Search

The leaf chafer tribe Alvarengiini Frey, a long‐neglected taxon that has been overlooked in the biodiversity literature from its inception, is revised for the first time. As a result of this research, the tribe is composed of two species in two genera distributed from Bahia, Brazil (in the north), to Paraná, Brazil (in the south), and Paraguay. Two synonyms are proposed: Alvarengius silphoides Frey, syn. nov. for Ottokelleria dispar (Burmeister) and Alvarengius Frey, syn. nov. for Ottokelleria D'Andretta & Martínez. A new genus is described, Carinochilus, gen. nov., and includes one species: Carinochilus marginatus (Burmeister), comb. nov. The lectotype for O. dispar and a neotype for C. marginatus are designated. We provide an identification key to the tribes of Rutelinae (in English and Portuguese) and incorporate classification changes in the subfamily. A key for the identification of Alvarengiini genera and species is also provided. All taxa are circumscribed and illustrated, and distributional data are synthesised in maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phytophagous scarab genus Macraspis MacLeay (Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae, Rutelini) is reviewed from the Brazilian Amazon region. Three new species are described and illustrated from the states of Amazonas, Pará, and Rondônia: M. buehrnheimi sp. nov., M. opala sp. nov., and M. phallocardia sp. nov. Two species, Macraspis fernandezi Neita-Moreno and M. oblonga Burmeister, are recorded for the first time in Brazil (new country records). Macraspis maculata crosarai Soula is a new synonym of Macraspis maculata Burmeister; hence this species no longer includes subspecies. Furthermore, Macraspis cincta parensis Soula, 2005 is deemed unavailable under the provisions of ICZN Articles 16.4.1 and 16.4.2. An illustrated key to 15 species and subspecies of Macraspis from the Brazilian Amazon enables identification of this speciose leaf chafer genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Beneficial insect numbers have sharply declined in recent years, and these declines negatively impact (1) food crops due to reduced pollination services, and (2) wildlife and birds due to reduced food sources. In part, agricultural intensification and habitat fragmentation have led to these declines. In the United States, one conservation effort is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which provides financial assistance for replanting agricultural land to restored habitat to improve environmental health and quality. Common CRP grassland restorations are CP2 ("native grass" seed mix) and CP25 ("rare and declining habitat" seed mix). We examined the response of ground beetles, a group that is important for wildlife, to CRP restoration and management across three grassland habitats, and 108 sites. We examined two restoration types (CP2, CP25), and the grazing or absence of grazing by cattle. Our findings indicate that ground beetle communities are not negatively impacted by moderate levels of cattle grazing. Additionally, we found that cattle grazing might have positive effects on ground beetle abundance, biomass, and diversity in tallgrass habitats. The positive impact of cattle grazing may provide an additional incentive for CRP restorations that would enhance beneficial insect populations. Grasslands in North America have declined by over 70% since industrialization of settlements due to the conversion of natural habitats to cropland and urban centers. In the United States, the federally supported Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was created to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, and increase native habitats for wildlife. Within these restored grasslands, ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are a keystone invertebrate group that fill several crucial niches and may serve as bioindicators of successful land management strategies. To understand the impact of land management on ground beetles, we examined carabid beetle community responses to a grazing treatment and two plant restoration treatments with low and relatively high initial plant diversity over two field seasons. We used pitfall traps at 108 CRP sites across a 63.5 cm precipitation gradient, encompassing three grassland types. Overall, grazing and restoration treatment did not have detectable effects on carabid abundance, biomass, or diversity. Carabid communities, however, responded differently to grazing within grassland types—all three community measures increased in response to grazing in tallgrass sites only. Our short-term study suggests that moderate levels of cattle grazing do not negatively affect carabid communities and might have positive effects on abundance, biomass, and diversity in tallgrass regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrophilous insects occupy an ecologically interesting niche because carrion is a highly desirable but ephemeral food source. Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae) within temperate regions are frequently found at carrion, but little is known about their attraction to this resource. Are dung beetles attracted to the carrion itself or are they indirectly attracted due to the exposed gastrointestinal contents? We investigated the association between dung beetles and carrion by examining the distribution of dung beetles on the cranial and caudal end of rat carcasses, delimiting a resource more attractive to necrophagous insects (cranial end) from a resource more attractive to coprophagous insects (caudal end). Dung beetle distribution on rat carcasses was compared with the distribution of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae), which serve as a null model of distribution patterns for a taxon known to directly target carrion. Results demonstrated that dung beetles show higher attraction to the cranial end of rat carrion. A similar distribution pattern was found in carrion beetles, suggesting that similar resources were targeted. When dung beetles were grouped by behavioral guilds, rollers and tunnelers also shared this pattern of greater abundance at the cranial end, but dwellers showed no discernible difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrophagous insects play an important role in decomposition and nutrient recycling of decomposing vertebrates. Ecological studies of carrion-associated beetles enhance forensic investigations by providing information about community assemblages and predictable patterns of succession. However, lack of standardized protocols that include replication, spatial scale, and phenology reduce detection of patterns and predictions. To address these gaps and examine the influence of habitat (woodlands vs grasslands) and abiotic factors on carrion beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) communities, we developed an experimental approach from broad to finer scale located within the Kansas Flint Hills across a full annual cycle (12 contiguous months). In total, 3,333 adult carrion beetles in nine species were collected from pitfall traps baited with rat carrion over thirteen 4-wk collecting periods. PERMANOVA and NMDS demonstrate that the silphid beetle community was significantly different in species composition between grassland and woodland habitats, but communities did not differ significantly in overall mean abundance, mean species richness, or mean species diversity. Two species exhibited strong habitat associations; one associated with grassland habitat (Nicrophorus marginatus F.) and one with woodland habitat (Nicrophorus orbicollis Say). Our results reveal that habitat associations of silphid beetles can be useful in forensic investigations by determining corpse relocation and in ecological studies that explore niche filtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape ecology and its emphasis on relationships between spatial heterogeneity, scale, and ecological processes can be applied to manage stream ecosystems as riverscapes. Hierarchy theory, a central tenet of riverscape ecology, allows for investigating ecological relationships between aquatic organisms and habitat by exploring the nested interactions inherent in reaches, segments, and basins. Arkansas darter Etheostoma cragini is a Great Plains fish endemic to the Arkansas River basin and is listed as in need of conservation in all five states within its range in North America. The aim of this study was to develop empirical models describing relationships between Arkansas darter abundance and local habitats, and identify the appropriate scale(s) for assessing and managing populations.We used Arkansas darter abundance data collected from stream sample units as a fixed grain size (102 m) and compiled datasets at three hierarchical spatial extents, including reach (103 m), nested within segment (104 m), nested within basin (105 m) in southcentral Kansas. We fit generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) to assess scale‐specific relationships between Arkansas darter abundance and local habitat dimensions (stream depth and width) and heterogeneity (canopy cover, overhanging vegetation, and woody structure).Habitat parameters included in best‐supported GLMMs differed among extents. Variation in Arkansas darter abundance was explained by canopy cover and channel depth at the reach (54% explained) and segment (56%) extents, and stream width and depth at the basin extent (37%). Partial dependence plots from multiple regression GLMMs revealed that Arkansas darter abundance was negatively correlated with increasing channel depth across all extents, increasing canopy cover at reach and segment extents, and increasing channel width at the basin extent.Our results highlight scale‐specific relationships between Arkansas darter abundance and local habitats across multiple spatial extents. These findings provide direction for assessing stream fish ecology pattern‐process relationships at the appropriate spatial scales and benefit native fish conservation by highlighting the application of hierarchy theory to address management challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neotropical scarab beetle genus Mesomerodon Ohaus (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) is distributed in the western (lowland) Amazonian region from Colombia to Bolivia. Based on our research, the genus includes three species including a new cryptic species from Ecuador. We use niche modeling to predict potential suitable habitat and identify environmental factors associated with the distribution of Mesomerodon species. We characterize the genus, provide a key to species, diagnose each species, describe a new species, provide spatial and temporal distributions, and discuss distributions of the species in relation to Amazonian landscape biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yumtaax Boucher (Coleoptera: Passalidae) is an endemic genus from the temperate sierras of Mexico and includes six narrowly distributed species. Yumtaax species have been assigned to several genera of Passalidae throughout history, and a phylogenetic approach is necessary to understand species delimitation and interspecific relationships. This study reconstructed the molecular phylogeny of six Yumtaax morphotypes using parsimony and Bayesian analysis of DNA sequence data from the ribosomal nuclear gene region 28S and the mitochondrial gene regions 12S and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) in addition to morphological characters. Analyses recovered two well-supported Yumtaax clades (the Yumtaax laticornis and Yumtaax imbellis clades) that are possible sister lineages. One synapomorphic morphological character state and the geographic isolation of the group provide corroborative evidence for monophyly. Molecular phylogenetic analyses and traditional morphological examinations also resulted in the discovery of two undescribed Yumtaax species and the discovery of two separate evolutionary lineages (cryptic species) within Yumtaax recticornis. As a result we describe three new species (Yumtaax veracrucensis Beza-Beza, Reyes-Castillo & Jameson, sp. n., Yumtaax cameliae Beza-Beza, Reyes-Castillo & Jameson, sp. n., and Yumtaax jimenezi Beza-Beza, Reyes-Castillo & Jameson, sp. n.), redescribe two species (Yumtaax recticornis [Burmeister 1847] and Yumtaax laticornis [Truqui 1857]), and provide a key to all nine Yumtaax species. This study is one of two studies to use molecular data to evaluate the evolutionary relationships of a genus of Bess Beetles (Passalidae), an ecologically important insect group exhibiting low morphological variability and heretofore lacking molecular phylogenetic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pelidnotine scarabs (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) are a speciose, paraphyletic assemblage of beetles that includes spectacular metallic species (“jewel scarabs”) as well as species that are ecologically important as herbivores, pollinators, and bioindicators. These beetles suffer from a complicated nomenclatural history, due primarily to 20th century taxonomic and nomenclatural errors. We review the taxonomic history of the pelidnotine scarabs, present a provisional key to genera with overviews of all genera, and synthesize a catalog of all taxa with synonyms, distributional data, type specimen information, and 107 images of exemplar species. As a result of our research, the pelidnotine leaf chafers (a paraphyletic group) include 27 (26 extant and 1 extinct) genera and 420 valid species and subspecies (419 extant and 1 extinct). Our research makes biodiversity research on this group tractable and accessible, thus setting the stage for future studies that address evolutionary and ecological trends. Based on our research, 1 new species is described, 1 new generic synonym and 12 new species synonyms are proposed, 11 new lectotypes and 1 new neotype are designated, many new or revised nomenclatural combinations, and many unavailable names are presented. The following taxonomic changes are made: New generic synonym: The genus Heteropelidnota Ohaus, 1912 is a new junior synonym of Pelidnota MacLeay, 1819. New species synonyms: Plusiotis adelaida pavonacea Casey, 1915 is a syn. n. of Chrysina adelaida (Hope, 1841); Odontognathus gounellei Ohaus, 1908 is a revised synonym of Pelidnota ebenina (Blanchard, 1842); Pelidnota francoisgenieri Moore & Jameson, 2013 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota genieri Soula, 2009 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota lutea (Olivier, 1758) is a revised synonym of Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota (Pelidnota) texensis Casey, 1915 is a revised synonym of Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota (Strigidia) zikani (Ohaus, 1922) is a revised synonym of Pelidnota tibialis tibialis Burmeister, 1844; Pelidnota ludovici Ohaus, 1905 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota burmeisteri tricolor Nonfried, 1894; Rutela fulvipennis Germar, 1824 is syn. n. of Pelidnota cuprea (Germar, 1824); Pelidnota pulchella blanda Burmeister, 1844 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota pulchella pulchella (Kirby, 1819); Pelidnota pulchella scapularis Burmeister, 1844 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota pulchella pulchella (Kirby, 1819); Pelidnota xanthogramma Perty, 1830 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota pulchella pulchella (Kirby, 1819). New or revised statuses: Pelidnota fabricelavalettei Soula, 2009, revised status, is considered a species; Pelidnota rioensis Soula, 2009, stat. n., is considered a species; Pelidnota semiaurata semiaurata Burmeister, 1844, stat. rev., is considered a subspecies. New or comb. rev. and revised status: Plusiotis guaymi Curoe, 2001 is formally transferred to the genus Chrysina (C. guaymi (Curoe, 2001), comb. n.); Plusiotis transvolcanica Morón & Nogueira, 2016 is transferred to the genus Chrysina (C. transvolcanica (Morón & Nogueira, 2016), comb. n.). Heteropelidnota kuhnti Ohaus, 1912 is transferred to the genus Pelidnota (P. kuhnti (Ohaus, 1912), comb. n.); Odontognathus riedeli Ohaus, 1905 is considered a subspecies of Pelidnota rubripennis Burmeister, 1844 (Pelidnota rubripennis riedeli (Ohaus, 1905), revised status and comb. rev.); Pelidnota (Strigidia) acutipennis (F. Bates, 1904) is transferred to the genus Sorocha (Sorocha acutipennis (F. Bates, 1904), comb. rev.); Pelidnota (Odontognathus) nadiae Martínez, 1978 is transferred to the genus Sorocha (Sorocha nadiae (Martínez, 1978), comb. rev.); Pelidnota (Ganonota) plicipennis Ohaus, 1934 is transferred to the genus Sorocha (Sorocha plicipennis (Ohaus, 1934), comb. rev.); Pelidnota similis Ohaus, 1908 is transferred to the genus Sorocha (Sorocha similis (Ohaus, 1908), comb. rev.); Pelidnota (Ganonota) yungana Ohaus, 1934 is transferred to Sorocha (Sorocha yungana (Ohaus, 1934), comb. rev.); Pelidnota malyi Soula, 2010: 58, revised status; Xenopelidnota anomala porioni Chalumeau, 1985, revised subspecies status. To stabilize the classification of the group, a neotype is designated for the following species: Pelidnota thiliezi Soula, 2009. Lectotypes are designated for the following names (given in their original combinations): Pelidnota brevicollis Casey, 1915, Pelidnota brevis Casey, 1915, Pelidnota debiliceps Casey, 1915, Pelidnota hudsonica Casey, 1915, Pelidnota oblonga Casey, 1915, Pelidnota pallidipes Casey, 1915, Pelidnota ponderella Casey, 1915, Pelidnota strenua Casey, 1915, Pelidnota tarsalis Casey, 1915, Pelidnota texensis Casey, 1915, and Scarabaeus punctatus Linnaeus, 1758. The following published infrasubspecific names are unavailable per ICZN Article 45.6.1: Pelidnota (Odontognathus) cuprea var. coerulea Ohaus, 1913; Pelidnota (Odontognathus) cuprea var. rufoviolacea Ohaus, 1913; Pelidnota (Odontognathus) cuprea var. nigrocoerulea Ohaus, 1913; Pelidnota pulchella var. fulvopunctata Ohaus, 1913; Pelidnota pulchella var. sellata Ohaus, 1913; Pelidnota pulchella var. reducta Ohaus, 1913; Pelidnota unicolor var. infuscata Ohaus, 1913. The following published species name is unavailable per ICZN Article 11.5: Neopatatra synonyma Moore & Jameson, 2013. The following published species name is unavailable per application of ICZN Article 16.1: Parhoplognathus rubripennis Soula, 2008. The following published species name is unavailable per application of ICZN Article 16.4.1: Strigidia testaceovirens argentinica Soula, 2006, Pelidnota (Strigidia) testaceovirens argentinica (Soula, 2006), and Pelidnota testaceovirens argentinica (Soula, 2006). The following published species names are unavailable per application of ICZN Article 16.4.2: Homonyx digennaroi Soula, 2010; Homonyx lecourti Soula, 2010; Homonyx mulliei Soula, 2010; Homonyx simoensi Soula, 2010; Homonyx wagneri Soula, 2010; Homonyx zovii Demez & Soula, 2011; Pelidnota arnaudi Soula, 2009; Pelidnota brusteli Soula, 2010; Pelidnota chalcothorax septentrionalis Soula, 2009; Pelidnota degallieri Soula, 2010; Pelidnota lavalettei Soula, 2008; Pelidnota lavalettei Soula, 2009; Pelidnota dieteri Soula, 2011; Strigidia gracilis decaensi Soula, 2008, Pelidnota (Strigidia) gracilis decaensi (Soula, 2008), and Pelidnota gracilis decaensi (Soula, 2008); Pelidnota halleri Demez & Soula, 2011; Pelidnota injantepalominoi Demez & Soula, 2011; Pelidnota kucerai Soula, 2009; Pelidnota malyi Soula, 2010: 36-37; Pelidnota mezai Soula, 2009; Pelidnota polita darienensis Soula, 2009; Pelidnota polita orozcoi Soula, 2009; Pelidnota polita pittieri Soula, 2009; Pelidnota punctulata decolombia Soula, 2009; Pelidnota punctulata venezolana Soula, 2009; Pelidnota raingeardi Soula, 2009; Pelidnota schneideri Soula, 2010; Pelidnota simoensi Soula, 2009; Pelidnota unicolor subandina Soula, 2009; Sorocha carloti Demez & Soula, 2011; Sorocha castroi Soula, 2008; Sorocha fravali Soula, 2011; Sorocha jeanmaurettei Demez & Soula, 2011; Sorocha yelamosi Soula, 2011; Xenopelidnota bolivari Soula, 2009; Xenopelidnota pittieri pittieri Soula, 2009. Due to unavailability of the name Pseudogeniates cordobaensis Soula 2009, we describe the species as intentionally new (Pseudogeniates cordobaensis Moore, Jameson, Garner, Audibert, Smith, and Seidel, sp. n.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclocephaline scarabs, the second largest tribe of rhinoceros beetles, are important pollinators of early-diverging angiosperm families in the tropics. The evolutionary history of cyclocephaline genera is poorly resolved and several genera are thought to be nonmonophyletic. We assess the monophyly of Mimeoma Casey, a group of Neotropical palm-feeding scarabs, and its relationship to Cyclocephala with a phylogenetic analysis of 2899 bp of DNA sequence data and 18 morphological characters. All five species of Mimeoma were included in analyses along with species of Cyclocephala Dejean, Dyscinetus Harold and Tomarus Erichson as outgroup taxa. Nearly complete 28S, 12S and CO1 data were collected from 26 of 29 specimens, of which 16 samples were pinned, museum specimens. 28S data strongly support a nonmonophyletic Mimeoma; mitochondrial data ( CO1 and 12S) suggest that Mimeoma species are nested within an apical clade of other Cyclocephala species; combined molecular and morphological data identify two strongly supported clades of Mimeoma species but do not support their sister relationship. Combined data show that Mimeoma species are nested within Cyclocephala, thus rendering Cyclocephala paraphyletic. Mimeoma is synonymized within Cyclocephala resulting in the following new combinations: Cyclocephala acuta Arrow ., Cyclocephala englemani ( Ratcliffe) ., Cyclocephala maculata Burmeister ., Cyclocephala nigra ( Endrödi) . and Cyclocephala signatoides Höhne . Our results demonstrate that pinned, museum specimens can be used to obtain DNA sequence data (particularly high-copy gene regions) for evolutionary studies, and provide the first empirical support that host-plant associations within cyclocephaline scarab clades are conserved at the plant family-level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present a phylogeny of beetles ( Insecta: Coleoptera) based on DNA sequence data from eight nuclear genes, including six single-copy nuclear protein-coding genes, for 367 species representing 172 of 183 extant families. Our results refine existing knowledge of relationships among major groups of beetles. Strepsiptera was confirmed as sister to Coleoptera and each of the suborders of Coleoptera was recovered as monophyletic. Interrelationships among the suborders, namely Polyphaga ( Adephaga ( Archostemata, Myxophaga)), in our study differ from previous studies. Adephaga comprised two clades corresponding to Hydradephaga and Geadephaga. The series and superfamilies of Polyphaga were mostly monophyletic. The traditional Cucujoidea were recovered in three distantly related clades. Lymexyloidea was recovered within Tenebrionoidea. Several of the series and superfamilies of Polyphaga received moderate to maximal clade support in most analyses, for example Buprestoidea, Chrysomeloidea, Coccinelloidea, Cucujiformia, Curculionoidea, Dascilloidea, Elateroidea, Histeroidea and Hydrophiloidea. However, many of the relationships within Polyphaga lacked compatible resolution under maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference, and/or lacked consistently strong nodal support. Overall, we recovered slightly younger estimated divergence times than previous studies for most groups of beetles. The ordinal split between Coleoptera and Strepsiptera was estimated to have occurred in the Early Permian. Crown Coleoptera appeared in the Late Permian, and only one or two lineages survived the end- Permian mass extinction, with stem group representatives of all four suborders appearing by the end of the Triassic. The basal split in Polyphaga was estimated to have occurred in the Triassic, with the stem groups of most series and superfamilies originating during the Triassic or Jurassic. Most extant families of beetles were estimated to have Cretaceous origins. Overall, Coleoptera experienced an increase in diversification rate compared to the rest of Neuropteroidea. Furthermore, 10 family-level clades, all in suborder Polyphaga, were identified as having experienced significant increases in diversification rate. These include most beetle species with phytophagous habits, but also several groups not typically or primarily associated with plants. Most of these groups originated in the Cretaceous, which is also when a majority of the most species-rich beetle families first appeared. An additional 12 clades showed evidence for significant decreases in diversification rate. These clades are species-poor in the Modern fauna, but collectively exhibit diverse trophic habits. The apparent success of beetles, as measured by species numbers, may result from their associations with widespread and diverse substrates - especially plants, but also including fungi, wood and leaf litter - but what facilitated these associations in the first place or has allowed these associations to flourish likely varies within and between lineages. Our results provide a uniquely well-resolved temporal and phylogenetic framework for studying patterns of innovation and diversification in Coleoptera, and a foundation for further sampling and resolution of the beetle tree of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide the first record of the leaf chafer beetle Leucothyreus suturalis Castelnau (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) associated with nests of Cornitermes cumulans (Kollar) and Silvestritermes holmgreni (Snyder) (Termitidae: Syntermitinae), including notes on the life cycle of the guest. We found 13 third-instar larvae in eight nests of C. cumulans and eight third-instar larvae in a single nest of S. holmgreni located in pasturelands or in forest edges of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In nests of both termite species, L. suturalis larvae were found imbedded in peripheral areas of nests. Larval development was similar regardless of the termite host nest. We supplement the knowledge of scarab–termite associations, report the first leaf chafer (Rutelinae) association with termite hosts, and provide life history comparisons of termitophile versus nontermitophile in the genus Leucothyreus MacLeay. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The southeast Asian scarab beetle genus Peltonotus Burmeister (Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae, Cyclocephalini) is reviewed. New country records for Peltonotus morio Burmeister (Myanmar and Vietnam), P. nasutus Arrow (southern China and Cambodia), and P. favonius Jameson and Wada (Myanmar) are reported, including a new record in the Palearctic/Sino-Japanese biogeographic region. The first female specimen of P. favonius is described. Biological associations with aroid inflorescences are reviewed, and human consumption of Peltonotus beetles is reported. A key to all species, paralectotype designations for P. nasutus, diagnoses, and distributions using dynamic mapping tools are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scarab beetle genus Pseudogeniates Ohaus (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) is endemic to Argentina. The genus includes three species: P. cordobaensis Soula, P. intermedius Ohaus, and P. richterianus Ohaus. We characterize the genus, provide a key to species, redescribe and diagnose each species, provide spatial and temporal distributions, and discuss distributions of the species in relation to eco-regions and areas of endemism in Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research conducted in order to assess the characteristics useful for differentiation of sexes in the Chinese rose beetle, Adoretus sinicus (A. sinicus) and to recognize the potential agricultural and biosecurity threat of Adoretus species. The study revealed the non-destructive morphological differences between the sexes of A. sinicus including the form of the terminal sternite and the length to width ratio of protarsomere.

We provide a synopsis of the Sumatran species in the scarab beetle genus Peltonotus Burmeister (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini), describe a new species of Peltonotus from Sumatra, and describe the male of P. cybele Jameson & Wada from Sumatra (previously known only by the female holotype). To enable identification, we include a key to the five Sumatran species of Peltonotus, comparative images and diagnoses for all species, and temporal and geographical distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Chalcasthenes Arrow (Dynastinae: Oryctoderini), a scarab beetle genus endemic to the Solomon Islands, is reviewed. Based on examination of type specimens, the genus Strehlia Frey (Rutelinae: Rutelini: Parastasiina) is a new junior synonym of Chalcasthenes. The historical classification of these genera (either in the subfamily Dynastinae or Rutelinae) and character-based criteria for assigning the taxa to the Dynastinae are provided. We discuss character states that support the monophyly of members of the genus Chalcasthenes, comment on the distribution and biogeography of species in the genus and provide a key to species. The genus includes four species: Chalcasthenes divinus Endrödi, Chalcasthenes pulcher Arrow, Chalcasthenes squamigerus Frey new combination and Chalcasthenes styracoceros Jameson and Ratcliffe n. sp. Species hypotheses are corroborated based on evidence from Pleistocene geological reconstructions of the Solomon Islands, geographic variation of bird species in the region and development in scarab beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subtribe Anisopliina (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anomalini) is associated with grasses, and its species are distributed in the Palaearctic, Oriental, Ethiopian, Nearctic and Neotropical biogeographical regions. Phylogenetic analysis of adult morphological characters was conducted to examine the monophyly and classification of the group, as well as to examine characters associated with grass pollinivory and graminivory. We review the biology, phylogeny and classification of the Anisopliina and provide an overview of each genus. The analysis of ninety-one morphological characters using parsimony does not support the monophyly of the subtribe Anisopliina. Instead, the results provide support for a group referred to here as the anisopliine clade, a circum-Mediterranean group, forming an internal clade within the well-supported tribe Anomalini. Sister group relationships are discussed, possibly being associated with a New World anomaline taxon. Character states associated with grass herbivory, including mouthpart and leg characters, are discussed based on the phylogenetic analysis. Within the Anomalini, an evolutionary shift from generalized leaf feeding to grass associations and grass pollen feeding is supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two genera and five species of valgine scarabs (Cetoniinae: Valgini) are found in the New World, including the introduced European species, Valgus hemipterus L.. Valgus mexicanus Cazier is transferred to the genus Dasyvalgus Kolbe, and characters that support this transfer are discussed. Based on shared morphological characters, Valgus minutus Casey and V. serricollis Fitch are synonymized with V. canaliculatus (Olivier). Neotypes are designated for V. serricollis Fitch and Cetonia canaliculata Olivier. A key to the genera and species of New World Valgini is provided. Species are redescribed and information about geographic and phenology, biology, and larvae is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the Anomalorhina, a genus of anomaline scarab from Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Characteristics of the scarab; Biological importance of the scarabs; Natural history of the Anomalini.

The article focuses on a survey regarding distribution of pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) among amphibians in Kansas. Topics discussed include less risk of the infection for amphibians who are inhabiting the drier interior of the U.S. ; investigation of potential impacts of abiotic and micro-habitat variables on Bd infection rates in amphibian populations and presence of the infection in south-central Kansas rather than in the north and central Great Plains.