Review of the flower beetle genera Neophaedimus Lucas and Herculaisia Seillière (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) from East Asia

Two remarkable genera, Neophaedimus Lucas, 1870, and Herculaisia Seillière, 1910, that occur in China and Vietnam are reviewed. Neophaedimus castaneus Ma, 1989, n. syn. is regarded as a synonym of N. auzouxi Lucas, 1870. The genus Neophaedimus thus becomes monotypic again. N. auzouxi is newly recorded from Vietnam. Parameres of Herculaisia species, H. melaleuca (Fairmaire, 1899), originally described in Neophaedimus, and H. satanas Seillière, 1910, are illustrated for the first time. Presence in China of H. melaleuca, is confirmed, and its distribution in this country is specified. Color photographs of habitus and diagnostic characters for all species are provided, with comments on intraspecific variation. Lectotypes are designated for Neophaedimus melaleuca Fairmaire, 1899, and N. auzouxi Lucas, 1870, and distribution of each species is summarized.     

New data on the composition and distribution of the genus Leptomona Bechyné, 1958 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)

The leaf-beetle Leptomona russica (Gmelin, 1790) known from the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, and Middle Asia was found in Orenburg Province for the first time. It is the first record of this species from Europe and the first record of the genus Leptomona from European Russia. The diagnostic characters of the two Russian Leptomona species are included.     

Redefinition and taxonomic revision of the “buqueti” species-group,Dichotomius Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

On the basis of external morphology and genitalia of males, as well as a comparison between different species belonging to other groups of Dichotomius, we propose a redefinition of the “buqueti” species group separated by Luederwaldt (1929). Six species are excluded from this group and transferred to other groups: D. ribeiroi (Pereira, 1954) in the “cotopaxi” group; D. camposeabrai Martínez, 1974 in the “bitiensis” group; D. reclinatus (Felsche, 1901), D. horridus (Felsche, 1911), D. quadrinodosus (Felsche, 1901) and D. nimuendaju (Luederwaldt, 1925) (revalidated species) forming the newly defined “reclinatus” group. The other species kept in the “buqueti” group include D. buqueti (Lucas, 1857) from Brazil (lectotype here designated), D. haroldi (Waterhouse, 1891) from Argentina and D. nutans (Harold, 1867) from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. The taxonomic revision of the “buqueti” group are presented, including a history of the included species, a determination key, illustrations of the structures of external morphology, male genitalia and sclerites of the internal sac, and a distribution map.     

Elmidae (Coleoptera, Byrrhoidea) larvae in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: Identification key, new records and distribution

The family Elmidae Curtis, 1830 has cosmopolitan distribution and most species inhabit riffles on streams and rivers, hence the name “riffle beetle”. In recent years, this family has been featured in papers addressing the assessment and environmental monitoring of water quality. In Brazil, studies on the family remain scarce and the present investigation is a pioneering study in the state of São Paulo. This study aims to propose a taxonomic key for the identification of larvae of Elmidae genera known to occur in the State, as well as to report new records and the distribution of these genera. The material analyzed was collected from various locations in each of 15 drainage basins from 2005 to 2010. The identification key includes 12 genera (Austrolimnius Carter & Zeck, 1929, Heterelmis Sharp, 1882, Hexacylloepus Hinton, 1940, Hexanchorus Sharp, 1882, Huleechius Brown, 1981, Macrelmis Motschulsky, 1859, Microcylloepus Hinton, 1935, Neoelmis Musgrave, 1935, Phanocerus Sharp, 1882, Potamophilops Grouvelle, 1896, Stegoelmis Hinton, 1939 and Xenelmis Hinton, 1936) known in Brazil as well as three morphotypes designated herein as Genus A, Genus M and Genus X. The genus Hexanchorus is recorded for the first time in the state of São Paulo.     

New distribution and host records of chalcidoid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) in Espírito Santo,Brazil

Three species of chalcidoid parasitoids of scale insects are recorded for the first time in Brazil: Adelencyrtus moderatus, Homalopoda sp., and Diglyphomorpha sp.; and new parasitoid–host associations are recorded between the chalcidoids Encarsia lounsburyi with Hemiberlesia palmae, Encarsia lounsburyi with Melanaspis smilacis, and Diglyphomorpha sp. with Dysmicoccus brevipes.     

Ecology of black beetle,Heteronychus arator (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) — influence of temperature on feeding,growth, and survival of the larvae

Abstract

The influence Of temperature on the growth and survival of first-instar larvae of black beetle feeding in soil was examined. Similarly the consumption, utilisation, growth, and survival of second- and third-instar larvae feeding on carrot were investigated using gravimetric methods. Soil temperatures in the range 20–25° c were found to be necessary for optimum growth of all instars. First-instar larval growth increased exponentially over the temperature range 10–20°c. Third-instar larvae were tolerant of higher temperatures than second-instar larvae. The temperatures for optimum levels of consumption and utilisation of carrot varied between the instars.     

Ground Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in Forest Fragments of the Manawatu, New Zealand: Collapsed Assemblages?

Botanically diverse and well-maintained, protected forest fragments in the Manawatu area of the North Island of New Zealand contained very species-poor carabid assemblages. In a nearby large forest tract, the potential source area, nine species were caught in pitfall traps, while the largest forest remnant had two species, and a well-managed suburban forest patch had three species but only one with a potentially reproducing population. Lack of grazing and high botanical diversity was insufficient to maintain the potential carabid assemblage in these fragments. Predation risk and a low dispersal power in endemic New Zealand ground beetles, combined with fragment size and degree of isolation could contribute to this collapse. Active management of ground-active invertebrate species seems necessary to protect them in isolated forest fragments in New Zealand.     

Does the composition of Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera) communities reflect the extent of land use changes in the Brazilian Amazon?

Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) have been used to investigate the effects of environmental disturbances on forest structure and diversity. This group is recognized as sensitive to habitat perturbations and ecosystem changes. Here we examine the effects of anthropogenic impacts on Scarabaeidae composition, testing the following hypotheses: (1) Scarab beetle communities react to land use disturbances with predictable trends, (2) disturbed habitats are able to retain only a part of the Scarab beetle community of native forests or late secondary forests; (3) habitats largely differ in terms of species richness, taxonomic diversity and ecological composition, supporting exclusive and indicator species. We selected areas of native forest, agriculture, pasture for extensive livestock and secondary forests in different stages of regeneration. Our results show that the Scarabaeidae species were not indifferent to the gradient of structural changes represented by the studied areas. In fact, their patterns of habitat preference reveals communities more abundant and diverse in pristine habitats. In contrast, disturbed habitats, dominated by agricultural activities and pasture, indicated clear detrimental effects on the abundance of all forest Scarab beetle specialists. On the other hand, the generalist species, mainly associated with open environments, seemed to be favoured by the prevailing conditions induced by agricultural activities. Overall, the composition of the Scarab beetle communities is variable and sensitive to those structural gradients and, therefore, capable of responding as useful ecological indicators for assessing the extent of land use change or degradation.     

Occurrence and chemical diversity of the genus Bryoria in the Sučí Potok Valley, Veporské Vrchy Mountains (Central Slovakia)

Four species of the genus, Bryoria were found in the Sučí Potok Valley: B. capilaris (Ach.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., B. fuscescens (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., B. implexa (Hoffm.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., B. nadvornikiana (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksw. The most common species in the valley was B. implexa. Four chemotypes of this lichen were recognized.     

New records of rhodolith-forming species (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from deep water in Espírito Santo State, Brazil

Little is known about the diversity of non-geniculate coralline red algae (Rhodophyta, Corallinophycidae) from deep waters in Brazil. Most surveys undertaken in this country have been carried out in shallow waters. In 1994, however, the REVIZEE program surveyed the sustainable living resources potential of the Brazilian exclusive economic zone to depths of 500?m. In the present study, the rhodolith-forming coralline algae from the continental shelf of Espírito Santo State were identified. Samples were taken from 54 to 60?m depth by dredging during ship cruises in 1997. Three rhodolith-forming species were found: Spongites yendoi (Foslie) Chamberlain, Lithothamnion muelleri Lenormand ex Rosanoff and Lithothamnion glaciale Kjellman. These records extend the distribution ranges of these species into Brazilian waters and extend the depth distribution of non-geniculate coralline red algae into Brazilian water to 58?m.     

Occurrence of species of the genus Pityophthorus Eichhoff (Coleoptera,Curculionidae, Scolytinae) in?the?province of Quebec,Canada

Twig beetles in the genus Pityophthorus Eichhoff, 1864 include more than 300 species worldwide, with maximum diversity in tropical and subtropical regions. To date, approximately 50 species of Pityophthorus have been recorded in Canada, and these species are associated mainly with coniferous trees. Since 1981, no comprehensive study on this difficult taxonomic group has been conducted in Quebec, Canada, most likely due to their limited significance as forest pests. Based on data gathered from five years of field sampling in conifer seed orchards and compiled from various entomological collections, the distribution of Pityophthorus species in Quebec is presented. Approximately 291 new localities were recorded for the Pityophthorus species. Five species-group taxa, namely Pityophthorus puberulus (LeConte, 1868), Pityophthorus pulchellus pulchellus Eichhoff, 1869, Pityophthorus pulicarius (Zimmermann, 1868), Pityophthorus nitidus Swaine, 1917,and Pityophthorus cariniceps LeConte&Horn, 1876 were the most widespread. In contrast, Pityophthorus consimilis LeConte, 1878, Pityophthorus intextus Swaine, 1917, Pityophthorus dentifrons Blackman, 1922, Pityophthorus ramiperda Swaine, 1917, and Pityophthorus concavus Blackman, 1928 display a notably limited distribution. In addition, the first distribution records of Pityophthorus intextus and Pityophthorus biovalis Blackman, 1922 are furnished, and the subspecies Pityophthorus murrayanae murrayanae Blackman, 1922is reported from Quebec for the second time. Moreover, distribution maps are provided for all Pityophthorus species recorded in the province of Quebec.     

Revision of the Oriental genus Horniella Raffray (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae) – Supplementum 1

Two new species of the genus Horniella Raffray are described from China: Horniella aculeata sp. n. (Yunnan Province) and Horniella jinggangshana sp. n. (Jiangxi Province). Horniella nakhi Yin & Li is recorded from a new locality. Three potentially new species from Myanmar and China, each represented by female specimen(s) only, are left unnamed. Their collecting data are given, and the genital complex figured for future comparison.     

On the distribution and synonymy of some indo-malayan species of the chrysomelid genus Pagria Lefèvre, 1884 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae)

Pagria pseudograta sp. n. from Sri Lanka is described. Pagria flavopustulata and all its synonyms (Nodostoma kanaraense Jac., P. flavopustulata ab. bicolor Wse., P. signata grandis Chûjô, P. signata var. innotata Pic, and P. nodieri Pic) are placed to synonyms of P. grata Baly. Also, Nodostoma fulvipes Baly with the replacement name N. xanthopus Har., P. vignaphila Bry., and P. aeneicollis Lef. are synonymized with this species. Pagria bipunctata Lef. is placed to synonymy with P. signata (Motsch.). Nodostoma concolor Motsch. is transferred to the genus Pagria. Pagria laevifrons Jac., P. aenescens Jac. and P. recticollis Pic are transferred to the genus Cleoporus Lef. Pagria pallidicolor Pic is transferred to the genus Basilepta Baly. The drawings of the aedeagi of P. pseudograta sp. n. and P. ceylonica Pic are given. The distribution of a number of species is clarified.     

Revised concept of the genus Euryporus Erichson (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) and phylogenetic significance of Staphylinini from New Guinea

The Staphylinini rove beetle genus Euryporus Erichson from the subtribe Quediina is restricted to include only three species from the Western Palearctic region: Euryporus picipes (Paykull, 1800), Euryporus aeneiventris (Lucas, 1846), and Euryporus princeps Wollaston, 1864. Euryporus argentatus Fauvel, 1881, Euryporus warisensis Last, 1987 and Euryporus multicavus Last, 1980, which do not even belong to the subtribe Quediina, are excluded fromthe genus. Of these, two were transferred to different genera: Tympanophorus argentatus (Fauvel, 1881), comb. nov., from Sumatra;and Hesperus warisensis (Last, 1987), comb. nov.,from New Guinea. "Euryporus" multicavus could not be placed to any of the described genera of Staphylinini and is left as incertae sedis pending a broader study of the relevant fauna of this tribe in New Guinea and adjacent regions. The taxonomic history of Euryporus is reviewed, and an updated diagnosis of this genus is provided.     

New species of the genus Ortheziola ?ulc (Hemiptera,Coccoidea, Ortheziidae)

This paper describes three new Ortheziola species of the Palaearctic and Oriental regions. The specimens were extracted from forest litter using Berlese funnels, and are from the collections of Muséum d’Histoire naturelle de Genève, Switzerland. Thus the genus Ortheziola sensu stricto now includes 12 species. An identification key, distribution map and new locality records for the Ortheziola species currently known are provided.     

How might intensification of farming influence dung beetle diversity (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Maputo Special Reserve (Mozambique)?

There are concerns over the increasing encroachment of humans, domestic livestock, and farming onto Maputo Special Reserve because of the potential for habitat modification. Therefore, differences between an undisturbed area of the reserve and a neighbouring farming area are assessed using dung beetle as indicators. In each of the two areas, pig-dung-baited pitfall traps were used to sample dung beetle assemblages in two contrasting habitats, grassland and forest. Distributional analysis of the 57 species and 36 942 individuals that were captured, showed that species richness, species turnover, relative abundance patterns, and biogeographical composition differed strongly between both habitats and areas under different land usage. However, in analyses that apportion variation, the greatest amounts were related to habitat rather than land usage. Even so, in both habitats, the total and mean number of species per trap was higher in the farmed area than in the reserve although this was a significant trend only in grassland. Furthermore, in grassland, widespread species were better represented in the farmed area than in the reserve whereas in forest, widespread species were poorly represented compared to grassland. Also in forest, Maputaland endemics were better represented in the reserve than in the farmed area. Further work is necessary to separate the different geographical, ecological, and land usage factors responsible for the patterns detected in this preliminary study. Even so, there are clearly differences between the Maputo Special Reserve and the farmed area.     

On two new species of the genus Leptomias Faust from Kashmir (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Brachyderinae)

Marshall (1916) referred 26 species to genus Leptomias Fst.and .put generic names Heteromias Fst., Parisomias Fst. and Piazomias Lacd. (part) as its synonyms. Gunther and Zumpt (1933) added Cneorrhinus Redtenb.also in the list of synonyms of Leptomias st.Later on, Aslam (1961) revalidated Parisomias Fst.reshuffled the position of a few species and described a number of new species under the restricted Leptomias Fst.Accordingiy, as many as 32 species were referred to the genus Leptomias Fst.