‘Inordinate Fondness’: A Threat to Beetles in South East Asia?

A recent report on trade in stag beetles and rhinoceros beetles in Japan highlights a number of issues of considerable importance for beetle conservation resulting from such trade over much of south east Asia. The popularity of these beetles has both positive and negative effects, and there is need for more effective control and monitoring of this trade to enhance positive values and reduce likely harm to species and habitats.     

Heritability of male mandible length in the stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer

Numerous coleopteran species express male‐specific “weapon traits” that often show size variations among males, even within a single population. Many empirical studies have demonstrated that environmental conditions during development affect absolute weapon size. However, relatively few studies in horned beetles support the hypothesis that the relationship between weapon size and body size, also referred to as a “scaling relationship” or “static allometry”, is largely determined by genetic factors. In this study, the heritability of absolute mandible length and static allometry between mandible length and body size were estimated in the stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer. While no significant heritable variation was observed in absolute mandible length, high heritability (h² = 0.57 ± 0.25) was detected in the static allometry between mandible length and body size. This is the first report on the genetic effect on male mandible size in Lucanidae, suggesting that absolute mandible size is largely determined by environmental conditions while the static allometry between weapon size and body size is primarily determined by genetic factors.     

西藏地区锹甲科一中国新纪录种

记述采自西藏林芝地区锹甲科Lucanidae鬼锹甲属Prismognathus中国1新纪录种——吹拔氏鬼锹甲Prismognathus fukinukii Nagai,并给出了新纪录种的整体图,标本保存于西藏大学农牧学院。     

Mechanoreceptor distribution in stag beetle jaws corresponds to the material stress in fights

Male stag beetles (Lucanidae) use their extremely elongated jaws to pinch their rivals forcefully in male–male battles. The morphology of these jaws has to be a compromise between robustness (to withstand the bite forces), length and weight. Cyclommatus metallifer stag beetles circumvent this trade-off by reducing their bite force when biting with their slender jaw tips. Here we describe the functional mechanism behind the force modulation behaviour. Scanning Electron Microscopy and micro CT imaging show large numbers of small sensors in the jaw cuticle. We find a strong correlation between the distribution of these sensors and that of the material stress in the same jaw region during biting. The jaw sensors are mechanoreceptors with a small protrusion that barely protrudes above the undulating jaw surface. The sensors stimulate dendrites that extend from the neuronal cell body through the entire thickness of the jaw exoskeleton towards the sensors at the external surface. They form a sensory field that functions in a feedback mechanism to control the bite muscle force. This negative feedback mechanism enabled the stag beetles to evolve massive bite muscles without risking overloading their valuable jaws.     

Anobiidae (Coleoptera) of the Kermadec Islands

Abstract

Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius), Leanobium marmoratum (Lea), Leanobium flavomaculatum n.sp., Serianotus punctilatera kermadecensis n.ssp., and Dorcatomiella ornata Español are recorded from the Kermadec Islands. This fauna is relatively poor, probably because of the small size and limited diversity of the islands. Affinities are with New Zealand (L. flavomaculatum), Norfolk Island (L. marmoratum), and Lord Howe Island (S. punctilatera kermadecensis). D. ornata is strongly endemic, though other species of Dorcatomiella occur on the Marianas and Tahiti.     

Taxonomic revision of Prosopocoilus gracilis(Saunders,1854) and its allied species from China(Coleoptera:Lucanidae)

Prosopocoilns gracilis(Saunders,1854) and its seven allied species from China are revised.Lectotype,paralectotypes of P.gracilis(Saunders,1854) and P.denticulatus(Boileau,1901) are designated.The doubtful species,P.piceipennis(Westwood,1855) is evidently confirmed as a valid species with verification of its type depository.Two highly similar species,P.crenulidens(Fairmaire,1895) and P.denticulatus(Boileau,1901) are compared in detail for correcting longstanding wrong diagnoses of them.P.similis Schenk,2009 is illustrated with male genitalia firstly.Two recently-published species,P.andreasi Schenk,2009 and P.katsurai Fujita,2010 are treated as new junior synonyms.All the five valid species in this paper are redescribed,with illustrations of adult(including type)habitus,male and female genitalia if they are available.A key to large males is provided for identifying them briefly.     

锹甲科昆虫后翅脉相分析及其分类学意义探讨

采用Bartolozzi & Sprecher(2006)分类系统,对锹甲科6亚科19属43种个体后翅脉相进行研究,从亚科阶元对翅脉性状进行描述与比较分析,初步探讨了后翅脉相的分类学意义:1)RA4脉与RP1脉是否融合以及RA3+4端部是否反折等特征在不同亚科间差异明显,可作为亚科分类检索的重要特征;2)刀锹甲亚科Dorcinae与锹甲亚科Luncainae代表性属种后翅翅脉特征存在显著不同,表明Holloway(2007)将两者合并的结论并不适用于古北、东洋界种类;3)盾锹甲属Aegus应归入奥锹甲亚科Odontolabinae;柱锹甲属Prismognathus和环锹甲属Cyclommatus应归入锹甲亚科Lucaninae;4)不同属间后翅脉相特征为探讨疑难属广义刀锹甲属Dorcus(s.l.)的分类问题提供了参考。     

New insect host records for mites of the family Microdispidae (Acari: Heterostigmatina), with description of a new species of the genus Paramicrodispus

The mite Paramicrodispus scarabidophilus Hajiqanbar and Rahiminejad sp. nov. (Acari: Prostigmata: Microdispidae) is described and illustrated based on phoretic females recovered from Oryctes nasicornis L. (Col.: Scarabaeidae) hosts, which were collected from forests in northern Iran. It is the first record of the genus Paramicrodispus for the mite fauna of Iran. We also found Paramicrodispus crenulatus (Savulkina, 1978) associated with Lucanus ibericus Motschulsky (Col.: Lucanidae), the first report of association between beetles of the family Lucanidae and the mite family Microdispidae. Moreover, for the first time we report an association between beetles of the family Scarabaeidae and Paramicrodispus mites.     

锹甲的头部形态及常用分类特征

锹甲的外部形态纷繁多样,头部形态尤其复杂并导致种类鉴定混乱,有必要对其深入研究。文章介绍锹甲的头部形态,并以代表性属种为例,比较与讨论上颚、上唇、下颚和下唇、复眼、触角等常用分类特征及其分类学意义。     

“锹甲”名称的由来及中国锹甲属的中名问题

简要介绍了“锹甲科”中文名称的由来;回顾、讨论了当前国内学术界有关将中文名称“锹甲”改为“鹿甲”的争议及这种更改可能带来的结果;同时系统记述了中国锹甲科已知属的中文名称。