Insect Families Research Articles

Succession Patterns and Diversity of Arthropods Associated with Decomposing Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L, 1758) in Different Habitats

Succession patterns of arthropods associated with decomposing domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus, 1758) were investigated in exposed and sheltered habitats, located at 4o 53'41.680 N, 6o 54'39.127 E and 4o 54'19.83N, 6o55'17.36E respectively, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The decomposition of the six domestic rabbits was observed during the onset of the wet season (1st March – 30th April 2017) to identify forensically important insects attracted to them and determine temperatures and relative humidity influencing carrion decomposition. Five stages of decomposition: Fresh, bloated, active decay, advanced decay and dry remains stages were observed. The sequence of insect succession followed a distinct pattern: dipteran flies first colonized the rabbit carcasses and were succeeded by coleopterans. A total of 33 species of arthropods, in 23 families and 7 orders were collected. The insect families recorded were: Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Histeridae, Piophilidae, Drosophilidae, Bostrichidae, Stratiomyidae, Staphylinidae, Tabanidae, Carabidae, Tenebrionidae, Scarabaedae, Cleridae, Formidae, Sphecidae, Curculionidae and Dermestidae. Three unidentified insect taxa in Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Odonata were collected in the exposed habitat, while two unidentified species in the class Arachnida; a Macrocheles mite and a non-acarine were collected in both habitats. Based on frequency of occurrence and role of Calliphorids, Chrysomya chloropyga and C.albiceps were the most forensically significant insects. Temperature apparently accelerated the rate of decomposition although but there was no significant difference (p>5%) between the rates of decomposition of the carcasses in the two habitats.

Diversitas Serangga Hutan Tanah Gambut Di Palangkaraya Kalimantan Tengah

This study aims to determine the diversity of insects and plants used as a habitat in unburned and previously burned peat land forests in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan. Insects were collected by beating the branches of plants, aerial sweeping, pitfall traps and light traps. Plants were identified in situ or plant samples were collected and identified later in the Lab. The diversity of insects were compared between unburned and previously burned peat forests by analyzing its index diversity (H’) and index of similarity (IS). In total, the insects collected from unburned peat forest were 551 individual, belongs to 12 order and 51 families, and 431 individual insects were collected from previously burned peat forest which belongs to 10 order and 38 families. The family of insects that most frequently found at both areas was Formicidae (Hymenoptera). The insects diversity of both forests were still high, that is H' = 3,45 of unburned peat forest and H '= 3,11 of previously burned peat forest, with the similarity index IS > 50% of both peat forests. The number of plant species found was higher in unburned peat forest (38 species) than in previously burned peat forest (9 species). The previously burned forest was dominated by Acacia plants, while in unburned peat forest the plants seem to evenly spread.

OcomCSP12, a Chemosensory Protein Expressed Specifically by Ovary, Mediates Reproduction in Ophraella communa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are considered to be the transporter linking odorant chemicals and receptors on sensory neurons. However, the extensive expression patterns of CSPs in insects suggest that CSPs are also involved in other physiological processes; the range of their functions, however, remains uncertain. In this study, we successfully characterized and cloned the CSP12 of Ophraella communa (OcomCSP12). The open reading frame of OcomCSP12 encodes 131 amino acids, with four conserved cysteine residues. The expression patterns of OcomCSP12 validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that OcomCSP12 is specifically expressed in female ovary. Furthermore, compared with the control treatment, silencing OcomCSP12 resulted in significantly reduced oviposition in females. Surprisingly, the knock-down rate of OcomCSP12 exceeded 95% and remained depressed for more than 15 days, indicating that RNA interference (RNAi) was a suitable method for exploring the function of CSP12 in O. communa. These findings increase our understanding of the expression profile and function of the CSP gene family in insects.

The Use of Phosphine as Curative Treatment Against Date Palm Borers

Seven species and subspecies of borers that belong to the insect family Coleoptera, seriously damage date palm, Phoenix dactylifera. These include the invasive red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), longhorn beetle (Jebusaea hammerschmidtii), the frond borer (Phonapate frontalis), the fruit stalk borer (Oryctes elegans), the root borer (O. agamemnon), the Arabian rhinoceros beetle (O. agamemnon arabicus), and the rhinoceros beetle (O. agamemnon matthiesseni). Borers inflict considerable damage on the date palm that negatively affects yield and quality. Management tactics to alleviate borers' injury to date palm include removal of damaged tissues as mechanical sanitation, injection of palm with systemic insecticides, use of pheromone and light traps, and new formulations of semiochemicals. In recent years, the application of aluminum phosphide as a fumigant against these borers has become very common in many date palm growing countries. This article was compiled to give insight into the impact of borers on date palm, the mechanism of phosphine intoxication to insects and the prospect of using phosphine for future management of major date palm pests. The negative impact of the borers complex on date palm has escalating in recent times. With phasing out of some powerful insecticides and the development of insect resistance against others, farmers resorted to frequent use of phosphine gas against palm borers. However, the gas has been applied without proper dosage and exposure time. Air-tightness, which is essential for successful fumigation, is not met. Accordingly, more fieldwork and research are needed to improve fumigation techniques of phosphine gas, elucidate its phytotoxicity to date palm before being recommended for the management of date palm borers.

Investigation of the occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in soils and on insects from Corentyne Berbice, Guyana

Entomopathogenic fungi is a component of pest management systems in some countries, and have great potential as a biological control agent against insects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in soils and on insects from Corentyne Berbice, Guyana South America. A total of 190 insects were collected; which belonged to 14 insect families. They are Aleyrodidae, Coreidae, Acrididae, Blattidae, Drepanidae, Libellulidae, Lycaenidae, Pieridae, Vespidae, Apidae, Formicidae, Culicidae, Scarabaeidae and Muscidae. Acrididae was found to be the most dominant insect family. However, insect-associated fungi were defined to include known entomopathogenic fungi, secondary colonizers and non-pathogenic colonizers. Entomopathogenic fungi found from the insects were Beauveria bassiana, Lecanicillium, Fusarium, and Paecilomyces, comprising of 5.62, 1.41, 3.28 and 0.94 isolation percentage respectively. Among the secondary colonizers, Alternaria, Curvularia, Penicillium, and Cladosporium were found, comprising 4.22, 14.75, 5.62, and 5.15 isolation percentage respectively. Non-pathogenic colonizers had high occurrences; among them was Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus clavatus, Phytophthora, Pyricularia, Mucor, Bipolaris, Trichophyton, Trichoderma, and Rhizopus, comprising 22.72, 14.75, 1.64, 1.41, 1.41, 3.51, 7.26, 0.47, 0.23, 4.22 and 1.41 isolation percentage respectively. Moreover, B. bassiana was the only entomopathogenic isolate from the soil samples, comprising of 11.25 isolation percentage. Other soil colonizers present were A. niger, A. flavus, Penicillium, A. clavatus, Mucor, and Rhizopus, comprising of 11.25, 16.25, 6.25, 6.25, 21.25, and 27.50 isolation percentage respectively. These findings highlight that entomopathogenic fungi are present in the bio-systems chosen and further investigations are necessary to establish an effective biocontrol strategy.

Genome sequence of the Chinese white wax scale insect Ericerus pela: the first draft genome for the Coccidae family of scale insects.

BackgroundThe Chinese white wax scale insect, Ericerus pela, is best known for producing wax, which has been widely used in candle production, casting, Chinese medicine, and wax printing products for thousands of years. The secretion of wax, and other unusual features of scale insects, is thought to be an adaptation to their change from an ancestral ground-dwelling lifestyle to a sedentary lifestyle on the higher parts of plants. As well as helping to improve its economic value, studies of E. pela might also help to explain the adaptation of scale insects. However, no genomic data are currently available for E. pela.FindingsTo assemble the E. pela genome, 303.92 Gb of data were generated using Illumina and Pacific Biosciences sequencing, producing 277.22 Gb of clean data for assembly. The assembled genome size was 0.66 Gb, with 1,979 scaffolds and a scaffold N50 of 735 kb. The guanine + cytosine content was 33.80%. A total of 12,022 protein-coding genes were predicted, with a mean coding sequence length of 1,370 bp. Twenty-six fatty acyl-CoA reductase genes and 35 acyltransferase genes were identified. Evolutionary analysis revealed that E. pela and aphids formed a sister group and split ∼241.1 million years ago. There were 214 expanded gene families and 2,219 contracted gene families in E. pela.ConclusionWe present the first genome sequence from the Coccidae family. These results will help to increase our understanding of the evolution of unique features in scale insects, and provide important genetic information for further research.

Diet profiling of house-farm swiftlets (Aves, Apodidae, Aerodramus sp.) in three landscapes in Perak, Malaysia, using high-throughput sequencing

In Peninsular Malaysia, from the 1980s there has been progressive expansion of an industry based on specially designed buildings to house colonies of edible-nest swiftlets (Apodidae, Collocaliini). The structures are termed house-farms and the birds, house-farm swiftlets. Genetic research has so far failed to establish affinity with any wild form of swiftlets that builds ‘white’ edible nests; we therefore identify house-farm swiftlets only as Aerodramus sp. The diet profiles of house-farm swiftlets were compared in different landscapes in Perak State, Malaysia, using a high-throughput sequencing of total DNA extracted from faecal samples collected at six house-farms, located at Beruas, Gopeng, Ipoh and Pantai Remis, in the month of October 2017. Landscape profiles of the presumed foraging area within 6 km radius of these six sites were estimated using Google MyMaps, and categorised as urban, monocrop or mixed-use. Based on the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I region (ca. 218-bp), 4852 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were recovered, of which 266 belonged to arthropods. Overall, the diets of house-farm swiftlets assessed in this study mainly comprised Diptera (64.49%), followed by Hemiptera (16.73%), Coleoptera (13.47%), Lepidoptera (2.04%), Hymenoptera (1.63%), Blattodea (0.82%) and Odonata (0.82%). Ipoh (urban landscape) and Pantai Remis (mixed) recorded the highest diversity of dietary insects. Presence of the aquatic insect families in these diets may reflect extensive freshwater bodies in the urban landscape. Coleoptera and Hemiptera were found to be dominant in the swiftlet diets at two monocrop landscapes Beruas OP1 and Beruas OP2, but did not include the weevil Elaeidobius kamerunicus, an important pollinator of oil palm. Results confirm that house-farm swiftlets are opportunistic feeders, so that variation in the diet profiles in Perak reflected the availability of insect prey within the landscapes of the foraging ranges.

A glance at the deep past history of insects

A glance at the deep past history of insects

Successive waves of dipteran flies attracted to warfarin-intoxicated rabbit carcasses in Cairo, Egypt

BackgroundForensic entomology is an increasing area of research, focuses on the violent crime, and deals with the necrophagous-feeding insects that typically decompose carcasses. The present study aimed to update the baseline data of the decay process and its associated successive waves of necrophagous flies on rabbits placed in an urban city (Cairo, Egypt) in spring season.ResultsSix rabbits divided equally into two groups were used. The first group was killed by asphyxia via hanging and marked as the control (C), while the second group was intoxicated with rodenticide warfarin (WI). The fresh, bloated, active decay, advanced decay, and skeletal stages of decomposition were observed and defined in all carcasses. Out of 30 insect families collected, 3 families were more common (Calliphoridae, Muscidae, and Sarcophagidae). Thirteen insect families were collected of which Calliphoridae, Muscidae, and Sarcophagidae were common. A total of 10,121 individuals (immature and adult stages) of 26 species were collected, of which Chrysomya rufifacies was the most common species on both types of carcasses (14.7%) followed by Musca domestica, Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya albiceps, Muscina stabulans, Sarcophaga hertipes, Calliphora vicina, Musca sorbens, Lucilia cuprina, Sarcophaga argyrostoma, and Lucilia sericata (2.0–12.4%). The other 15 species were represented by small numbers (cumulatively 2.9%). Among the collected flies, Scathophaga litorea (Scathophagidae) was reported for the first time as a new report in Egypt. Unexpectedly, significantly more adults and immatures were attracted to WI than to C carcasses (P < 0.05).ConclusionThis study investigated the rabbit carrion dipteran necrophagous fauna as a model which may be of value for medico-legal cases.

Distribution of gall-inducing arthropods in areas of deciduous seasonal forest of Parque da Sapucaia (Montes Claros, MG, Brazil): effects of anthropization, vegetation structure and seasonality

In the present study, we inventoried gall-inducing arthropod species and evaluated the effects of habitat anthropization, vegetation structure and seasonality on this group in areas of deciduous seasonal forest of Parque da Sapucaia, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil. The gall-inducing fauna was sampled between April 2017 and February 2018 from 20 plots distributed in anthropized and preserved habitats. A total of 29 morphospecies of gall-inducing arthropods and 21 species of host plants were recorded. The Fabaceae plant family had the highest number of gall morphospecies (n = 10), while the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) insect family induced the most galls (41.3%). Mean gall richness did not differ between preserved and anthropized plots, but was negatively affected by mean vegetation height and density. The total number of gall morphospecies recorded during each sampling did not differ between dry and rainy seasons, but the mean richness of galls per plot was higher in the rainy season. In conclusion, natural factors, such as vegetation structure and seasonality, were more important for the distribution of gall-inducing species than anthropic factors, such as vegetation anthropization level.

Comparative analysis of Biotic Indices in water quality assessment: Case study at Sg. Bantang, Johor

Biotic indices are very useful tools as a rapid water assessment since freshwater had became a global issues for a decade but most of biotic indices developed are based on data from Europe or North American region. Geographically, there might be different in term of composition of macroinvertebrates in tropical region. Moreover, lacking in information regarding the effectiveness techniques which limited the use of biologicl monitoring in developing countries. Study were conducted to compared between biotic indices that originately developed based on macroinvertebrate data from United Kingdom which is Biological Monitoring Warking Party (BMWP)) and several biotic indices which developed in tropical region which were BMWP-Thai, SingScore and BMWP-My. The purpose of this study is to know which index best reflects health of freshwater ecosystem in Malaysia. All indices were calculated based on data from Hutan Lipur Sungai Bantang (HLSB). HLSB ecosystem were provided a good physical and chemical variable which their water quality is ranging from moderately- good to excellent based on the composition of aquatic insects and water quality index (WQI). Despite of rapid development happened in Johor, we found 45 families of aquatic insects and half of them are clean water species and very useful in biological monitoring. From the result, BMWP-My was the most suitable biotic index to use in Malaysia water body since its give better reflect on the health of the river system. Finally, the uses of aquatic as biological monitoring tools were recommended because aquatic insects found almost in every freshwater habitat, their diversity and their sensitivity to environmental changes which make them a good biological indicator.

Isolation, Structure Elucidation, and Total Synthesis of Dolichovespulide, a Sesquiterpene from Dolichovespula Yellowjackets.

As part of an ongoing program to identify sex attractant pheromone components that mediate sexual communication in yellowjacket wasps, a novel sesquiterpene was isolated from body surface extracts of virgin bald-faced hornet queens, Dolichovespula maculata. The gross structure of this sesquiterpene was proposed through microscale spectroscopic analyses, and the configuration of the central olefin was subsequently confirmed by total synthesis. This new natural product (termed here dolichovespulide) represents an important addition to the relatively small number of terpenoids reported from the taxonomic insect family Vespidae.

The Amazonas‐trap: a new method for sampling plant‐inhabiting arthropod communities in tropical forest understory

AbstractMethods to quantify plant‐insect interactions in tropical forests may miss many important arthropods and can be time consuming and uneven in capture efficiency. We describe the Amazonas‐trap, a new method that rapidly envelops the target plant for sampling arthropods. We evaluated the efficiency of the Amazonas‐trap by comparing it with two commonly used sampling methods to collect arthropods from plants: the beating tray and manual collection. Samples were collected in 10 permanent plots, in the Ducke forest reserve, Manaus (Amazonas, Brazil). In each plot we sampled 18 plant individuals of Protium sp. (Burseraceae): six by a beating tray, six by manual collection, and six using the Amazonas‐trap. All insects were identified to the family level and those belonging to the order Hymenoptera were identified to the species and morphospecies level. The new method sampled more insect families and more Hymenoptera species than tree beating and manual collection. Of the 75 total families collected, 20 were sampled exclusively by the Amazonas‐trap, seven were only collected with a beating tray, and seven were sampled exclusively with manual collecting. A similar pattern was found for abundance: Amazonas‐trap sampled more individuals, followed by the beating tray and manual collection. Small and winged arthropods were more abundant in Amazonas‐trap, explaining the highest richness of Hymenoptera and insect families sampled with this method. The new method sampled more spiders, wood‐fungi feeders, sap suckers, omnivorous, parasitoids, and insect predators than the other methods, but was equally effective in sampling leaf‐feeders and ants. Amazonas‐trap was more time consuming in the field, but for all diversity parameters evaluated, the new method showed better performance for collecting invertebrates on plants.

Managing hedgerows for nocturnal wildlife: Do bats and their insect prey benefit from targeted agri‐environment schemes?

AbstractMitigating the detrimental impacts of intensive farming on biodiversity requires the implementation of cost‐effective conservation actions. Targeted agri‐environment schemes (AESs) to enhance populations of threatened species inhabiting farmland have been proposed for this purpose, yet their effectiveness for nocturnal wildlife remains unknown.We assessed whether hedgerow management prescribed by targeted AESs to improve habitat conditions for the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) in England may positively influence the species, the entire bat assemblage and the insect prey of bats. We specifically investigated the responses of bats (occurrence, activity and species richness) and insects (biomass, abundance and diversity) to time since last trimming (from 1 up to 10 years). We explored the mechanisms underlying the effects of AES via changes in trimming regime on bats. Moreover, we investigated the effects of landscape context on bats as we expected that highly mobile species would benefit further from landscape‐scale management.Bat species richness significantly increased with time since last trimming. Three bat taxa of major conservation concern in Western Europe substantially benefited from the targeted prescription, namelyR. ferrumequinum,Rhinolophus hipposiderosandPlecotusspp. Insect family richness and dipteran abundance were also significantly greater at hedgerows that were untrimmed for at least 3 years. The activity of more common bat species (i.e. pipistrelle bats) was not influenced by time since last trimming.Changes in trimming regime strongly affected hedgerow height which directly and indirectly (by increasing prey abundance) influenced bat occurrence, activity and species richness along hedgerows.The activity of highly mobile bat species was mainly associated with a range of landscape attributes. The amount of semi‐natural grassland within 0.5 km of the sampling sites positively influencedR. ferrumequinumwhile the presence of urban areas negatively affected light‐sensitive bat species.Synthesis and applications.The implementation of targeted agri‐environment schemes can include effective measures to enhance bats and their insect prey in farmland. Although we highlight the success of current prescriptions on hedgerow management, we suggest that their effectiveness can easily be optimized by encouraging farmers to keep hedgerows untrimmed for longer periods (&gt;3 up to 10 years). We also highlight that a multi‐scale management approach is required to successfully promote bats in farmland.

Interfaces between microbes and membranes of host epithelial cells in hemipteran midguts.

Certain families of plant-feeding insects in the order Hemiptera (infraorder Pentatomomorpha) have established symbiotic relationships with microbes that inhabit specific pouches (caeca) of their midgut epithelium. The placement of these caeca in a well-delineated region at the most posterior end of the midgut bordering the hindgut is conserved in these families; in situ the convoluted midgut is predictably folded so that this caecal region lies adjacent to the anterior-most region of the midgut. Depending on the hemipteran family, caeca vary in their number and configuration at a given anterior-posterior location. At the host-microbe interface, epithelial plasma membranes of midgut epithelial cells interact with nonself antigens of microbial surfaces. In the different hemipteran species examined, a continuum of interactions is observed between microbes and host membranes. Bacteria can exist as free living cells within the midgut lumen without contacting host membranes while other host cells physically interact extensively with microbial surfaces by extending numerous processes that interdigitate with microbes; and, in many instances, processes completely envelope the microbes. The host cells can embrace the foreign microbes, completely enveloping each with a single host membrane or sometimes enveloping each with the two additional host membranes of a phagosome.

Bacterial associates of Orthezia urticae, Matsucoccus pini, and Steingelia gorodetskia -\xa0scale insects of archaeoccoid families Ortheziidae, Matsucoccidae, and Steingeliidae (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha)

The biological nature, ultrastructure, distribution, and mode of transmission between generations of the microorganisms associated with three species (Orthezia urticae, Matsucoccus pini, Steingelia gorodetskia) of primitive families (archaeococcoids = Orthezioidea) of scale insects were investigated by means of microscopic and molecular methods. In all the specimens of Orthezia urticae and Matsucoccus pini examined, bacteria Wolbachia were identified. In some examined specimens of O. urticae, apart from Wolbachia, bacteria Sodalis were detected. In Steingelia gorodetskia, the bacteria of the genus Sphingomonas were found. In contrast to most plant sap-sucking hemipterans, the bacterial associates of O. urticae, M. pini, and S. gorodetskia are not harbored in specialized bacteriocytes, but are dispersed in the cells of different organs. Ultrastructural observations have shown that bacteria Wolbachia in O. urticae and M. pini, Sodalis in O. urticae, and Sphingomonas in S. gorodetskia are transovarially transmitted from mother to progeny.

Succession pattern of insects in relation to killing methods of &lt;i&gt;Rattus norvegicus&lt;/i&gt; at Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria

The succession pattern of insects associated with the strangling and slaughtering of rat (Rattus norvegicus) was conducted between March and June 2017. Four (4) Albino Wistar rats were killed using strangle and slaughter methods, one method for a pair. The rat carcasses were secured from scavengers and restricted from human interference in a way that did not necessarily restrict access to the carcasses and also enabled insect collection. Insects were collected daily by hand picking and with the aid of aerial net, forceps and fine paintbrush. Collection was done within short period while checking the physical condition of carcass to note the stages of decay. Six insect families of three orders were collected from the carcass killed by strangling namely the Muscidae (32%), Sarcophagidae (16%), Calliphoridae (16%), Dermestidae (16%), Chrysomelidae (4%) and Cleridae (5%). In the carcass killed by slaughtering method, the families obtained were Muscidae (50%), Sarcophagidae (18%) Calliphoridae (18%), Dermestidae (9%), Staphylindae (5%). There was no significant difference (P&gt;0.05) in the succession pattern of the insects though more individuals were obtained in the strangled carcass (55%) compared to the slaughtered carcass (45%). This study shows the succession pattern may have no significant or obvious influence on the decomposition of carcasses. Therefore there is need to probe further into other killing methods.Keywords: Carcass; decomposition; forensic; strangled; slaughtered

Snow Scorpionflies (Mecoptera: Boreidae) of the Hanford Reach National Monument

Boreidae are a small and intriguing family of insects in the order Mecoptera. Also called snow scorpionfiies, adults are active in the winter months and thus rarely collected. They are associated with mosses and other bryophytes on which they feed, plants that are prominent components of the biological soil crusts common in shrub-steppe environments. Large series of Boreus californicus, B.nix, and B. reductus were collected in pitfall traps and by hand during surveys conducted from 1998-2002, at what is now the Hanford Reach National Monument. Eleven collecting sites were pitfall trapped in winter during the study, with specimens collected at only three of the locations. All but one of the pitfall-trapped specimens came from two adjacent collecting sites. Specimens were also hand-collected from Rattlesnake Ridge, within 5km of the productive pitfall trap sites. Adults were collected from November through April but were most abundant in December and January. Sex ratios for all species and both collecting methods were generally male dominated. The continuous sampling during this project provides a rare look at the phenology and community composition of shrub-steppe Boreus but does little to elucidate Boreus spp. habitat selection.

Publishing trends and productivity in insect taxonomy from 1946 through 2012 based on an analysis of the Zoological Record for four species-rich families

Insect taxonomy is fundamental to global biodiversity research, but few studies have been conducted to track progress in this field using objective criteria. This study reports publishing trends in the taxonomy of four diverse, globally-distributed insect families from 1946 to 2012 to elucidate recent progress and the current status of insect taxonomy. Publications included in the Zoological Record online literature database were analyzed for Cicadellidae (leafhoppers), Miridae (plant bugs), Pyralidae (moths) and Staphylinidae (rove beetles). Data on numbers of new species, article length, species description length, authorship and collaborations, and taxonomic journals were extracted and compiled for each year. The results showed that (1) the number of taxonomic papers increased before 1980, followed by a steep decline with subsequent partial recovery; (2) the number of papers describing new species generally mirrored the trend in numbers of new species, suggesting no overall change in the proportion of larger, synthetic works (monographs) and more such work is encouraged; (3) the average number of new species described per publication decreased over the time period investigated, but with an increase in the average description pages per new species; (4) researchers from Europe and North America continue to produce the most taxonomic research on three of the four families, but the main center for Cicadellidae taxonomy has recently shifted to Asia; (5) collaboration among authors within and across continents has increased as indicated by increases in coauthored papers; and (6) journal prevalence differed for the four families and the top 10 most utilized journals for each family were given out for reference. Based on the analysis of the publication trend of the four families, we found that the overall trend toward increasing rates of species discovery is encouraging. But more human resources training and financial support on taxonomic work are required in order to complete a global faunistic inventory in a reasonable timeframe. Future study that conducts more in-depth and comprehensive analysis based on more families is required to reflect the overall trend of the insect taxonomy.

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

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 m2 were 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.