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The recently rediscovered Miami tiger beetle, Cicindelidia floridana (Cartwright), is one of the rarest USA tiger beetles and recently listed as an endangered species. Herein, we report on its distribution, abundance, habitat, and conservation based on studies from 2008 through 2014. Surveys of 25 scrub and 20 pine rockland sites in south Florida found the species restricted to three contiguous sites in the Richmond Heights area of south Miami. Visual index counts found four to 38 adults at these sites. Seasonal activity of adults ranged from May to October, suggesting two cohorts of adults emerge during this period. Adults and larvae at all sites were restricted to the few open patches of sand scattered among the more densely vegetated areas. Numbers of larvae declined significantly after 2010. The low and apparently declining numbers of adults and larvae were associated with loss and reduction of the open sandy patches of habitat from encroaching vegetation at these sites. In addition to these significant threats to its survival, two major commercial developments have been proposed in and near Zoo Miami and are likely to eliminate some habitat and further constrain the needed prescribed burns. Limited management at the occupied sites has included removal of invasive plant species and prescribed burns, but these activities have been too infrequent to significantly improve habitat for the beetles.
The atomarius species-group of Nearctic PachybrachisChevrolat, 1836 is defined and revised. The group is composed of 24 species: Pachybrachis archboldi Barney; Pachybrachis atomarius (F. E. Melsheimer); Pachybrachis calcaratus Fall; Pachybrachis caroleae Barney, new species; Pachybrachis cephalicus Fall; Pachybrachis charlotteae Barney, new species; Pachybrachis confederatus Fall; Pachybrachis conformis Suffrian; Pachybrachis dixianus Fall; Pachybrachis erinae Barney, new species; Pachybrachis gibbyi Barney, new species; Pachybrachis gibsoni Barney, new species; Pachybrachis jacobi Barney, new species; Pachybrachis lodingi Bowditch; Pachybrachis luctuosus Suffrian; Pachybrachis matthewi Barney, new species; Pachybrachis mcmeansi Barney, new species; Pachybrachis osceola Fall; Pachybrachis parvus Fall; Pachybrachis quadrioculatus Fall; Pachybrachis relictus Fall; Pachybrachys stygicus Fall; Pachybrachis varians Bowditch; and Pachybrachis walteri Barney, new species. Pachybrachis cephalicus var. dixianus Fall and P. cephalicus var. parvus Fall are elevated to full species status (new status). Pachybrachis carolinensis Fall is synonymized under P. luctuosus (new synonymy), Pachybrachis vestigialis Fall is synonymized under P. stygicus (new synonymy), and Pachybrachis tybeensis Fall is synonymized under P. confederatus (new synonymy). Forty-eight new state records are confirmed for previously named members of this species-group. A key to species is given, and a description, figure, and range map are presented for each species.
The family Noteridae Thomson, 1860 of the tropical region is poorly known. In the present work, the Noteridae from Miradores Lagoon in the municipality Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, Mexico, are reported. The fauna consists of two subfamilies, four genera, and seven species. The subfamily Notomicrinae Zimmermann, 1919 with the species Notomicrus sharpi Balfour-Browne, 1939 and the genera and species Hydrocanthus marmoratusSharp, 1882, Mesonoterus laevicollisSharp, 1882, and Suphisellus levis Fall, 1909 are new state records for Veracruz. General habitat distribution showed all species were found in the swampy area, five species in edges, and only two species in holes. The only species found in all the three habitats were Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871) and Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838). An annotated list and illustrated key to the species of Noteridae present in Miradores Lagoon are provided.
Adult female and male sweetpotato weevils, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius), have repertories of at least 19 and 21 behavior patterns, respectively. These are described and named, including eight self-grooming patterns. Consistent with the species' slight sexual dimorphism, few behavior patterns are peculiar to one sex. The sequence of self-grooming movements is analyzed for each sex. Comparative assays of vagility and overall activity do not show any difference between the sexes.
The genus LycidomordaHorák, 2007 is recorded in Sulawesi for the first time. Lycidomorda kovalevi Ruzzier, new species, is described, illustrated, and compared with related species. New faunistic data are provided for other species of the genus.
Nine diving water beetle species are described in the Desmopachria nitida species-group in the Neotropical genus Desmopachria Babington: D. gyration Miller, new species (Guyana), D. gingerae Miller, new species (Venezuela), D. curseenae Miller, new species (Suriname), D. lloydi Miller, new species (Bolivia), D. kemptonae Miller, new species (Venezuela), D. delongi Miller, new species (Suriname), D. vohrae Miller, new species (Venezuela), D. hardyae Miller, new species (Guyana), and D. singhae Miller, new species (Venezuela). The male genitalia of all species in the D. nitida species-group are illustrated except D. subtilis Sharp. The new species are illustrated from specimens, and described species are redrawn from published illustrations.
Sexual dimorphism is reported, described, and figured for Microzygops nigrofasciatus Champion, as is the species' ecology and wider geographic distribution. Microzygops flavatus Rheinheimer from Guyane [French Guiana] is considered a new synonymy of M. nigrofasciatus. Microzygops brulei Hespenheide, new species, is described from Guyane.
Hemicolpus randiae Hespenheide, new species, and H. prenai Hespenheide, new species, are described from Mexico taken from fruits of Randia sp. (Rubiaceae). Hemicolpus costaricensis Hespenheide, new species, is described from Costa Rica. The type of Hemicolpus cubicus (Lacordaire) has not been located, but Hemicolpus abdominalis Hustache is described, a syntype is illustrated, and additional distribution records are given.
A new species of Philhammus Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Cnemeplatiini) is described from Djibouti, Horn of Africa, and compared to other known species of the genus. Members of this species were collected at ultraviolet lights in low, thorny, desert scrub vegetation and are presumed to inhabit loose, sandy soils. A key to the African and Arabian species of Philhammus and a review of literature are provided.
Myrmedonota Cameron comprises 30 species distributed in Southeast Asia and the New World. Recently, a new species associated with termites was found in southern Brazil. This species, Myrmedonota scientiana Navarro and Caron, newspecies, is described and illustrated, including scanning electron micrographs. The new species differs from the closely affiliated species Mytmedonta xipe Mathis and Eldredge by having yellowish elytra with the posterolateral region brownish to dark brown; apex of median lobe of aedeagus rounded in ventral view; and spermatheca with capsule bluntly conical and with a coiled duct. A previous key to the New World species of the genus is updated to include the new species. This is the second record of a Myrmedonota species found associated with a termite host, and this record also extends the distribution of the genus into South America.
To date, 66 species of Ptiliidae representing 16 genera are recorded from Poland. In this paper, we present data on four species as new country records for Poland: Actidium variolatum Flach, 1887; Microptilium palustre Kuntzen, 1914; Ptinella britannica Matthews, 1858; and Ptinella microscopica (Gillmeister, 1845). All specimens representing these species were collected in Kampinos National Park, central Poland, in deciduous forests (oak-hornbeam and alder). Actidiumvariolatum and M. palustre are hygrophilous. Ptinella microscopica is a saproxylic species that feeds on decaying wood, and P. britannica occurs in mole nests.
Diartiger beijingensis Yin, new species, associated with ants of the genus Lasius Fabricius, is described from Beijing, northern China. Habitus and diagnostic characters of the new species are illustrated. New collecting data for Sinotrisusnomurai Yin, Li, and Zhao, 2010 in Sichuan is provided, extending the known distributional range of this species about 1,350 km to the west of the type locality.
Gnathymenus hoppi Bortoluzzi and Caron, new species, an apterous species collected from leaf litter in coastal submontane forest, is described and illustrated, and represents the 10th species of the genus from Brazil. Gnathymenus hoppi may be distinguished from other species by the shape of aedeagus.
The unique congregating synchronous flashing firefly genus Pteroptyx Olivier has long provided economic benefits for many Southeast Asian countries as an ecotourism icon. Seventeen species of Pteroptyx have been identified to date. However, a survey of species diversity and distribution of this genus has never been thoroughly conducted in Thailand. During 2012–2015, several surveys were carried out to assess the species diversity and distribution throughout the mangrove and estuary areas in Thailand. Using both classical morphological examination and DNA data, four species of Pteroptyx were identified. In combination with Pteroptyx specimens examined from museum collections, we report herein the most recent assessment of species diversity and distribution of Pteroptyx in Thailand, with a new country record for Pteroptyx asymmetria Ballantyne. This study will complement and enhance the development of a firefly conservation plan for sustainable ecotourism in Thailand and other countries in the region.
The phenology of the dung beetle Euoniticellus intermedius (Reiche) was studied under field conditions, along with two main environmental services: the quantity of dung buried per beetle under controlled insectarium conditions; and the monthly abundance of nematode eggs in cattle dung that had not been treated with anti-helminthics. Euoniticellusintermedius was very abundant during the rainy season. Similarly, the highest number of nematode eggs was found during the rainy season. Recently emerged E. intermedius in the laboratory buried daily less than half the dung (0.91 ± 0.16 grams) buried by mature individuals (2.17 ± 0.04 grams). During the rainy season, each recently emerged beetle buried an average of 53.7 nematode eggs, and each mature beetle buried 128 eggs. During the dry season, each recently emerged beetle buried on average 4.6 eggs, whereas mature beetle buried on average 10.9 eggs. Our results show that the quality of environmental services provided by E. intermedius is dependent on the season and age of dung beetles. We recommend that cattle not be dewormed during the dry months of the year, as the risk of nematode transmission to cattle is low, while the threat of parasiticides on the dung fauna and associated ecosystem services is high.
A method for trapping dung beetles by preventing the beetles from burrowing out of a container is described and illustrated. The trap consists of dung bait placed directly in contact with soil within a plastic container. Beetles are prevented from burrowing further into the ground by the container and become trapped. The soil with the trap is then manually inspected for the beetles trapped within. Compared to conventional pitfall traps, this method collects a higher abundance of tunnelling dung beetles. Beetles inside the trap are collected alive, which makes this trap suitable for DNA and population studies. However, while this trap is more effective with tunneler dung beetles, it is less effective for collecting roller dung beetles than conventional pitfall traps. This method has potential uses in studies of dung beetle behavior, taxonomy, and ecology.
Ontherus sulcator (Fabricius) is a species of Dichotomiini sensu lato, which usually constructs paracoprid nests composed only one brood ball per nesting chamber, conforming to Nesting Pattern II. The typical brood ball is spherical with a thin wall and a cylindrical, flattened T-shaped protrusion at the egg chamber pole. This study revealed that females of O. sulcator are capable of showing activational behavioral plasticity when, instead of constructing their stereotyped brood balls, they elaborate simpler brood balls, and even more, cylindrical brood masses. This is the first recorded case of a dung beetle having the ability to change its nesting behavior in experimental conditions, from constructing brood balls (Nesting Pattern II) to constructing brood masses (Nesting Pattern I). Cylindrical brood masses are also constructed by species of some other genera within Dichotomiini sensu lato, which were proposed as phylogenetically more closely related to Ontherus. The capability of construction of these brood masses in O. sulcator, shown by activational plasticity, supports these proposed relationships.
New records on the geographical distribution of Mylaris gigas (Linnaeus, 1767), Mylaris maxima (Germar, 1824), and Taphrosoma dohrniKirsch, 1866 are presented, and a distribution map is provided. Their ovipositors are described, illustrated, and compared for the first time. Taphrosoma doorknob is considered an incorrect subsequent spelling of T. dohrni and therefore an invalid name.
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