Faunistic Composition of Cleridae (Coleoptera) in El Limón de Cuauchichinola, Morelos, Mexico

Abstract

This paper presents the first detailed faunistic study in Mexico for the family Cleridae, an important group of predatory beetles. The study was carried out in El Limon de Cuauchichinola, Tepalcingo, in the state of Morelos, Mexico, over a year of systematic collections (June 2006 to May 2007). The family Cleridae was found to be represented in the study area by seven subfamilies, 18 genera, and 44 species. The dominant genera were Phyllobaenus Dejean with nine species, followed by Cymatodera Gray with eight, and Enoclerus Gahan with seven. The nonparametric estimators Incidence Coverage Estimate, Chao2, and second-order Jacknife estimated that between 65 and 78% of the true richness was recorded. The family showed a marked seasonality, with greater richness and abundance found during the rainy season. Sweeping and beating vegetation were the most efficient collection methods, producing 71.7% of the recorded species richness. Of the species determined, 18 represent new records for Morelos and five of these are new records for the country. The results provide evidence that the tropical dry forest of the Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve is an ecosystem rich in species. The new records also serve to contribute to our general knowledge of the distribution of Cleridae in Mexico.