On occurrence, habitat specificity and natural history of adult tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) near Manaus, Central Amazonia, and key to the larvae of tiger beetle genera

Over a seven year period from 1991 to 1997, 22 species of tiger beetles, representing nine genera, were recorded near Manaus, Brazil. In the Whitewaterfloodplains along the Rio Solimões-Amazonas (Ilha de Marchantaria), three diurnal species inhabit inundation forests and six species (two diurnal, four nocturnal) live in open areas. Data on their natural history and adaptation to living conditions in floodplains are presented. Fifteen species were located on non-flooded uplands (Reserva Florestal A. Ducke). Five diurnal species inhabit the forest floor, two species are canopy dwellers, and eight species (seven diurnal, one nocturnal) live in open areas on whitesand or laterite. Only one species, Pentacomia lacordairei, was found in both floodplain and upland forests. A key to the larvae of tiger beetle genera located near Manaus is presented.

Spatial and temporal distribution of a tiger beetle guild (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) along a 105m long transect in the reserva florestal A. Ducke near Manaus (Central Amazonia)

The spatial and temporal distribution of a guild of eight diurnal tiger beetle species was studied on a 105 m long transect near the field station of the Reserva Florestal A. Ducke near Manaus (AM), Brazil. The transect followed a path that included both shaded and an open areas. Five of the species, restricted to primary forest, occurrred only in shaded areas of the transect, and three species occurred in open areas. Of all eight species only two of the open habitat species showed no clear seasonality in adult activity. In six species the activity of adults was limited to the rainy season. The most pronounced annual rhythm was found in Pentacomia ventralis, an open habitat species. Activity of adults was limited to October/November. First in-star larvae appeared shortly thereafter. Larval development mainly took place from January to May. The third instar larva entered a dormancy which lasted up to 10 months, and which enabled the synchronisation of emerging adults with annual seasons.

A new fossil feather-wing beetle from Baltic Amber (Coleoptera: Pitliidae)

v.44:no.1(1961)

Succession and Abundance of Staphylinidae in Cattle Dung in Uberlândia, Brazil

Fimicolous Staphylinidae prey on rearing dipterous in cattle dung, acting as their natural controllers, including pests such as horn fly. To survey the abundance and succession of these coleopterans in cattle dung deposited in pasture, six experiments were conducted from March to October 1995 in Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cattle dung pats were exposed at a pasture for 1 hr, 8 hr, 24 hr, 2, 3, 7 and 10 days and were than taken to laboratory separate from each other, for Staphylinidae extraction. A total of 156 dung pats were exposed at pasture, from which 6225 Staphylinidae were recovered. Representing at least 30 species. Staphylinidae sp.1 (29.6%), Philonthus flavolimbatus (22.2%), Heterothops sp.1 (16.6%), Oxytelus sp.2 (7.6%), Aleochara sp.2 (7.6%) and Criptobium sp.1 (4.4%) were the most abundant, representing 87.8% from the total. The increased frequency of the majority of these species along the dung exposition time at pasture, indicated tha, they would be preying on at all the immature stages of the dipterous, or eggs and first instar larvae of species that lay eggs on the dung after its second exposition day at the pasture

Cattle Dung Breeding Diptera in Pastures in Southeastern Brazil: Diversity, Abundance and Seasonallity

Diptera that breed in undisturbed cattle droppings in pastures present great diversity and abundance, and several species are of veterinary importance and may cause economic losses. To survey the diversity, abundance and seasonality of Diptera associated to this microhabitat, 83 samples of 10 dung pats each were taken from April 1992 to April 1994 in the vicinity of São Carlos, State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. A total of 46,135 Diptera belonging to 20 families and at least 51 species were found to breed in the pats. The most abundant and diverse families were Sepsidae, Muscidae, Sarcophagidae and Sphaeroceridae. In general, the abundance was higher from October to March, the warm and wet months. The importance of some Diptera, both as horn fly enemies and as cattle dung decaying agents, is discussed.

Does a shift in host plants trigger speciation in the Alpine leaf beetle Oreina speciosissima (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)?

Background: Within the Coleoptera, the largest order in the animal kingdom, the exclusively herbivorous Chrysomelidae are recognized as one of the most species rich beetle families. The evolutionary processes that have fueled radiation into the more than thirty-five thousand currently recognized leaf beetle species remain partly unresolved. The prominent role of leaf beetles in the insect world, their omnipresence across all terrestrial biomes and their economic importance as common agricultural pest organisms make this family particularly interesting for studying the mechanisms that drive diversification. Here we specifically focus on two ecotypes of the alpine leaf beetle Oreina speciosissima (Scop.), which have been shown to exhibit morphological differences in male genitalia roughly corresponding to the subspecies Oreina speciosissima sensu stricto and Oreina speciosissima troglodytes. In general the two ecotypes segregate along an elevation gradient and by host plants: Oreina speciosissima sensu stricto colonizes high forb vegetation at low altitude and Oreina speciosissima troglodytes is found in stone run vegetation at higher elevations. Both host plants and leaf beetles have a patchy geographical distribution. Through use of gene sequencing and genome fingerprinting (AFLP) we analyzed the genetic structure and habitat use of Oreina speciosissima populations from the Swiss Alps to examine whether the two ecotypes have a genetic basis. By investigating a wide range of altitudes and focusing on the structuring effect of habitat types, we aim to provide answers regarding the factors that drive adaptive radiation in this phytophagous leaf beetle.Results: While little phylogenetic resolution was observed based on the sequencing of four DNA regions, the topology and clustering resulting from AFLP genotyping grouped specimens according to their habitat, mostly defined by plant associations. A few specimens with intermediate morphologies clustered with one of the two ecotypes or formed separate clusters consistent with habitat differences. These results were discussed in an ecological speciation framework.Conclusions: The question of whether this case of ecological differentiation occurred in sympatry or allopatry remains open. Still, the observed pattern points towards ongoing divergence between the two ecotypes which is likely driven by a recent shift in host plant use.

The effect of host plant and isolation on the genetic structure of phytophagous insects: A preliminary study on a bruchid beetle

Genetic differentiation is a consequence of the combination of drift and restriction in gene flow between populations due to barriers to dispersal, or selection against individuals resulting from inter-population matings In phytophagous insects, local adaptation to different kinds of host plants can sometimes lead to reproductive isolation and thus to genetic structuring, or even to speciation Acanthoscelides. obtectus Say is a bean bruchid specialized on beans of the Phaseolus vulgaris group, attacking both wild and domesticated forms of P vulgaris., and P coccineus This study reveals that the genetic structure of populations of this bruchid is explained mainly by their geographical location and is not related to a particular kind (wild or domesticated) of bean In contrast, the species of bean might have led, to some extent, to genetic structuring in these bruchids, although our sampling is too limited to address such process unambiguously. If confirmed, it would corroborate preliminary results found for the parasitoid species that attack Acanthoscelides species, which might show a genetic structure depending on the species of host plant

The night and day of dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in the Serra do Japi, Brazil: elytra colour related to daily activity

In the present study 387 dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) were surveyed at the Serra do Japi, in the Atlantic Forest in São Paulo State, with four baited pitfall traps during the months of December, 1998, and January, 1999 during eight 24 hour cycles. A total of 30 species were identified and temporal variation in activity patterns among the species shows a specialization in the use of food resources: 9 species were classified as nocturnal and 13 as diurnal. The daily activity pattern of dung beetles does not necessarily correspond to the taxonomic classification, but is strongly related to the colouring of species, determined by predominant elytra colour: nocturnal species have 89 % more chances of being black as opposed to colourful. Black nocturnal species might have evolved as an interspecific adaptation to avoid predation (cryptic colouring). Among the colourful diurnal dung beetles, measure of body length of each species shows that development of bright colouring was more often found in medium to large species, which suggests that colouring evolved as a response to intraspecific pressures, important in agonistic encounters among males.

Under- and over-water halves of Gyrinidae beetle eyes harbor different corneal nanocoatings providing adaptation to the water and air environments.

Whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae) inhabit water surfaces and possess unique eyes which are split into the overwater and underwater parts. In this study we analyze the micro- and nanostructure of the split eyes of two Gyrinidae beetles genera, Gyrinus and Orectochilus. We find that corneae of the overwater ommatidia are covered with maze-like nanostructures, while the corneal surface of the underwater eyes is smooth. We further show that the overwater nanostructures possess no anti-wetting, but the anti-reflective properties with the spectral preference in the range of 450-600 nm. These findings illustrate the adaptation of the corneal nanocoating of the two halves of an insect's eye to two different environments. The novel natural anti-reflective nanocoating we describe may find future technological applications.

Attractivity of omnivore, carnivore and herbivore mammalian dung to Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in a tropical Atlantic rainforest remnant

In this study, performed in a remnant of Brazilian Atlantic Forest, three types of dung from animals with distinct alimentary habits were utilized, in order to verify possible differences of attractivity of these dungs to the Scarabaeinae and the influence of seasonality in the attractivity. Three habitats were sampled: edge, clearing and forest core, each with 40 pitfall traps. A total of 2,137 beetles were collected from August 2005 to July 2006. Canthidium sp. 1 (43%) and Dichotomius sericeus (41%) were the most abundant species. From the total number of beetles collected, 80.5% were attracted to human dung, 11% to jaguar dung, 7.8% to waterbuck dung and 0.7% to the control. The species Canthidium sp.1, Canthidium sp. 2, Ateuchus sp., Canthon nigripenne, Canthonella sp. and D. sericeus came to all three bait types. Eight species were found in the baits with human dung, where Canthidium sp.1 (49%) and D. sericeus (39%) were the most common. A significant difference in attractiveness of the different baits was observed; the highest abundance found in traps baited with human dung (F = 36.59; g.l. = 3; p < 0.0001). A significant difference in richness was observed between rainy and dry seasons (F = 12.29; g.l. = 1; p < 0.001), the highest richness found in the dry season.

Evaluating leaf litter beetle data sampled by Winkler extraction from Atlantic forest sites in southern Brazil

Evaluating leaf litter beetle data sampled by Winkler extraction from Atlantic forest sites in southern Brazil. To evaluate the reliability of data obtained by Winkler extraction in Atlantic forest sites in southern Brazil, we studied litter beetle assemblages in secondary forests (5 to 55 years after abandonment) and old-growth forests at two seasonally different points in time. For all regeneration stages, species density and abundance were lower in April compared to August; but, assemblage composition of the corresponding forest stages was similar in both months. We suggest that sampling of small litter inhabiting beetles at different points in time using the Winkler technique reveals identical ecological patterns, which are more likely to be influenced by sample incompleteness than by differences in their assemblage composition. A strong relationship between litter quantity and beetle occurrences indicates the importance of this variable for the temporal species density pattern. Additionally, the sampled beetle material was compared with beetle data obtained with pitfall traps in one old-growth forest. Over 60% of the focal species captured with pitfall traps were also sampled by Winkler extraction in different forest stages. Few beetles with a body size too large to be sampled by Winkler extraction were only sampled with pitfall traps. This indicates that the local litter beetle fauna is dominated by small species. Hence, being aware of the exclusion of large beetles and beetle species occurring during the wet season, the Winkler method reveals a reliable picture of the local leaf litter beetle community.

New record of predatory ladybird beetle (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) feeding on extrafloral nectaries

New record of predatory ladybird beetle (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) feeding on extrafloral nectaries. Feeding by Exoplectra miniata (Germar) on extrafloral nectaries of Inga edulis Mart. was observed in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is the first record of this behavior for Exoplectrini.

Bioactivity of Indonesian mahogany, Toona sureni (Blume) (Meliaceae), against the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

Bioactivity of Indonesian mahogany, Toona sureni (Blume) (Meliaceae), against the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). The insecticidal activity of Toona sureni (Blume) Merr. was evaluated considering repellency, mortality and progeny production of F1 adults of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797) (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae). Dried extract of seeds of T. sureni was dissolved in acetone to prepare solution of various concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0%). To test for repellency, the insects were exposed to treated filter paper. Mortality of larvae, pupae and adults was evaluated by the treatment of spraying the insects with different concentrations of T. sureni extract. Residual effect of the extract was also evaluated considering the production of progeny of F1 adults. The highest repellency (93.30%) of T. castaneum occurred at the highest concentration (5.0% suspension of T. sureni); while the lowest (0.0%) repellency occurred at 0.5% suspension after 1 day of treatment. The highest mortality against adults (86.71%), larvae (88.32%) and pupae (85%) occurred at 5% suspension at 8 days after application. There was a negative correlation between the concentrations of T. sureni and the production of F1 adult's progeny of T. castaneum. The highest number of progeny (147) of T. castaneum occurred in the control at 7 days after treatment; and the lowest number of progeny (43) occurred at 5.0% concentration in 1 day after treatment. The results show that T. sureni is toxic to T. castaneum and has the potential to control all stages of this insect in stored wheat.

Carabid beetle assemblages in three environments in the Araucaria humid forest of southern Brazil

Carabid beetle assemblages in three environments in the Araucaria humid forest of southern Brazil. Carabidae is composed mainly by ground-dwelling predator beetles. It is the fourth most diverse group within Coleoptera, but its diversity in the Neotropical region is understudied. Here we describe and analyze the diversity of carabid beetles in a region of subtropical rain forest dominated by Araucaria angustifolia with different landscapes. Three areas were chosen in an environmental integrity gradient: primary forests, secondary forests and old Pinus plantations. Pitfall traps were taken monthly, in a total of 14 samples per area. 1733 adult carabid beetles, belonging to 18 species, were sampled. There were differences in richness and abundance between the sampled areas. The total scores followed the same tendency: primary forests (14 species/747 individuals), secondary forests (13/631) and Pinus forests (10/355). An analysis of similarity shows differences in species composition, for both areas and seasons. Galerita lacordarei was the most abundant species for all samples and seasons. Carabid species show similar responses in accordance with habitat heterogeneity and disturbance. The abundance of Galerita lacordarei was influenced by temperature, for all sampled sites. Environmental changes affect the carabid assemblages and decrease diversity, possibly interfering in local dynamics. Seasonality patterns seem to indicate an increase in individual movement during summer, probably in search of resources. It is suggested that microhabitat patchiness is probably an important factor affecting carabid beetle diversity at small spatial scales.

Dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeinae) attracted to sheep dung in exotic pastures

Dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeinae) attracted to sheep dung in exotic pastures. In this study we provide data on the abundance and richness of dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) attracted to sheep dung in exotic pastures (Brachiaria spp.). In four areas of exotic pasture pitfall traps were installed and baited with fresh sheep dung for sampling of dung beetles. A total of 2,290 individuals were captured belonging to 16 species, 10 genera and five tribes of Scarabaeinae beetles. Trichillum externepunctatum Preudhomme de Borre, 1886 and Dichotomius bos (Blanchard, 1843) were dominant. The guild of dwellers was the most abundant in pastures. We demonstrate that dung beetles are attracted to sheep dung. Since the production of both cattle and sheep in the same area is common in tropical pasturelands, results obtained here highlight the need to investigate the actual role of dung sharing (cattle dung + sheep dung) by dung beetles. It is also suggested that experiments be performed for evaluation of the ecological functions performed by dung beetles using sheep dung.