ABSTRACT
En este trabajo consideramos 148 semioquímicos reportados para la familia Scarabaeidae, cuya estructura química fue caracterizada empleando un conjunto de 200 descriptores moleculares de cinco clases distintas. La selección de los descriptores más discriminantes se realizó con tres técnicas: análisis de componentes principales, por cada clase de descriptores, bosques aleatorios y Boruta-Shap, aplicados al total de descriptores. A pesar de que las tres técnicas son conceptualmente diferentes, seleccionan un número de descriptores similar de cada clase. Propusimos una combinación de técnicas de aprendizaje de máquina para buscar un patrón estructural en el conjunto de semioquímicos y posteriormente realizar la clasificación de estos. El patrón se estableció a partir de la alta pertenencia de un subconjunto de estos metabolitos a los grupos que fueron obtenidos por un método de agrupamiento basado en lógica difusa, C-means; el patrón descubierto corresponde a las rutas biosintéticas por las cuales se obtienen biológicamente. Esta primera clasificación se corroboró con el empleo de mapas autoorganizados de Kohonen. Para clasificar aquellos semioquímicos cuya pertenencia a una ruta no quedaba claramente definida, construimos dos modelos de perceptrones multicapa, los cuales tuvieron un desempeño aceptable.
In this work we consider 148 semiochemicals reported for the family Scarabaeidae, whose chemical structure was characterized using a set of 200 molecular descriptors from five different classes. The selection of the most discriminating descriptors was carried out with three different techniques: Principal Component Analysis, for each class of descriptors, Random Forests and Boruta-Shap, applied to the total of descriptors. Although the three techniques are conceptually different, they select a similar number of descriptors from each class. We proposed a combination of machine learning techniques to search for a structural pattern in the set of semiochemicals and then perform their classification. The pattern was established from the high belonging of a subset of these metabolites to the groups that were obtained by a grouping method based on fuzzy C-means logic; the discovered pattern corresponds to the biosynthetic pathway by which they are obtained biologically. This first classification was corroborated with Kohonen's self-organizing maps. To classify those semiochemicals whose belonging to a biosynthetic pathway was not clearly defined, we built two models of Multilayer Perceptrons which had an acceptable performance.
Neste trabalho consideramos 148 semioquímicos reportados para a família Scarabaeidae, cuja estrutura química foi caracterizada usando um conjunto de 200 descritores moleculares de 5 classes diferentes. A seleção dos descritores mais discriminantes foi realizada com três técnicas diferentes: Análise de Componentes Principais, para cada classe de descritores, Florestas Aleatórias e Boruta-Shap, aplicadas a todos os descritores. Embora as três técnicas sejam conceitualmente diferentes, elas selecionaram um número semelhante de descritores de cada classe. Nós propusemos uma combinação de técnicas de aprendizado de máquina para buscar um padrão estrutural no conjunto de semioquímicos e então realizar sua classificação. O padrão foi estabelecido a partir da alta pertinência de um subconjunto desses metabólitos aos grupos que foram obtidos por um método de agrupamento baseado em lógica fuzzy, C-means; o padrão descoberto corresponde às rotas biossintéticas pelas quais eles são obtidos biologicamente. Essa primeira classificação foi corroborada com o uso dos mapas auto-organizados de Kohonen. Para classificar os semioquímicos cuja pertença a uma rota não foi claramente definida, construímos dois modelos de Perceptrons Multicamadas que tiveram um desempenho aceitável.
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Scarabeoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) present more than 2000 species recorded from all over Brazil. They have been scarcely recorded from caves, and truly troglobitic species are yet to be found in the country. In this study, we carried out a review of all existing scarab beetles deposited until 2017 in the Coleção de Invertebrados Subterrâneos de Lavras (ISLA), at the Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) (Minas Gerais, Brazil), one of the most important collections of subterranean invertebrates in South America. Ninety-two individuals belonging to 52 species were recorded, distributed in six families (Cetoniidae, Hybosoridae, Melolonthidae, Passalidae, Scarabaeidae and Trogidae). Scarabaeidae was the most diverse of them, representing more than 50% of the total of species recorded. We found Scarabeoidea beetles in 51 of the ~ 1600 caves examined, distributed in nine Brazilian states: Alagoas, Bahia, Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Pará, Piauí, and Tocantins. Our results provide evidence that Scarabaeoidea beetles are not frequent in Brazilian caves, and their records in this kind of environment are mostly accidental. Exceptions include Trogidae and Aphodiinae species, which may be associated with bat guano. Our study presents the first list of Scarabaeoidea species sampled in Brazilian caves.
ABSTRACT
RESUMEN Los escarabajos coprófagos son excelentes indicadores de la integridad ecológica de los ecosistemas, cumpliendo un rol funcional esencial en el reciclaje de nutrientes, fertilización y aireación del suelo. Sin embargo, se conoce muy poco acerca de los ensambles de escarabajos altoandinos y de su estacionalidad. Por lo anterior, se buscó entender la variación estacional de la estructura del ensamble y su efecto en la biomasa, se escogieron dos pastizales, en la Reserva Biológica Encenillo (Guasca-Cundinamarca). En cada uno se dispusieron diez trampas de caída distanciadas 50 m y cebadas con excremento durante 24 horas. Se realizaron tres réplicas en cada una de las tres épocas estudiadas (seca, transición y lluvias). Se registró una variación estacional significativa, demostrando que las especies están asociadas a la época de lluvias. Se encontraron diferencias significativas para la biomasa entre especies y por época. La especie con la mayor biomasa fue Homocopris achamas. Se evidencia que los ensambles de pastizales altoandinos son poco diversos, debido a la fuerte perturbación antrópica, las presiones asociadas con la altitud y a la misma dinámica evolutiva de estas regiones. La marcada estacionalidad de las especies registradas y la estrecha asociación con la época de lluvias concuerda con el patrón estacional que se registra en el Neotrópico. La fuerte variación estacional de la biomasa puede tener un fuerte impacto en la funcionalidad ecológica y los servicios ecosistémicos en este hábitat. Es necesario cuantificar a futuro el aporte funcional de las especies y su variación estacional, con miras a su conservación.
ABSTRACT Dung beetles are excellent indicators of ecosystem ecological integrity, accomplishing an essential role in nutrient cycling process that includes fertilization and soil aeration. Nevertheless, very little is known about the influence of season variation on the assemblage composition and ecological function of dung beetles from high Andean zones. We aimed to investigate the seasonal effect on the diversity and ecological function of dung beetles in terms of biomass. We sampled two pasture patches of the "Reserva Biológica Encenillo", located in Cundinamarca-Colombia, using ten pitfall traps baited with feces placed 50 m apart for 24 hours. This sample design was replicated during each season (dry, transition, and rain). A significant seasonal variation was documented, demonstrating an important association with the rainy season. Significant differences were found for the biomass between species and seasons. The species with the highest biomass was Homocopris achamas. It is evident that high Andean pastures assemblages have low diversity, due to the strong human disturbance, the pressures associated with the altitude, and the evolutionary dynamics of these regions. The marked seasonality of the registered species and the close association with the rainy season are consistent with the pattern established for the Neotropical region. Likewise, a strong seasonal variation of the biomass is evident, which could have a significant impact on the ecological functionality and the ecosystem services in this habitat. In future studies, it is necessary to quantify the functional contribution of the species and their seasonal variation to contribute to their conservation.
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT The first immature description for a South American species of the genus Chlorota Burmeister, 1844 (Melolonthidae: Rutelinae) is presented. The last larval instar and female pupa of Chlorota paulistana Ohaus, 1912 are described. Illustrations and diagnostic characters are also presented, along with additional characters for the genus, and a new state record for Pernambuco is added. With this study, two species of immatures of Chlorota are now known and their diagnostic characters and differences are here discussed.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) interact with resources in different ways and are classified according to resource relocation guilds. Dichotomius geminatus (Coprini) and Deltochilum verruciferum (Canthonini) are two of the most abundant and ecologically important species of the semi-arid region of Brazil, and understanding their behaviour may facilitate the comprehension of strategies associated to competition for resources. The aim of the present study was to investigate the behavioural repertoire of D. geminatus (tunneler) and D. verruciferum (roller), in isolation and controlled setting in the Brazilian semi-arid biome, using carrion as a food resource. Our hypothesis was that, due to the distinct food relocation strategies presented by these species, distinct behaviours would occur involving resource utilization. We also compared the behaviour of the two species and investigated the period of diel activity. Both species were more active during the night, but D. geminatus presented a shorter peak of nocturnal activity when compared to D. verruciferum. Although there was activity during the day, feeding was only observed during the night, for both species. During the periods of inactivity, D. verruciferum commonly went underneath the carrion, remaining still. As the target species of the study are very abundant, the differences in behaviour associated with the distinct relocation guilds may indicate a strategy to avoid direct competition.
ABSTRACT
Human activities in tropical forests are the main causes of forest fragmentation. According to historical factor in deforestation processes, forest remnants exhibit different sizes and shapes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the dung beetle assemblage on fragments of different degree of sizes. Sampling was performed during rainy and dry season of 2010 in six fragments of Atlantic forest, using pitfall traps baited with excrement and carrion. Also, we used two larger fragments as control. We used General Linear Models to determine whether the fragments presented distinguished dung beetle abundance and richness. Analysis of Similarities and Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling were used to determine whether the dung beetle assemblage was grouped according to species composition. A total of 3352 individuals were collected and 19 species were identified in the six fragments sampled. Dung beetle abundance exhibited a shift according to fragment size; however, richness did not change among fragments evaluated. Also, fragments sampled and the two controls exhibited distinct species composition. The distinction on abundance of dung beetles among fragments may be related to different amount of resource available in each one. It is likely that the dung beetle richness did not distinguish among the different fragments due to the even distribution of the mammal communities in these patches, and consequent equal dung diversity. We conclude that larger fragments encompass higher abundance of dung beetle and distinct species. However, for a clearer understanding of effects of fragmentation on dung beetles in Atlantic forest, studies evaluating narrower variations of larger fragments should be conducted.
ABSTRACT
The promotion of biodiversity conservation strategies must address the lack of information and the difficulty of identifying knowledge gaps that may facilitate our knowledge of different taxonomic groups. Dung beetles constitute one of those groups, despite having been proposed as an efficient bioindicator of environmental disturbance processes. In this work, we aimed to prepare a diagnosis on the state of knowledge of the subfamily Scarabaeinae, focusing on the cover sampling degree of this group in Colombia, with the purpose of identifying high-priority areas that will allow the completion of a national inventory. The work consisted of a bibliographical compilation using 12 referential databases and the examination of specimens deposited in 26 national collections. A total of 16 940 individuals were examined, finding registers for 232 species from 386 localities. The respective distribution cover maps were presented, and the cover at a national level was 10.62%. A historical analysis demonstrated a proliferation in the number of studies for the last three decades; nevertheless, a great proportion of unpublished works persists, resulting in only 64 sampled localities with published records. The localities with the greatest sampling efforts were RN La Planada, Lloro, AUN Los Estoraques, PNN Tinigua and Mariquita. Registries for all departments were available, and the best sampled ones were Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca and Boyaca. The ecosystems with the greatest number of publications are the Andean pre mountain humid forest, followed by the Andean mountain humid forest and the Pacific humid forest. Other ecosystems with few studies included mangroves, desert zones, natural savannahs, palm swamps, paramos, flooding forests and agroforestry systems. The biogeographic region with the greatest number of localities was the Andean region, followed by Choco-Magdalenense and Amazonia. Our results showed that high levels of subsampling persist and that some zones lack registries, as in the case of some parks of the national system of protected areas. It is imperative that the sampling cover is extended at a national level, focusing all possible efforts on collecting in those subsampled regions that have high conservation importance, with the main goal of completing the listing of species and their distribution. Rev. Biol. Trop. 63 (1): 97-125. Epub 2015 March 01.
Una de las principales limitantes para generar estrategias para la conservación, es la falta de información y la dificultad para identificar vacíos de conocimiento, que faciliten el entendimiento de un grupo taxonómico. En este trabajo desarrollamos el diagnóstico sobre el grado de cobertura del muestreo de escarabajos coprófagos en Colombia. Se recopiló la bibliografía, utilizando 12 bases de datos y se revisaron 16 940 especímenes depositados en 26 colecciones. Se encontraron 232 especies, en 386 localidades, con un porcentaje de cobertura del 10.62%. Se evidencia en los últimos años un incremento en el número de estudios, sin embargo solo 64 localidades tienen publicaciones. Se encontraron registros para todos los departamentos, siendo los mejor muestreados: Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca y Boyacá. Los ecosistemas con mayor número de publicaciones son el bosque húmedo premontano Andino, el bosque húmedo montano Andino y el bosque húmedo del Pacífico. Sin embargo, existen muchos ecosistemas con muy pocos estudios como los manglares, zonas desérticas, savanas naturales, morichales, páramos, bosques inundables y sistemas agrícolas. La región biogeográfica con mayor número de localidades es la Andina, seguida del Chocó-Magdalenense y la Amazonía. A nivel general, persiste un alto nivel de submuestreo. Se evidencia la necesidad de ampliar la cobertura del muestreo a nivel nacional, enfocando los esfuerzos en aquellas áreas submuestreadas con importancia a nivel de conservación.
Subject(s)
Animals , Biodiversity , Coleoptera/classification , Colombia , Population DensityABSTRACT
Besouros pertencentes à superfamília Scarabaeoidea ocupam habitats variados, possuem hábitos alimentares diversificados, desempenham importante papel ecológico e diversas espécies apresentam importância agrícola. No entanto, estudos com esse grupo na região do Cerrado são escassos. Nesta revisão realizou-se um levantamento dos artigos publicados nos últimos 30 anos a respeito dos Scarabaeoidea no Cerrado. Foram recuperados 64 artigos, realizados em nove unidades da federação, que focavam quatro temas principais: espécies praga, aspectos bioecológicos, biodiversidade e importância ecológica, e técnicas e metodologias de coleta de Scarabaeoidea. Os resultados desta revisão indicam que poucos estudos foram realizados com os Scarabaeoidea no Cerrado brasileiro nas últimas décadas frente à importância e diversidade desse grupo de insetos.
Beetles belonging to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea occupy different habitats, present feeding habits diversified, play an important ecological role and several species have agricultural importance. However, studies with this group in the Brazilian Cerrado are scarce. In this review we carried out a survey of scientific articles published in the past 30 years concerning Scarabaeoidea in the Cerrado. Were found 64 studies in nine Brazilian states. The studies focused on four main topics: pest species, bioecology, biodiversity and ecological importance, techniques and methodologies for collecting Scarabaeoidea. The results of this review indicate that few studies have been conducted with Scarabaeoidea in the Cerrado in recent decades compared to the importance and diversity of this group of insects.
ABSTRACT
Insects have been recognized to be important indicators of the quality elements of ecosystems, among others, because of their rapid response to environmental variability and ease cost-effective capture. In this work we evaluated whether beetles of the Scarabaeoidea superfamily may be used as bioindicators of anthropogenic disturbance of Amazonian terra firme rain forests, in order to provide guidelines for monitoring strategies of the Amacayacu National Park. We considered three different levels of anthropogenic disturbance (i.e. low, medium, high) in 12 transects (four in each intervention level), and caught all beetle species of this superfamily. Three interception traps, two light traps, three pitfalls and four bottle fruit traps were used per transect, as well as manual catch. In total, 593 individuals belonging to 92 species, 44 genera and seven families were collected. Scarabaeidae (n=232, 27 spp.) and Dynastidae (n=161, 26 spp.) were the families with the highest number of individuals and species, while Aphodiidae, Cetoniidae and Geotrupidae exhibited the lowest. The most abundant species per family were Ateuchus sp. (33.2%) from Scarabaeidae, Cyclocephala verticalis (55.9%) from Dynastidae, Astaena sp. (75.8%) from Melolonthidae, Ceratocanthus amazonicus (66.7%) from Ceratocanthidae y Chaetodus asuai (96.8%) from Hybosoridae. Results showed that the number of species and individuals increased with the anthropogenic disturbance. The Margalef and Shannon indexes also revealed that the highest richness and equity occurred in the high-disturbed site, respectively. Dynastidae exhibited the highest number of exclusive species per gradient, while Scarabaeidae shared most of its species. Ten species were recorded in the three disturbance levels, 26 species in two and 56 species were exclusive to one level. The most abundant species Chaetodus asuai (Hybosoridae) presented a significant decrease in the number of individuals as disturbance increased, while an inverse relationship occurred for C. verticalis(Dynastidae). For Astaena sp. (Melolonthidae) and Ligyrus gyas (Dynastidae) a high number of individuals was recorded and were exclusive for one forest site (low and high disturbed forest, respectively). The complete superfamily cannot be used like a single bioindicator element because it displays, in a specific level, very different behaviors in each disturbance condition. We discuss the use of richness and diversity as indicators of disturbance, while we highlight abundance of particular taxa as a better metric for disturbance.
Diferentes grupos de insectos se consideran importantes elementos bioindicadores de la calidad de los ecosistemas, los coleópteros son hoy en día uno de los grupos más reconocidos y utilizados para el monitoreo y establecimiento de áreas protegidas. Se evaluó el uso de la superfamilia Scarabaeoidea como bioindicador del grado de perturbación antropogénica de los bosques húmedos amazónicos. En tres niveles de perturbación (alta, media y baja) se establecieron 12 transectos, utilizando tres trampas de interceptación, dos trampas de luz, tres trampas de caída, cuatro trampas de botella y captura manual. Se capturaron 593 individuos, 92 especies, 44 géneros y 7 familias. Las familias con el mayor número de individuos y especies fueron Scarabaeidae (n=232, 27 spp.) y Dynastidae (n=161, 26 spp.). Las especies más abundantes fueron: Ateuchus sp., Cyclocephala verticalis, Ceratocanthus amazonicus y Chaetodus asuai. El número de especies e individuos fue mayor a medida que el gradiente de perturbación aumentó. Dynastidae presenta el mayor número de especies exclusivas mientras Scarabaeidae comparte la mayoría. Diez especies fueron registradas en los tres bosques, 26 en dos y 56 en solo uno. De las especies más abundantes C. asuai muestra una reducción significativa del número de individuos con el aumento de la perturbación, mientras se observa una relación inversa para C. verticalis. Se discute la utilización de la riqueza y la diversidad como indicadores de perturbación, mientras se ratifica la abundancia de ciertos táxones como una mejor variable a medir.
Subject(s)
Animals , Biodiversity , Biomass , Coleoptera/classification , Conservation of Natural Resources , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Colombia , Population DensityABSTRACT
The development of efficient sampling protocols is an essential prerequisite to evaluate and identify priority conservation areas. There are few protocols for fauna inventory and monitoring in wide geographical scales for the tropics, where the complexity of communities and high biodiversity levels, make the implementation of efficient protocols more difficult. We proposed here a simple strategy to optimize the capture of dung beetles, applied to sampling with baited traps and generalizable to other sampling methods. We analyzed data from eight transects sampled between 2006-2008 with the aim to develop an uniform sampling design, that allows to confidently estimate species richness, abundance and composition at wide geographical scales. We examined four characteristics of any sampling design that affect the effectiveness of the sampling effort: the number of traps, sampling duration, type and proportion of bait, and spatial arrangement of the traps along transects. We used species accumulation curves, rank-abundance plots, indicator species analysis, and multivariate correlograms. We captured 40 337 individuals (115 species/morphospecies of 23 genera). Most species were attracted by both dung and carrion, but two thirds had greater relative abundance in traps baited with human dung. Different aspects of the sampling design influenced each diversity attribute in different ways. To obtain reliable richness estimates, the number of traps was the most important aspect. Accurate abundance estimates were obtained when the sampling period was increased, while the spatial arrangement of traps was determinant to capture the species composition pattern. An optimum sampling strategy for accurate estimates of richness, abundance and diversity should: (1) set 50-70 traps to maximize the number of species detected, (2) get samples during 48-72 hours and set trap groups along the transect to reliably estimate species abundance, (3) set traps in groups of at least 10 traps to suitably record the local species composition, and (4) separate trap groups by a distance greater than 5-10km to avoid spatial autocorrelation. For the evaluation of other sampling protocols we recommend to, first, identify the elements of sampling design that could affect the sampled effort (the number of traps, sampling duration, type and proportion of bait) and their spatial distribution (spatial arrangement of the traps) and then, to evaluate how they affect richness, abundance and species composition estimates.
El presente trabajo propone una estrategia sencilla de optimización del diseño muestreal para escarabajos coprófagos que puede ser aplicada a muestreos basados en trampas atrayentes en amplias escalas geográficas y generalizada a otros tipos de muestreo. Para ello, analizamos muestras colectadas en ocho localidades con hábitats contrastantes y diferentes características del muestreo entre 2006-2008. Se capturaron 40 337 ejemplares (115 especies/ morfoespecies, de 23 géneros). El número de trampas fue el aspecto del muestreo más importante para obtener estimadores de riqueza confiable. El tiempo de muestreo para generar estimadores precisos de abundancia y la disposición espacial de las trampas para captar adecuadamente la diferencias en composición entre localidades. Sugerimos que una estrategia óptima de muestreo para obtener estimadores precisos de riqueza, abundancia y diversidad consistiría en: (1) colocar 50-70 trampas para maximizar el número de especies detectadas, (2) muestrear entre 48 y 72 hrs y colocar grupos de trampas a lo largo de un transecto para estimar confiablemente la abundancia de las especies, (3) colocar siete grupos de al menos 10 trampas para registrar adecuadamente la composición de cada localidad y (4) separar los grupos de trampas por distancias mayores a 5-10km para minimizar la autocorrelación espacial.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Coleoptera/classification , Biodiversity , Entomology/methods , Entomology/standards , Population Density , VenezuelaABSTRACT
Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in three landscapes in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Dung Beetles are important for biological control of intestinal worms and dipterans of economic importance to cattle, because they feed and breed in dung, killing parasites inside it. They are also very useful as bioindicators of species diversity in agricultural or natural environments. The aims of this paper were to study the species richness, and abundance of dung beetles, helping to answer the question: are there differences in the patterns of dung beetle diversity in three environments (pasture, agriculture and forest) in the municipality of Dourados, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. A total of 105 samplings were carried out weekly, from November 2005 to November 2007, using three pitfall traps in each environment. The traps were baited with fresh bovine dung, and 44,355 adult dung beetles from 54 species were captured: two from Hyborosidae and 52 from Scarabaeidae. Five species were constant, very abundant and dominant on the pasture, two in the agricultural environment, and two in the environment of Semideciduous forest. Most of the species were characterised as accessories, common and not-dominant. The species with higher abundance was Ataenius platensis Blanchard, 1844. The indexes of Shannon-Wiener diversity were: 2.90 in the pasture, 2.84 in the agricultural environment and 2.66 in the area of native forest. The medium positive presence of dung beetles in the traps in each environment were: 36.88, 42.73 and 20.18 individuals per trap, in the pasture, agricultural environment and in the native forest, respectively. The pasture environment presented a higher diversity index. The species diversity of dung beetles was superior where there was higher abundance and regularity of resource (bovine dung).
Coleópteros coprófagos são importantes (especialmente Scarabaeidae) para controle biológico de vermes gastrointestinais e de dípteros; dessa forma, são de importância econômica para a pecuária, pois esses besouros utilizam excrementos como alimento e sítio para reprodução. Eles são também de grande utilidade como bioindicadores da diversidade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a riqueza em espécies e a abundância de besouros coprófagos, além de verificar se estes atributos são diferentes nos três ambientes (pastagem, agricultura e mata), no município de Dourados-MS. Foram realizadas 105 avaliações semanais, de novembro de 2005 a novembro de 2007, utilizando-se três armadilhas "pitfall" em cada ambiente. Estas foram iscadas com fezes frescas de bovinos. Foram coletados 44.355 adultos de 54 espécies: duas de Hyborosidae e 52 de Scarabaeidae. Cinco espécies foram constantes, muito abundantes e dominantes na pastagem, duas na área agrícola e duas na mata. A maioria das espécies foi considerada acessória, comum e não dominante. A espécie que apresentou maior abundância foi Ataenius platensis Blanchard, 1844. Os índices de diversidade de Shannon-Wiener foram: 2,90, na pastagem; 2,84, na área agrícola, e 2,66, na mata. A presença média de coleópteros coprófagos nas armadilhas positivas nos três ambientes, em indivíduos por armadilha, foi 36,88 (pastagem), 42,73 (área agrícola) e 20,18 (mata). O ambiente de pastagem apresentou maior índice de diversidade. A diversidade foi maior onde houve maior abundância e regularidade de alimentos.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cattle , Agriculture , Coleoptera/classification , Ecosystem , Trees , Biodiversity , Brazil , Population DensityABSTRACT
Dung beetle communities have been compared across north temperate latitudes. Tropical dung beetle communities appear to be more diverse based on studies using different methodologies. Here, we present results from a standardized sampling protocol used to compare dung beetle communities across five neotropical forests in Brazil and Ecuador and two warm, north temperate forests in Mississippi and Louisiana. Species richness in the tropical forests was three to seven times higher than the temperate forests, as would be expected by studies of other taxa across tropical and temperate latitudes. Average body size in the temperate forests was larger than the tropical forests, as predicted by Bergmann's rule. Dung beetle abundance and volume per trap-day were generally higher in Ecuador than Brazil, and higher in Mississippi than Louisiana, but there were no tropical-temperate differences. Species rank-abundance curves were similar within countries and between countries. Rank-volume distributions indicated a smaller range of beetle body sizes in Ecuador versus Brazil or the USA. Community similarity was high within countries and low between countries. Community differences between Brazil and Ecuador sites may be explained by differences in productivity based on geological age of the soils.
Subject(s)
Animals , Coleoptera , Climate , DemographyABSTRACT
The knowledge on Atlantic Forest scarab beetle fauna is quite limited. This biome is strongly degraded and these insects can be used as bioindicators since they are sensitive to forest destruction and show distinct organizational patterns in forest fragments or in areas that have been deteriorated by human activity. Thus, a study of the Scarabaeidae (sensu stricto) dung beetles fauna that inhabit Serra do Japi, São Paulo, Brazil (23º12'-23º22' S and 46º53'-47º03'W) was carried out; the monthly species richness was analyzed in six areas during one year and the vegetation's structural physiognomy was described. The areas included a conserved and a degraded valley, a northward and a southward hillside, a hilltop, and an area of secondary forest growing under eucalyptus trees. The specimens were collected using four pitfall traps baited with human feces, which remained at each spot during 48 hours. Between September, 1997 and August, 1998, 3524 individuals of 39 species were collected; the most abundant were: Canthidium trinodosum, Eurysternus cyanescens, Uroxys kratochvili, Scybalocanthon nigriceps, Uroxys lata, Canthonella sp., Dichotomius assifer, Deltochilum furcatum, Canthidium sp.2, Canthon latipes, Deltochilum rubripenne, Eurysternus sp., and Dichotomius sp.1. The number of individuals and species was greater in the hot, rainy season, when there was a correlation between the number of species and the mean annual temperature [r²= 0.69; p<0.01]. The lower winter richness was most pronounced in the conserved valley, while richness remained relatively constant in the degraded valley; abundance was much higher in the degraded valley. The cluster analysis showed that the valleys and hillsides are the most similar in relation to species composition and abundance, yet different from the secondary forest with eucalypts and the hilltop.
O conhecimento da fauna de besouros escarabeídeos da Mata Atlântica é bastante reduzido. Este bioma encontra-se fortemente degradado sendo que estes insetos podem ser usados como bioindicadores já que são sensíveis à destruição de florestas, apresentando distintos padrões de organização em fragmentos ou em áreas deterioradas pela ação humana. Foi realizado um levantamento dos Scarabaeidae (sensu stricto) coprófagos que habitam a Serra do Japi, São Paulo, Brasil (23º12'-23º22' S e 46º53'-47º03'W) analisando a riqueza mensal de espécies ao longo de um ano em seis áreas, nas quais foram realizadas descrições fisionômicas estruturais da vegetação. As áreas incluíram um vale conservado e um degradado, uma encosta sul e uma norte, um topo de morro e uma área de mata secundária sob eucaliptos. Através de quatro armadilhas de queda iscadas com fezes humanas, que permaneceram 48 horas em cada área, entre IX/1997 e VIII/1998 foram coletados 3524 indivíduos de 39 espécies, sendo as espécies mais abundantes: Canthidium trinodosum, Eurysternus cyanescens, Uroxys kratochvili, Scybalocanthon nigriceps, Uroxys lata, Canthonella sp., Dichotomius assifer, Deltochilum furcatum, Canthidium sp.2, Canthon latipes, Deltochilum rubripenne, Eurysternus sp. e Dichotomius sp.1. O número de indivíduos e de espécies foram maiores na época quente e chuvosa, havendo correlação entre o número de espécies e a temperatura média mensal [r²= 0,69; p<0,01]. A menor riqueza no inverno foi mais acentuada no vale conservado enquanto no vale degradado a riqueza manteve-se relativamente constante; a abundância foi extremamente maior na área de vale degradado. A análise de agrupamento mostrou que os vales e as encostas são mais semelhantes quanto a composição e abundância de espécies, diferindo tanto da mata secundária com eucaliptos como do topo do morro.
ABSTRACT
The Invertebrate Collection of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, has 554 specimens of Oryctini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), belonging to seven genera, 16 species and two subspecies. Information about geographical distribution are provided, of which 97% of the material examined was collected from several places in the Brazilian Amazon.
A Coleção de Invertebrados do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) possui 554 espécimes de Oryctini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), pertencentes a 7 gêneros, 16 espécies e 2 subespécies. As distribuições geográficas das espécies são fornecidas, sendo que 97% do material examinado procedem de coletas feitas em diferentes locais da Amazônia brasileira.
ABSTRACT
Dynastinae beetles were collected at Querari, District of São Gabriel da Cachoeira, upper rio Negro, State of Amazonas in April-May/1993. A mixed 250W mercury vapor lamp, a black light (BL) and black light blue (BLB) lamps were used to atract insects on a white sheet in 33 collecting night periods of 12 consecutive hours. 76 specimens were collected, of 20 species, and 10 genera were identified. The tribe Cyclocephalini was the most representative (10 species), followed by Phileurini (4 spp.), Oryctini (3 spp.), Dynastini (2 spp.) and Pentodontini (1 sp.). 7 species were recorded for the first time to the State of Amazonas, 5 to Brazil.
Besouros dinastíneos foram coletados em Querari, Município de São Gabriel da Cachoeira, região do alto rio Negro, Estado do Amazonas, de abril a maio de 1993. Utilizaram-se lâmpadas de luz mista de mercúrio de 250 W, BL e BLB, sobre um lençol branco, em 33 noites de coletas de 12 horas consecutivas. Foram coletados 76 indivíduos de 20 espécies e 10 gêneros. A tribo Cyclocephalini foi a mais representada (10 espécies), seguida por Phileurini (4 spp.), Oryctini (3 spp.), Dynastini (2 spp.) e Pentodontini (1sp.). Dessas, 7 espécies são registradas pela primeira vez para o Amazonas, 5 delas para o Brasil.
ABSTRACT
Dynastinae beetles were collected at the Parque Nacional do Jaú, state of Amazonas between July/1993 to June/1996, during new moon and last quarter in five different places near the lowlands of the Jau river. A mixed 250 W mercury vapor lamp plus two ultraviolet lights, black light (BL) and black light blue (BLB) were used for atraction on a white sheet in daily periods of 12 consecutive hours. 34 species of 14 genera were identified being the species of the tribe Cyclocephalini the more represented (19 species), followed by Oryctini (6 spp.), Phileurini (4 spp.), Pentodontini (3 spp.) and Dynastini with 2 species.
Besouros dinastíneos foram coletados no Parque Nacional do Jaú, Estado do Amazonas, entre julho de 1993 a junho 1996, em dias de Lua minguante e nova, em 5 localidades diferentes, abrangendo principalmente a região dos baixos cursos dos rios Jaú, Carabinani e Unini. Utilizou-se para as coletas luz mista de mercúrio de 250 W e duas lâmpadas ultra-violeta, black-light (BL) e black-light blue (BLB), sobre um lençol branco em períodos diários de 12 horas consecutivas. Foram identificadas 34 espécies de 14 gêneros, sendo as espécies da tribo Cyclocephalini as mais representadas (19 espécies), seguidas por Oryetini (6 spp.), Phileurini (4 spp.), Pentodontini (3 spp.) e Dynastini com 2 espécies.