in boreal forests: responses of carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

In order to study the ecological effects of logging combined with mechanical soil preparation, we sampled carabid beetles with pitfall trapping in nine spruce-dominated stands in central Finland in 1995–1998. Three of the stands were left intact as controls. Three 1600-m² openings per stand were logged in the winter 1995–1996 into six stands. In three of these stands, light soil preparation was applied. Logging affected the species assemblages, but soil preparation per se had no clear effects. Open-habitat species increased in abundance in the openings one year after logging, but catches of generalist species in the different treatments did not differ from each other. A forest species, Calathus micropterus , was least abundant in the prepared openings. The amounts of logging residue, exposed mineral soil and aggregated humus, as well as the abundance of red wood ants, significantly explained variation in carabid assemblages.     

Effects of pitfall trap size and sampling duration on collection of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in temperate forests

Pitfall trapping is a standard sampling method to compare the abundance or community structure of ground beetles. However, effects of sampling duration on biodiversity estimation of ground beetles according to different trap sizes have not been experimentally evaluated in temperate forests in Korea. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the interaction between trap sizes (SB, small‐sized bottle; MB, medium‐sized bottle; PC, plastic cup; PJ, plastic jar; PT, perforated type trap; FT, funnel‐type trap) and sampling duration (T1, 2 weeks × 2 sessions, 28 days; T2, 2 weeks × 4 sessions, 56 days; T3, 4 weeks × 2 sessions, 56 days) on estimation of ground beetle assemblages in Naejangsan National Park, a temperate forest in Korea. Funnel type and larger pitfall traps collected higher numbers of individuals and species than other trap sizes. Species composition of ground beetles was different by size of traps (SB, MB, and PC vs. PJ, PT, and FT). In particular, ground beetle composition in larger traps (PJ, PT, and FT) appeared to be influenced by environmental characteristics according to localities (e.g., soil characters and dominant tree species). These findings from our study support that pitfall trapping of ground beetles can be influenced by trap sizes per se as well as sampling durations and environmental characteristics. Thus, biodiversity monitoring in temperate forests should be conducted with long sampling duration (at least 28 days) using large‐sized traps (> 7.5 cm in diameter of trap mouthpart) considering expenses and study aims.     

Landscape patterns of species-level association between ground-beetles and overstory trees in boreal forests of western Canada (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

Spatial associations between species of trees and ground-beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) involve many indirect ecological processes, likely reflecting the function of numerous forest ecosystem components. Describing and quantifying these associations at the landscape scale is basic to the development of a surrogate-based framework for biodiversity monitoring and conservation. In this study, we used a systematic sampling grid covering 84 km(2) of boreal mixedwood forest to characterize the ground-beetle assemblage associated with each tree species occurring on this landscape. Projecting the distribution of relative basal area of each tree species on the beetle ordination diagram suggests that the carabid community is structured by the same environmental factors that affects the distribution of trees, or perhaps even by trees per se. Interestingly beetle species are associated with tree species of the same rank order of abundance on this landscape, suggesting that conservation of less abundant trees will concomitantly foster conservation of less abundant beetle species. Landscape patterns of association described here are based on characteristics that can be directly linked to provincial forest inventories, providing a basis that is already available for use of tree species as biodiversity surrogates in boreal forest land management.     

The effects of green tree retention and subsequent prescribed burning on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in boreal pine-dominated forests

We studied how two methods to promote biodiversity in managed forests, i.e. green tree retention and prescribed fire, affect the assemblages of carabid beetles. Our experiment consisted of 24 study sites, each 3–5 ha in size, which had been prepared according to factorial design. Each of the eight treatment combinations determined by the two factors explored – tree retention level (0, 10, 50 m³/ha^?1 and uncut controls) and prescribed use of fire (yes/no) – was replicated three times. We sampled carabids using pitfall traps one year after the treatments. Significantly more individuals were caught in most of the burned sites, but this difference was partially reflective of the trap‐catches of Pterostichus adstrictus. The fire did not increase no. of P. adstrictus in the uncut sites as much as in the other sites. Species richness was significantly affected by both factors, being higher in the burned than in the unburned sites and in the harvested than in the unharvested sites. Many species were concentrated in the groups of retention trees in the burned sites, but only a few were in the unburned sites. The species turnover was greater in the burned than in the unburned sites, as indicated by the NMDS ordinations. Greater numbers of smaller sized species and proportion of brachypterous species were present in the burned sites. Fire‐favored species, and also the majority of other species that prefer open habitats were more abundantly caught in the burned sites than in the unburned sites. Dead wood or logging waste around the traps did not correlate with the occurrence of species. We conclude that carabids are well adapted to disturbances, and that frequent use of prescribed fire is essential for the maintenance of natural assemblages of carabid beetles in the boreal forest. Small retention tree groups can not maintain assemblages of uncut forest, but they can be important by providing food, shelter and breeding sites for many species, particularly in the burned sites.