Decrease in Carabid Beetles in Grasslands of Northwestern China: Further Evidence of Insect Biodiversity Loss

Ground-dwelling beetles are important functional components in nutrient-poor grasslands of middle temperate steppe ecosystems in China. Here, we assessed the changes in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) communities in the grasslands of northwestern China over 12 years to improve the management and conservation of beetles all over the world. The Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was applied to estimate the changes in carabid beetle communities in two regions: a desert steppe (Yanchi region), and a typical steppe and meadow steppe (Guyuan region). During the 12-year investigation, a total of 34 species were captured. We found that species abundance and richness per survey declined by 0.2 and 11.2%, respectively. Precipitation was the main factor affecting the distribution of carabid beetles. A distinct decline in carabid beetle species in the Yanchi region indicated that they may be threatened by less precipitation and loss of habitat, which could be due to climate change. Overall, species richness was stable in the Guyuan region. It is necessary to estimate and monitor the changes in carabid beetle communities in a temperate steppe of northern China and to protect them. Extensive desertification seriously threatens the distribution of carabid beetles. Future research should develop methods to protect carabid beetle communities in temperate steppes in China.

Temporal Variation Dominates in Local Carabid Beetle Communities in Korean Mountains

Spatial and temporal variation in ecological environments may result in spatial and temporal variation in communities. Temporal studies of biodiversity are essential for forecasting future changes in community structure and ecosystem function. Therefore, determining the mechanisms that drive temporal change in communities remains an important and interesting challenge in ecology. We quantified spatial and temporal variations in carabid beetle communities and site-specific environmental factors for 5 years at nine study sites on three mountains in the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range, Korea. Carabid beetle communities exhibited significant temporal variation, which was larger than spatial variations between and within mountains. Environmental factors mostly varied between sites within mountains. Community variation was only weakly associated with environmental factors at wide scales, i.e., between sites on three mountains, but was strongly associated at narrow spatial scales, i.e., between sites within one mountain. Our results indicate that temporal variation in communities occurs in response to variations in the local climate, and that the patterns of temporal variation differ between mountains. Thus, temporal surveys of insect communities and climates at local scales are important for predicting temporal changes in the communities.

Study on Pterostichus neglectus A. Morawitz, 1862 (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Two forms of the carabid beetle Pterostichus (Phonias) neglectus A. Morawitz, 1862 are disclosed in Amur region of the Russian Far East. These forms differ by the color of legs and palpus, as well as by the shape of male genitalia. Probably, these forms belong to the separated species.

Systematic revision of the trans-Bassian moriomorphine genus Theprisa Moore (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

The Australian genus Theprisa Moore, 1963, is taxonomically revised to comprise five species, two newly described: Theprisa darlingtoni Liebherr & Porch, sp. nov. of Tasmania, and Theprisa otway Liebherr, Porch & Maddison, sp. nov. from the Otway Ranges, Victoria. Two previously described species, T. australis (Castelnau) and T. montana (Castelnau), are distributed in the mountains of Victoria. The third previously described species, T. convexa (Sloane) is found in Tasmania. A lectotype is designated for T. convexa because the various syntypes are ambiguously labelled. Cladistic analysis based on morphological characters establishes monophyly of Theprisa relative to the Australian genera Sitaphe Moore and Spherita Liebherr. This and a second clade of Australian genera (Pterogmus Sloane, Thayerella Baehr, and Neonomius Moore) do not form a natural group, but are cladistically interdigitated among two monophyletic New Zealand lineages (Tarastethus Sharp, and Trichopsida Larochelle and Larivière) suggesting substantial trans-Tasman diversification among these groups. Hypothesized relationships within Theprisa are consistent with two bouts of speciation involving the Bass Strait; an initial event establishing T. convexa as adelphotaxon to the other four species, and a more recent event establishing the sister species T. darlingtoni and T. montana. Geographic restriction of T. otway to the Otway Ranges is paralleled by Otway endemics in several other carabid beetle genera, as well as by endemics in numerous other terrestrial arthropod taxa. Whereas these numerous Otway endemics support the distinctive nature of the Otway Range fauna, their biogeographic relationships are extremely varied, illustrating that the Otways have accrued their distinctive biodiversity via various means.

Early successional dynamics of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Colombia

Little is known about the successional dynamics of insects in the highly threatened tropical dry forest (TDF) ecosystem. For the first time, we studied the response of carabid beetles to vegetal succession and seasonality in this ecosystem in Colombia. Carabid beetles were collected from three TDF habitat types in two regions in Colombia: initial successional state (pasture), early succession, and intermediate succession (forest). The surveys were performed monthly for 13 months in one of the regions (Armero) and during two months, one in the dry and one in the wet season, in the other region (Cambao). A set of environmental variables were recorded per month at each site. Twenty-four carabid beetle species were collected during the study. Calosoma alternans and Megacephala affinis were the most abundant species, while most species were of low abundance. Forest and pasture beetle assemblages were distinct, while the early succession assemblage overlapped with these assemblages. Canopy cover, litter depth, and soil and air temperatures were important in structuring the assemblages. Even though seasonality did not affect the carabid beetle assemblage, individual species responded positively to the wet season. It is shown that early successional areas in TDF could potentially act as habitat corridors for species to recolonize forest areas, since these successional areas host a number of species that inhabit forests and pastures. Climatic variation, like the El Niño episode during this study, appears to affect the carabid beetle assemblage negatively, exasperating concerns of this already threatened tropical ecosystem.

Yalongaphaenops erwini gen. et sp. nov., the world’s most high-altitude hypogean trechine beetle from China (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae)

A new genus and new species of carabid beetle, Yalongaphaenops erwinigen. et sp. nov., is described from mountains SW of Mianning City, Sichuan Province, China. This finding, from one side, extends the known distribution of Chinese hypogean trechines, and from another, it raises the upper limit of their vertical distribution to nearly 4000 m. Photographs of the habitus and major taxonomic characters, including the male genitalia, right mandible, and microsculpture patterns of the integument are supplied. The type locality of the new taxon is mapped. Yalongaphaenopsgen. nov. shows some similarities with the genus Shiqianaphaenops Tian, 2016 from eastern Guizhou and the genus Boreaphaenops Uéno, 2002 described from Hubei, China. However, the direct relationships of the new genus remain unclear. Further new discoveries of hypogean trechines in Sichuan are necessary to evaluate possible variation of major characters in allied taxa. Although Y. erwinisp. nov. was collected at an elevation exceeding 3800 m a.s.l., it conforms to the upper limit of the forest zone being approximately on par with the vertical distribution of some high altitude hypogean trechine species in other parts of the globe.