During the last few centuries oceanic island biodiversity has been drastically modified by human-mediated activities. These changes have led to the increased homogenization of island biota and to a ...high number of extinctions lending support to the recognition of oceanic islands as major threatspots worldwide. Here, we investigate the impact of habitat changes on the spider and ground beetle assemblages of the native forests of Madeira (Madeira archipelago) and Terceira (Azores archipelago) and evaluate its effects on the relative contribution of rare endemics and introduced species to island biodiversity patterns. We found that the native laurel forest of Madeira supported higher species richness of spiders and ground beetles compared with Terceira, including a much larger proportion of indigenous species, particularly endemics. In Terceira, introduced species are well-represented in both terrestrial arthropod taxa and seem to thrive in native forests as shown by the analysis of species abundance distributions (SAD) and occupancy frequency distributions (OFD). Low abundance range-restricted species in Terceira are mostly introduced species dispersing from neighbouring man-made habitats while in Madeira a large number of true rare endemic species can still be found in the native laurel forest. Further, our comparative analysis shows striking differences in species richness and composition that are due to the geographical and geological particularities of the two islands, but also seem to reflect the differences in the severity of human-mediated impacts between them. The high proportion of introduced species, the virtual absence of rare native species and the finding that the SADs and OFDs of introduced species match the pattern of native species in Terceira suggest the role of man as an important driver of species diversity in oceanic islands and add evidence for an extensive and severe human-induced species loss in the native forests of Terceira.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Carabid beetles are common predators of pest insects and weed seeds in agricultural systems. Understanding their dispersal across farmland is important for designing farms and landscapes that support ...pest and weed biological control. Little is known, however, about the effect of farmland habitat discontinuities on dispersal behaviour and the resulting redistribution of these beetles. We released 1,985 well‐fed and 1,680 food‐deprived individuals of the predatory carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) on a farm in Wageningen, The Netherlands. We recaptured 23.6% of those beetles over a period of 23 days in 2010. The farmland comprised agricultural fields with various crop species and tillage, separated by strips of perennial vegetation. We developed discrete Fokker‐Planck diffusion models to describe dispersal based on motility (m2 day−1) and preferential behaviour at habitat interfaces. We used model selection and Akaike’s information criterion to determine whether movement patterns were driven by variation in motility between habitats, preferential behaviour at habitat interfaces, or both. Model selection revealed differences in motility among habitats and gave strong support for preferential behaviour at habitat interfaces. Behaviour at interfaces between crop and perennial vegetation was asymmetric, with beetles preferentially moving towards the crop. Furthermore, beetles had lower motility in perennial strips than in arable fields. Also between arable habitats movement was asymmetric, with beetles preferentially moving towards the habitat in which motility was lowest. Neither crop type nor tillage explained differences in motility between crop habitats. Recapture data representing dispersal patterns of beetles were best described by a model that accounted for differences in motility between farmland habitats and preferential behaviour at habitat interfaces. Motility in farmland and behaviour at interfaces can also be estimated for other organisms and farmland habitats to support design of farmland conducive to natural pest suppression. Landscape design for early recruitment of carabids into arable fields should take into account the quantity and quality of resource habitats in the landscape, their proximity to crop fields, movement rates, and the possibility of movement responses at interfaces between landscape elements.
The central question in this paper is to what extent habitat interfaces, habitat type, and feeding condition of beetles drive within‐season dispersal. Well‐fed and food‐deprived individuals of the predatory beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were released on a farm in Wageningen, The Netherlands. We tested various dispersal models, each representing a hypothesis on movement, against mark‐recapture data using model selection. The data show that movement is determined by both motility within habitats and behaviour at habitat interfaces (e.g., preference behaviour).
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
is described from the Zagros Mountains in Iran. The microphthalmic species was found in a subalpine site under a deeply embedded stone close to a snow field. It resembles
Assmann, Renan & Wrase, ...2015, but differs by shape of pronotum and its punctation, eye size, body proportions, and shape of median lobe of aedeagus and preputial sclerites. An identification key to the known species from Iran is given.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Invertebrate granivore communities can consume numerous weed seeds in cropland, but how this granivory influences weed recruitment over time in continuous no‐till systems is unknown. Weed and ...surface‐active granivore communities were determined in soybeans (Glycine max) over 3 years in eastern South Dakota. We examined seed removal rates of sentinel redroot pigweed, green foxtail, and lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) seeds and applied gut content analysis of granivores to determine which species consume immuno‐marked seeds of green foxtail (Setaria viridis). Weed stands with low diversity and high biomass production were associated with granivore community complexity. In turn, granivore community complexity was associated with weed communities with low diversity and high biomass in the subsequent growing season. Fall seed consumption, as measured by seed removal rates and gut content analysis of foxtail seed markers, was positively correlated with weed recruitment in the subsequent growing season. Seed specialists behaved differently toward focal weed species than the granivore community at large. Gryllus pennsylvanicus abundance was correlated with higher green foxtail consumption and removal rates. None of the other dominant green foxtail consumers revealed a similar set of responses. We propose a feedback mechanism whereby granivore community complexity in cropland leads to larger but fewer weeds over multiple years. Weed communities with these characteristics then lead to more complex granivore communities. If these relationships persist over time with minimal disturbance in continuous no‐till cropping systems without pesticides, this feedback loop could reduce weed cover.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Epigaeic beetle assemblages were surveyed using continuous pitfall trapping during the summers of 1992 and 1993 in six widely geographically distributed locations in Alberta’s aspen-mixedwood forests ...prior to initial forest harvest. Species composition and turnover (β-diversity) were evaluated on several spatial scales ranging from Natural Regions (distance between samples 120–420 km) to pitfall traps (40–60 m). A total of 19,885 ground beetles (Carabidae) representing 40 species and 12,669 rove beetles (non-AleocharinaeStaphylinidae) representing 78 species was collected. Beetle catch, species richness, and diversity differed significantly among the six locations, as did the identity of dominant species. Beetle species composition differed significantly between the Boreal Forest and Foothills Natural Regions for both taxa. Staphylinidae β-diversity differed significantly between Natural Regions, whereas Carabidae β-diversity differed among locations. Climate variables such as number of frost-free days, dry periods, and mean summer temperatures were identified as significant factors influencing beetle assemblages at coarse spatial scales, whereas over- and understory vegetation cover, litter depth, shade, slope, and stand age influenced beetle assemblages at finer spatial scales. Significant interannual variation in assemblage structure was noted for both taxa. Because composition of epigaeic beetle assemblages differed across spatial scales, forest management strategies based only on generalized understanding of a single location will be ineffective as conservation measures. In addition, site history and geographic variation significantly affect species distributions of these two beetle families across the landscape. Thus, we underscore Terry Erwin’s suggestion that biodiversity assessments focused on species assemblages at different spatial scales provide a sound approach for understanding biodiversity change and enhancing conservation of arthropod biodiversity.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Globally, the great majority of Anillini species are endogean, adapted to live in the interstices of soil and leaf litter, while the extremely low vagility of these minute ground beetles gives rise ...to numerous shortrange endemic species. Until recently the Australian Anillini fauna was known only from leaf litter in rain forests and eucalypt forests in the wetter, forested regions of eastern and south eastern Australia, as well as Lord Howe and Norfolk islands. The first hypogean Anillini in Australia (17 species in six genera) were described in 2016 from mineral exploration drill holes in iron-ore bearing rocks of the Pilbara region in Western Australia, representing the first finding of the tribe deep underground in a semi-arid climate region. A further eight new genera and 20 new species are described herein, mostly from the Pilbara region as well as the semi-arid Kimberley and Goldfields regions; all were collected in mineral exploration drill holes. The following new genera are described:
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The following new species are described:
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Identification keys are provided for all Australian anilline genera, and Western Australian species. All the described species are known from a single locality and qualify as short-range endemics. The Anillini are recognised as a significant and diverse element making up part of Western Australia's remarkable subterranean fauna, and whose conservation may potentially be impacted by mining developments.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
•The impact of land abandonment on wetland ground beetle distribution was examined.•Species composition in abandoned land was more similar to wetland than grassland.•High soil moisture improved ...colonization of abandoned land by wetland species.•Conserving surrounding wetland also contributed to wetland species colonization.•Passive restoration may be an effective strategy for restoring wetland habitats.
Depopulation trends in many developed regions are resulting in an increase in areas of abandoned farmland, which could provide an alternative habitat for species endangered by past conversion of wetlands for agriculture. Additionally, various spatial and temporal factors (landscape structure, local habitat quality, and abandonment age) could influence species composition in abandoned farmland. In this study, we explored the spatio-temporal effects of land abandonment on the species composition of wetland ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to examine whether abandoned farmland can contribute to conserve wetland species’ habitats. We first compared ground beetle assemblages among four land uses (grassland, wetland, and newly and previously abandoned farmland) in the Kushiro region, eastern Hokkaido, Japan. We then examined the factors influencing differences in wetland species composition between abandoned farmland and wetland. We found that the composition of wetland species in abandoned farmland was more similar to that of wetland than that of grassland. Our results also showed that soil moisture in abandoned farmland was positively related to the land abandonment age and that differences in wetland species composition between abandoned farmland and wetland were negatively related to both soil moisture and surrounding wetland area. Our findings suggest that abandoned farmland can serve as an alternative habitat for wetland ground beetles. Maintaining a high level of soil moisture in abandoned farmland and conserving the surrounding wetland could be an effective strategy for restoring natural habitats for these species.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The ichnogenus Skolithos is are recorded from continental to deep marine deposits and the simplicity of the burrows and the variety of potential burrowers make it challenging to identify a probable ...tracemaker and limit paleoenvironmental interpretations. The paleosols of the Triassic Caturrita Formation from southern Brazil present non-marine Skolithos piperocks dominated by Skolithos serratus with scratch marks arranged perpendicular to the axis of the tube on the inner wall of the burrow, giving the burrow the shape of a screw. The fossil finding provides crucial paleoenvironmental information about the texture and moisture conditions of the substrate and the producing organism. The micromorphological analysis and characterization of the dominant burrows and paleosols of Skolithos piperock allowed assignation to the ichnospecies Skolithos serratus and attribution of this ichnotaxon to the activity of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelidae) which have morphological characters necessary to excavate a burrow with striated walls similar to a screw in response of the activity of the larva in the burrow throughout their life. The burrows represent a multifunctional structure that serves simultaneously as a domicile and a hiding place from predation and feeding for the larvae (pupa protection). The predominance of S. serratus in the Skolithos piperock suggests a preference of the producers for exposed, firm and predominantly sandy textured soils in little vegetated flood plains in a semiarid climate, similar to modern inceptisols developed in desiccated-overbank deposits of the Scoyenia ichnofacies. The presence of S. serratus in the studied paleosols suggests that the southwest of Gondwana has been a key center of diversification and dispersion of the subgenera Cylindera and Plectographa since the Late Triassic. Such center would include the geographic region bounded by the southern states of Brazil, northern Argentina, Uruguay and eastern Paraguay.
•Skolithos serratus is attributed to the activity of tiger beetles.•Skolithos serratus is indicative of desiccated suite of Scoyenia Ichnofacies.•Evidence of Gondwanan ancestry of Cicindelidae in Neotropical region
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In defensive mimicry, resemblance between unequally defended species can be parasitic; this phenomenon has been termed quasi-Batesian mimicry. Few studies have used real co-mimics and their predators ...to test whether the mimetic interactions were parasitic. Here, we investigated the mimetic interaction between two well-defended insect species, the bombardier beetle
(Coleoptera: Carabidae) and the assassin bug
(Hemiptera: Reduviidae), using their potential predator, the pond frog
(Anura: Ranidae), which coexists with these insect species in the same habitat in Japan. We observed behavioural responses of this frog species (adults and juveniles) to adult
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and adult
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under laboratory conditions. Among the frogs, 100% and 75% rejected
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and
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, respectively, suggesting that, compared with the assassin bug
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, the bombardier beetle
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is more well-defended against frogs. An assassin bug or a bombardier beetle was provided to a frog that had encountered the other insect species. Frogs with a history of assassin bug encounter demonstrated a lower rate of attack toward bombardier beetles. Similarly, frogs with a history of bombardier beetle encounter demonstrated a lower rate of attack toward assassin bugs. Therefore, both the bombardier beetle
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and the assassin bug
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benefit from the mimetic interaction.
We tested three hypotheses (productive energy, habitat heterogeneity, historical climate stability) to explain regional species richness patterns in subterranean habitats, which have less ...habitat/climatic variability than surface habitats. For the first time, we investigated the pattern of two species richness hotspots in the world's richest region in subterranean biodiversity in southeast Europe. We used distribution records for 388 species of beetles, the most species rich group of terrestrial subterranean fauna, belonging to subfamilies Trechinae (Carabidae) and Leptodirinae (Cholevidae), and mapped them onto a 20Â ÃÂ 20Â km grid. We applied spatial and nonâspatial multiple regression, using generalised linear models and spatial eigenvector mapping. The relative importance of each hypothesis, and of the spatial versus the environmental components, was assessed with variation partitioning. We analysed the total dataset as well as each subfamily separately. Our results show that although the relative importance of species richness drivers differed among taxonomic groups, in most cases habitat heterogeneity had the biggest influence. It was followed by historical climate stability, while productive energy had a neglecting effect. This proves that even though habitat variability is smaller in subterranean than in surface habitats, its gradient is still strong enough to explain species richness patterns better than the other two hypotheses. Identification of the drivers shaping the two regional species richness hotspots within a global hotspot of highly endemic subterranean fauna is important for conservation practices. Additionally, we contribute to the general understanding of species richness patterns of insects, by providing the first detailed analyses on a regional scale for subterranean systems.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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