scholarly journals Successional and seasonal changes of leaf beetles and their indicator value in a fragmented low thorn forest of northeastern Mexico (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 825 ◽  
pp. 71-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uriel Jeshua Sánchez-Reyes ◽  
Santiago Niño-Maldonado ◽  
Shawn M. Clark ◽  
Ludivina Barrientos-Lozano ◽  
Pedro Almaguer-Sierra

Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera) constitute a highly diverse family of phytophagous insects with high ecological relevance, due to their host plant specificity and their close association to vegetation variables. Therefore, secondary succession and seasonal changes after loss of vegetal cover will have a significant influence on their community patterns. Accordingly, responses of leaf beetles to such environmental heterogeneity make them a suitable taxon for monitoring disturbance, which is more important for endangered habitats such as the low thorn forests (LTF) in northeastern Mexico. We conducted a study in a LTF fragment in order to assess the effects of secondary succession and seasonality on leaf beetle communities, as well as to quantify the importance of Chrysomelidae as an indicator taxon. Landsat scenes were used for delimiting a successional gradient, in which four succession categories were selected: four years, 17 years, and 31 years since loss of vegetal cover, and conserved areas. Eight plots of 100 m2were randomly delimited in each category; plots were sampled monthly, using an entomological sweep net, from May 2016 to April 2017. In total, 384 samples were collected by the end of study, from which 6978 specimens, six subfamilies, 57 genera, and 85 species were obtained. Species richness was higher in early succession areas. Abundance declined significantly from early successional to conserved areas, but the conserved areas had the higher diversity. Furthermore, differences in abundance were significant between rainy and dry seasons in areas of four, 17, and 31 years of succession, but not in conserved areas; also, all categories had a similar abundance during the dry season. Intermediate (17 and 31 years) and conserved areas differed in the season of higher diversity. Regarding inventory completeness, it was close to or above 70 % for all comparisons, although it was very low for the 17-year category during the rainy season. Faunistic similarity was higher between intermediate categories. A total of 24 species had a significant indicator value. Effects of succession time and seasonality on leaf beetle communities are here quantified for first time in LTF forests. Influences of environmental heterogeneity and intermediate disturbance are discussed as main drivers of the results obtained. Several leaf beetle species are proposed that could be useful for monitoring succession time and secondary LTF vegetation in northeastern Mexico. However, studies must be replicated at other regions, in order to obtain a better characterization of disturbance influence on leaf beetles.

ZooKeys ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 1080 ◽  
pp. 21-52
Author(s):  
José Norberto Lucio-García ◽  
Uriel Jeshua Sánchez-Reyes ◽  
Jorge Víctor Horta-Vega ◽  
Jesús Lumar Reyes-Muñoz ◽  
Shawn M. Clark ◽  
...  

Leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) constitute a family of abundant, diverse, and ecologically important herbivorous insects, due to their high specificity with host plants, a close association with vegetation and a great sensitivity to microclimatic variation (factors that are modified gradually during the rainy and dry seasons). Therefore, the effects of seasonality (rainy and dry seasons) and microclimate on the community attributes of chrysomelids were evaluated in a semideciduous tropical forest fragment of northeastern Mexico. Monthly sampling was conducted, between March 2016 and February 2017, with an entomological sweep net in 18 plots of 20 × 20 m, randomly distributed from 320 to 480 m a.s.l. Seven microclimatic variables were simultaneously recorded during each of the samplings, using a portable weather station. In total, 216 samples were collected at the end of the study, of which 2,103 specimens, six subfamilies, 46 genera, and 71 species were obtained. The subfamily Galerucinae had the highest number of specimens and species in the study area, followed by Cassidinae. Seasonality caused significant changes in the abundance and number of leaf beetle species: highest richness was recorded in the rainy season, with 60 species, while the highest diversity (lowest dominance and highest H’ index) was obtained in the dry season. Seasonal inventory completeness of leaf beetles approached (rainy season) or was higher (dry season) than 70%, while the faunistic similarity between seasons was 0.63%. The outlying mean index was significant in both seasons; of the seven microclimatic variables analyzed, only temperature, heat index, evapotranspiration and wind speed were significantly related to changes in abundance of Chrysomelidae. Association between microclimate and leaf beetles was higher in the dry season, with a difference in the value of importance of the abiotic variables. The results indicated that each species exhibited a different response pattern to the microclimate, depending on the season, which suggests that the species may exhibit modifications in their niche requirements according to abiotic conditions. However, the investigations must be replicated in other regions, in order to obtain a better characterization of the seasonal and microclimatic influence on the family Chrysomelidae.


2006 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Kölsch ◽  
Bo Vest Pedersen ◽  
Olof Biström

AbstractThe genus Macroplea Samouelle, 1819 is a group of highly specialized aquatic leaf beetles occurring in the Palaearctic. Since the members of this genus are morphologically very similar, we addressed the question of species identification and delimitation by analysing the second half of the mitochondrial gene coding for the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) subunit. Species limits are inferred from the multimodal frequency distribution of genetic distances between specimens: low genetic distances within a species are clearly set apart from distances between species. The species status of the hitherto controversial species M. japana (Jacoby, 1885) is confirmed. The pattern of nucleotide and amino acid substitutions is discussed in the light of functional domains of the COI molecule. Although the data are preliminary, the results provide new data on the distribution of the species. Together with the phylogenetic analysis they allow for a discussion of the phylogeography of the genus.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kam-Cheng Yeong ◽  
Haruo Takizawa ◽  
Thor-Seng Liew

Sabah, northern Borneo is one of the world’s most well-recognized biodiversity hotspots famous for the incredible diversity of its flora and fauna. Plenty of studies of leaf beetle fauna from this region have been conducted over the past 30 years. Yet, our knowledge of the leaf beetle fauna from island habitats remains scarce despite Sabah having the highest number of islands in Malaysia (ca. 500 islands). In this study, we collected leaf beetle fauna from 13 islands off the west coast of Sabah between January 2016 and March 2017. All specimens were identified to species level. Species names were assigned when the specimens fitted the description of species in the literature and morpho-species were assigned when the species names could not be determined. In addition, DNA barcodes – mitochondarial COI gene – of the species were sequenced. A total of 68 species from 31 genera and 5 subfamilies were collected with 12 species name being determined. From the data it was established that Pulau Gaya has the highest species richness (42 species), followed by Pulau Tiga (22 species) and Pulau Sapangar (18 species). Furthermore, a total of 64 Barcode Index Numbers consisting of 101 DNA barcodes were obtained from 60 leaf beetle species. The mean intraspecific and interspecific distances were determined as 0.77 % and 16.11 %, respectively. In addition, DNA barcoding also reveals phenotypic variation in leaf beetle species, particularly in the case of the subfamily Galerucinae. This study provides baseline knowledge and information about the DNA barcodes of leaf beetle species on Sabah’s island habitats for use in future studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-52
Author(s):  
Surenshy Bulu ◽  
Novi Ivonne Bullu ◽  
Anggraeni Dian Naomi Rupidara

Entomopathogen is one of the biological agents that infects the insects and can damage the body's metabolic system of insects. This objective of the study were to determine the entomopathogenic activity of S. marcescens on mortality of coconut leaf beetles larvae (B. longissima), and the time needed to reach LT50. The study used an experimental method with 6 treatments of varying S.marcescens volumes, consisting of A (distilled water as a control), B (5 ml), C (7.5 ml), D (10 ml), E (12.5 ml), and F (15 ml) with 4 replications. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Probit LT50 test. The results showed that the volume of S.marcescens had an effect on mortality of coconut leaf beetle B. longissimi larvae. The best mortality rate at treatment E is 78% with the value of LT50 in treatment F is 42.15 hours. S.marcescens has entomopathogenic activity in coconut leaf beetles (B. longissima) Gestro larvae.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Alena Samková ◽  
Jiří Hadrava ◽  
Jiří Skuhrovec ◽  
Petr Janšta

The parasitic wasp Anaphes flavipes (Förster, 1841) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is an important egg parasitoid of cereal leaf beetles. Some species of cereal leaf beetle co-occur in the same localities, but the host specificity of the wasp to these crop pests has not yet been examined in detail. A lack of knowledge of host specificity can have a negative effect on the use of this wasps in biological control programs addressed to specific pest species or genus. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the host specificity of A. flavipes for three species of cereal leaf beetles (Oulema duftschmidi Redtenbacher, 1874, Oulema gallaeciana Heyden, 1879 and Oulema melanopus Linnaeus, 1758) in central Europe. For the first time, a new host defence against egg parasitoids occurring in O. gallaeciana from localities in the Czech Republic, a strong dark sticky layer on the egg surface, was found and described. The host specificity of A. flavipes was studied in the locality with the presence of this defence on O. gallaeciana eggs (the dark sticky layer) (Czech Republic) and in a control locality (Germany), where no such host defence was observed. Contrary to the idea that a host defence mechanism can change the host specificity of parasitoids, the wasps from these two localities did not display any differences in that. Respectively, even though it has been observed that eggs with sticky dark layer can prevent parasitization, the overall rate of parasitization of the three species of cereal beetles has not been affected. However, in our view, new host defence can influence the effects of biological control, as eggs of all Oulema spp. in the locality are protected against parasitization from the wasps stuck on the sticky layer of the host eggs of O. gallaeciana.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uriel Jeshua Sánchez-Reyes ◽  
Santiago Niño-Maldonado ◽  
Ludivina Barrientos-Lozano ◽  
Shawn M. Clark ◽  
Jacinto Treviño-Carreón ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 00024
Author(s):  
Dina Elisovetcaia ◽  
Valeriu Derjanschi ◽  
Irina Agas’eva ◽  
Mariya Nefedova

The impact of insect artificial diet on the egg production of females was examined for L29 consequently generations of laboratory populations Perillus bioculatus (F.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae, Asopinae). Particular attention is paid to the overwintered generation, which plays a key role in the rehabilitation of the predator populations after hibernation. It was shown that with an increase in the number of laboratory generations of a predator (from L13 to L29), egg production of P. bioculatus females significantly decreases – from 16.4-35.7 to 15.0-27.5 eggs / female in terms of the total number of females in the laboratory populations. The proportion of eggs laid by females of winter generation was the lowest when feeding on Galleria mellonella larvae. Was established food preferences among the assortment of native for Republic of Moldova leaf beetles: Entomoscelis adonidis Pallas 1771, Chrysolina herbacea (Duftschmid, 1825) and C. coerulans (Scriba, 1791). P. bioculatus imago overwintered generation refused to feed on E. suturalis larvae and imago, probably because of the isoquinoline alkalods contained in the hemolymph of the leaf beetle. Studies have shown that supplementary feeding with imago of E. adonidis, C. herbacea and C. coerulans increases from 8.3±0.5/50 till 11.2±0.7/104 per day / total egg production of P. bioculatus females of the overwintered generation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 417-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antje Burse ◽  
Wilhelm Boland

AbstractThe drastic growth of the population on our planet requires the efficient and sustainable use of our natural resources. Enzymes are indispensable tools for a wide range of industries producing food, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, or biofuels. Because insects constitute one of the most species-rich classes of organisms colonizing almost every ecological niche on earth, they have developed extraordinary metabolic abilities to survive in various and sometimes extreme habitats. Despite this metabolic diversity, insect enzymes have only recently generated interest in industrial applications because only a few metabolic pathways have been sufficiently characterized. Here, we address the biosynthetic route to iridoids (cyclic monoterpenes), a group of secondary metabolites used by some members of the leaf beetle subtribe Chrysomelina as defensive compounds against their enemies. The ability to produce iridoids de novo has also convergently evolved in plants. From plant sources, numerous pharmacologically relevant structures have already been described. In addition, in plants, iridoids serve as building blocks for monoterpenoid indole alkaloids with broad therapeutic applications. As the commercial synthesis of iridoid-based drugs often relies on a semisynthetic approach involving biocatalysts, the discovery of enzymes from the insect iridoid route can account for a valuable resource and economic alternative to the previously used enzymes from the metabolism of plants. Hence, this review illustrates the recent discoveries made on the steps of the iridoid pathway in Chrysomelina leaf beetles. The findings are also placed in the context of the studied counterparts in plants and are further discussed regarding their use in technological approaches.


1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah S. Bauer ◽  
Joann Meerschaert ◽  
O. Thomas Forrester

An artificial diet was developed for laboratory rearing of the cottonwood leaf beetle, Chrysomela scripta F., and the imported willow leaf beetle, Plagiodera versicolora (Laicharting). To reduce microbial contamination of the media, procedures were developed for separating egg masses and sterilizing egg surfaces. Cottonwood leaf beetle larvae reared from neonate to adult on this artificial diet had greater mortality, took longer to develop, and were smaller than larvae reared on fresh poplar foliage. Adult longevity was similar for both diet-and foliage-reared larvae. Survival and adult fresh weight of imported willow leaf beetle larvae reared on the artificial diet were similar to those of cohorts reared on fresh poplar foliage. However, individuals reared on artificial diet took longer to develop and produced shorter-lived adults than cohorts reared on foliage. Larvae of both species would not eat fresh foliage after being fed on the artificial diet. Adults of both species maintianed on the artificial diet laid few eggs but resumed normal oviposition when fed fresh foliage. This artificial diet proved useful for rearing larvae and maintaining adults during periods when fresh foliage was limited.


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