Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae and Disteniidae) Collected in the Canopy of a Dry Tropical Lowland Forest in Panama

Abstract

This study characterizes the abundance and richness of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae and Disteniidae) collected in the canopy of a dry tropical lowland forest in Panama. The nine tree species sampled included Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Jacq.) Griseb. (Fabaceae), Pseudobombax septenatum (Jacq.) Dugand (Malvaceae), Luehea seemannii Triana & Planch. (Malvaceae), Cordia alliodora (Ruiz. & Pav.) Oken (Boraginaceae), Castilla elastica Sessé ex Cerv. (Moraceae), Anacardium excelsum (Bertero & Balb. ex Kunth) Skeels (Anacardiaceae), Cecropia peltata L. (Urticaceae), Zuelania guidonia (Sw.) Britton & Millsp. (Flacourtiaceae) and Ficus insipida Willd. (Moraceae). A total of 227 specimens of Cerambycidae and Disteniidae were collected. The most abundant species was Trestonia pulcherrima Dillon and Dillon, 1946 (23%), followed by Compsibidion vanum (Thomson, 1867) (16%). The greatest abundance and richness of beetles were recorded in the canopy of L. seemannii (90 individuals = 39%). The presence of these beetles in the forest canopy is associated with their general preference for large trees, highly complex foliar canopy architecture, and the availability of resources for the development and feeding of larvae and adults. Synchronization with plant phenology may explain the greater abundance and richness observed in L. seemannii.