Tiger beetles of Romania (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) in the Collections of “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History, Bucharest

The paper deals with eleven species and subspecies of tiger beetles of Romania. The specimens preserved in the collections of “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History were revised. Distribution maps based on the examined material are presented for each species.

New or rare Madagascar tiger beetles—24. Pogonostoma (Microgeniatum) signifemorale sp. nov. with revised key to species of the subgenus Microgeniatum Rivalier (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

Pogonostoma (Microgeniatum) signifemorale sp. nov., based on a male holotype caught recently in the Ankarafantsika National Park (northwestern Madagascar), is described as new to science. The new species is immediately distinguished from other three hitherto known species of the subgenus Microgeniatum Rivalier, 1970, including a somewhat similar P. (Microgeniatum) infimum Rivalier, 1970. Consequently, a revised differential diagnosis and a revised key to species of the subgenus are presented in order to supplement the key and diagnosis in the monograph of the genus Pogonostoma Klug, 1835 by Moravec (2007). The male holotype is illustrated in colour photographs of its habitus and diagnostic characters with references to the illustrations of the other three species of the subgenus in the monograph of the genus (Moravec 2007). The habitat and ecology of the new species, as well as essential maps of known distribution of the subgenus, are also presented.

The arboreal tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) of Sri Lanka recorded from recent investigations

Twenty-nine species of arboreal tiger beetles are found in Sri Lanka of which 23 species are endemic. However, records of species dates back to many years and systematic studies are lacking. Considering the high percentage of endemic arboreal tiger beetle species of the country, and the pressure on their arboreal habitats due to accelerated development activities, it is imperative that the group is studied and conservation practices are implemented. Therefore, the present study was conducted to record the arboreal tiger beetle species currently prevailing in the country, their locations, habitat types, morphometric and morphological characters. The study was conducted from August 2017 to September 2020 for a duration of three years. Arboreal tiger beetles were collected by hand picking when encountered during visual survey, in eighty-five locations in Sri Lanka. Specimens were identified using standard taxonomic keys. Locational data, habitat types, morphometric and morphological characters were recorded and all species were photographed. Arboreal tiger beetles were recorded from 22 locations which represented all climatic zones and provinces, and 14 districts of the country. Nine species of three genera, Tricondyla (3 species), Derocrania (5 species), Neocollyris (1 species), were identified and six of the species were endemic. Derocrania scitiscabra was the most common and widely distributed species encountered in the study and was found mainly occupying lands that were cultivated. Tricondyla gounellei that had been known only from Southern India was recorded for the first time in Sri Lanka.

New or rare Madagascar tiger beetles—23. Physodeutera (Toxoma) lokobensis sp. nov., a new species close to Ph. (T.) conturbata Moravec, Ph. (T.) sulcoprothoracica (W. Horn) and Ph. (T.) dubia (Mařan), with revised type designation of the latter (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

Physodeutera (Toxoma) lokobensis sp. nov. is described as new to science from the island of Nosy Be, northern Madagascar (phytogeographically Sambirano). The new species is morphologically similar and obviously close to Physodeutera (T.) conturbata Moravec, 2002, Ph. (T.) sulcoprothoracica (W. Horn, 1913), and Ph. (T.) dubia (Mařan, 1942). Redescriptions and new illustrations of the type specimens of the three similar species with references to their original descriptions and redescriptions with illustrations in the monograph of the genus Physodeutera Lacordaire, 1842 (Moravec 2002a) are presented. The type designation of Ph. (T.) dubia has been revised to rectify the misinterpreted designation in the monograph. A revised key to the subgenus Toxoma Rivalier, 1967 and essential maps of the distribution are also given.

First record of tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) from Rovno amber, with the description of a new genus and species

A new fossil tiger beetle species, Goriresina fungifora gen. n., sp. n. (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae), is described from Eocene Rovno amber. The new genus belongs to the subtribe Iresiina, tribe Cicindelini, due to the glabrous head, the labrum with six submarginal setae (latero-basal setae very long) and two apical teeth with notch between them, the glabrous and globular pronotum, the lack of setae on the metepisternum and metepimeron, as well as on the visible parts of abdominal sternites, the single long seta each on the fore- and mesotrochanter. The new species is characterized by the long and moderately convex labrum, two clypeal setae, the elongate and apicad converging elytra with an angularly, but smoothly rounded apex, the small and sharp sutural spine, the probable presence of an apical portion of the elytral humeral spot, a slightly sinuate, transverse medial fascia with an extended and downward directed apical portion, and a slightly transverse basal portion of the apical spot. This is the first record of a tiger beetle in Rovno amber and only a fourth well-preserved Cicindelidae from fossil resins.

Revision of the Palearctic Cicindela campestris species complex—Part 1: On the taxonomy, identification and ecology of Cicindela herbacea Klug, 1832 and Cicindela javetii Chaudoir, 1861 (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae)

We revise the taxonomically problematic Palearctic Cicindela campestris species complex, a group of green tiger beetle species, using an integrative approach combining morphology, morphometry and biogeography. In this first part, an identification key to all subgroups of these green tiger beetles (Cicindela herbacea-subgroup, Cicindela javetii-subgroup, Cicindela desertorum-subgroup, Cicindela campestris-subgroup, Cicindela turkestanica-subgroup and Cicindela asiatica-subgroup) based on large series taken from private and museum collections as well as on literature sources is provided and diagnostic characters are illustrated by detailed photographs. The Cicindela herbacea- and Cicindela javetii-subgroups are revised and illustrated and identification keys as well as distribution maps for both are given. Four new synonyms are established: Cicindela herbacea herbacea Klug, 1832 = Cicindela herbacea aleppensis Deuve, 2012, syn. n.; Cicindela herbacea turkestanicoides W. Horn, 1938 = Cicindela herbacea perreaui Deuve, 1987, syn. n. = Cicindela herbacea colasi Deuve, 2011, syn. n.; Cicindela javetii javetii Chaudoir, 1861 = Cicindela thughurica Franzen, 2007, syn. n.

Carabid beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) richness, diversity, and community structure in the understory of temporarily flooded and non-flooded Amazonian forests of Ecuador

Although tropical regions harbor the greatest arthropod diversity on Earth, the majority of species are taxonomically and scientifically unknown. Furthermore, how they are organized into functional communities and distributed among habitats is mostly unstudied. Here we examine species richness, diversity, and community composition of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and compare them between flooded (FP) and non-flooded terra firme (TF) forests in the Yasuní area of Ecuador. The forest understory was sampled using flight intercept traps (FITs) and systematic hand collections at night in June and July 2011 and 2012, and FITs in October and November 2011. A total of 1,255 Carabidae representing 20 tribes, 54 genera, and 143 morphospecies was collected. Mean number of individuals and mean species richness did not differ significantly between FP and TF; however, numbers of Cicindelini (tiger beetles) and Pentagonicini were higher in TF forest while numbers of Lachnophorini and Scaritini were higher in FP forest. Overall, FP had significantly higher rarefied richness but extrapolation of rarefaction curves using the Chao1 nonparametric diversity estimator show that this difference may decrease with additional sampling. The inverse Simpson index was significantly higher for FP than TF forest. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination and dissimilarity coefficient values show that FP and TF forests maintain unique assemblages with minimal overlap in community composition. Given ongoing anthropogenic pressures, particularly petroleum extraction, and those resulting from climate change, a greater understanding of the richness, diversity and community assemblages of Yasuní rainforest are needed to better conserve the fauna of this megadiverse area of Amazonia.