Beetle Research Articles

Dominant species of radish (Raphanus sativus (L.) convar. radicula (Pers) Sazon.) pests in the Right Bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine

Based on the results of phytosanitary monitoring (2008–2022), the species composition of pests in agroecosystems of radish (Raphanus sativus (L.) convar. radicula (Pers) Sazon.) in the central part of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine has been specified. In radish crops, 59 species of phytophagous insects, two species of nematodes, and one species of slugs were identified. The harmful entomocomplex structure includes insects from 20 families of 8 orders. Representatives of the orders Coleoptera (17 species), Lepidoptera (16 species), and Homoptera (9 species) dominate the taxonomic structure, collectively occupying 71% in the structure of the harmful entomocomplex. Representatives of the orders Diptera and Orthoptera were presented by species from 6 and 5 families, respectively, and in the entomocomplex structure, they occupied 10% and 8%, respectively. The least species diversity was found for the order Thysanoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera, which collectively occupied 10% in the structure of the harmful entomocomplex. Sixteen constant species were identified (Plutella maculipennis Curt., Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze, Phyllotreta undulata Kutsch., Pieris brassicae L., Agrotis segetum Denis&Schiff., Lacanobia oleracea L., Eurydema ventralis Kol., Brevicoryne brassicae L., Delia brassicae Bouche, Athalia rosae L., Delia platura Mg., Ceutorrhynchus quadridens Panz., Delia floralis Fallen, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, Entomoscelis adonidis Pallas, Evergestis extimalis Scop.), which caused significant damage to radish plants throughout the vegetation period. These species were trophically specialized, with 75% being oligophagous and 81% being phytophagous. Flea beetles such as Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze, Phyllotreta undulata Kutsch., diamondback moth (Plutella maculipennis Curt.), cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L.), turnip moth (Agrotis segetum Denis&Schiff.), and armyworm (Lacanobia oleracea L.) were found with high and medium frequencies in the studied agroecosystems, with population densities reaching maximum levels of 60–100% in some years.

Openly living phytophages and entomophages of the agrocenosis of winter soft wheat in the forest-steppe of the Samara region

Studies were conducted to study the species composition of open-living insects of phytophages and entomophages in the agrocenosis of winter soft wheat on varieties Povolzhskaya 30 and Povolzhskayaniva. The studies were conducted in 2020-2022, which differed in meteorological conditions, in the forest-steppe zone of the Samara region. In the agrocenosis of winter wheat, 28 species of phytophagous insects were identified, which belonged to 16 families. The most numerous in terms of species composition were the families: Chloropidae, Chrysomelidae ,Aphididae, Scutelleridae. The families were small in species composition: Phlaeothripidae, Pentatomidae, Berytidae, Miridae, Acrididae, Elateridae, Cephidae, Carabidae and Scarabaeidae. All phytophagous insects were divided into 6 orders: Bubble-legged or Thrips (Thysanoptera), Hemiptera or bugs (Hemiptera), Diptera (Diptera), Coleoptera or Beetles (Coleoptera), Straight-winged (Ortoptera), Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera). Numerous species composition of phytophagous insects was observed in the orders of Hemiptera (39.0%), Diptera and Coleoptera (25.0% each). The majority of phytophagous insects fed only on vegetative parts of plants (64.0%) (roots, stems, and leaves), 7.0% of species fed on generative parts of plants (mainly grain feeding). 29.0% of the species had a mixed type of nutrition, on vegetative organs (mainly in the larval stage) and on generative organs (mainly imago). Among phytophagous insects, the proportion with a gnawing mouth was 54.0%, and the proportion with a sucking mouth was 46.0%. The species composition of openly living entomophages in the agrocenosis of winter wheat was diverse. It is represented by 6 detachments. The largest number of species was observed in the orders Coleoptera or Beetles (Coleoptera) and the order of Spiders (Araneae). Ladybugs (Coccinellids) dominated among entomophages, which were represented by 9 species.

On Geographic Range, Diet and Conservation of Endemic Murree Hills Frog <i>Nanorana vicina</i> (Stoliczka, 1872)

Murree Hills Frog, Nanorana vicina, is one of the under studied anuran species of South Asia. We hypothesized that the diet of Murree Hills Frog differed during breeding and non-breeding seasons. We found that the geographic range of the species in Pakistan is narrower than reported. It occurs in Tehsil Murree (District Rawalpindi, Province Punjab), District Abbotoabad (Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Districts Poonch and Bagh (Azad Jammu and Kashmir). We recovered 12 taxa from stomach contents during the breeding season. The most frequent food items included Coleopterans (60%, constant) and Hymenopterans (40%, secondary). The food items from order Coleoptera contributed the most in the stomach content volume (ml) 0.06, followed by Hymenoptera 0.05, and Isoptera 0.05. The frogs showed secondary degree of food preference for Coleopterans and occasional for other food items. We recorded ten food items during non-breeding season. The most frequent food items included Coleopterans (45%, secondary), Hymenopterans (40%, secondary) and Orthopterans (35%, secondary). The food items from order Coleoptera contributed the most in the stomach content volume (ml) 0.12, followed by Orthoptera 0.11. The species showed secondary degree of food preference for Coleopterans, Hymenopterans and Orthopterans and occasional for other food items. The food item taxa during breeding and non-breeding seasons did not differ significantly. We have reported major threats to the species and suggested research, conservation and management options.

New Information about Bio-ecology, Life Cycle, Habitat, Geographic Distribution and Taxonomy of the Platygastridae Family (Insecta: Hymenoptera)

The Platygastridae are egg parasitoids of several insect orders and also of spiders. The family has hosts differentiated by subfamily: They are egg parasitoids of the orders Coleoptera and Hemiptera. The subfamily Scelioninae behave as parasitoids of eggs of Aranae and of several orders of insects such as Orthoptera and Grylloptera. Scelioninae. parasitoids of Aranae eggs and several insect orders: Orthoptera, Grylloptera, Hemiptera, and Coleoptera eggs. The purpose of this paper is to report new information about bio-ecology, life cycle, habitat, geographic distribution and taxonomy of the Platygastridae Family. For this review, the bibliographic search used the following databases: Scopus (https://www.scopus.com), Science Direct (https://www.sciencedirect.com), Scielo (https://scielo.org/es/), Web of Science (https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/basic-search), ORCID (https://orcid.org) and Google scholar (https://scholar.google.com) between June 2022 and October 2022. The articles were published from 1972 to 2022 in indexed scientific research, book scientific chapters, theses banks, university dissertations, national and international scientific articles, scientific journals, documents and even in general journals when considered of interest. The main terms used were: Parasitic Hymenoptera, parasitoid, hosts, Platygastridae, and egg parasitoids.

Quantitative assessment and seasonal incidence of soil invertebrates in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) crop

The present study on population dynamics and diversity of soil invertebrates was carried out at Vegetable Research Farm, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during 2019. The study revealed that okra crop harboured 14 different soil invertebrate species belonging to nine orders and 13 families dominated by order coleoptera (five species) dominated by ground beetles. Interestingly, higher relative abundance (%) was recorded in order hymenoptera (80.72%) followed by polyzoniida (10.41%) among which higher dominance (%) was recorded in little black ants (80.78%). Species richness, species evenness, Shannon-Wiener index (H’) and Simpson’s index were calculated to be 14.0, 0.094, 0.098 and 0.051, respectively, indicating high degree of diversity among soil invertebrates in okra crop. Interestingly, an increase of 88.84 and 69.64% in population was recorded in root-knot and free-living/predatory nematodes at harvest time compared to the okra crop sowing time. A positive correlation (r=+0.06 to + 0.83) was recorded between soil temperature and soil moisture with soil invertebrate population. Okra crop fields survive soil fauna, which is a key factor for increasing soil fertility and productivity and its physical characteristics, which should be increased using soil amendments.

Apple flower-visiting insects’ diversity and abundance in selected central Kenya orchards

Flower-visiting insects are essential in maintaining a healthy and productive agricultural landscape through ecosystem services such as pollination. Fruits are important sources of vitamins and micronutrients, and several fruit crops depend on animal pollination, which enhances their nutritional content. Besides honey bees, apple orchards can sustain a large number of arthropod species that also aid in pollination. In this present study, we assessed the diversity and abundance of insect flower visitors in six apple orchards in Nyeri and Laikipia East. Six plots, each with more than 20 apple trees, were purposefully selected. Data were collected through timed visual searches and sweep netting. Sampling was done from 0900 hours to 1700 hours, six days a week, for five months consecutively in 2019. Diversity indices were computed using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, while abundance patterns were displayed using species abundance curves. Differences in species diversity and abundance between sites were compared using a one-way analysis of variance. A total of 1,221 insects belonging to 23 families, 82 species, and 4 orders (Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera) were recorded. The order Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants) was the most abundant, with 1,176 individuals, and had the most species-rich taxa, with 56 species in 9 families. The order Coleoptera (beetles) was second, with 26 individuals and 12 species in 6 families. Lepidoptera were the least abundant with 10 individuals and the least species-rich taxa with 7 species in 5 families, followed closely by Diptera with 7 individuals and 7 species in 3 families. There were significant differences in flower visitors’ composition among the six sites. The study provides important information on the status of key apple flower visitors, which can guide orchard management practises to increase apple yield through pollinator conservation. Conserving apple pollinators will enhance fruit production, promote the livelihoods of farmers, and contribute to the national economy.

Saproxylic beetles on oaks in a wooded pasture in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and contributions to Turkish entomofauna

This research was conducted to investigate the saproxylic Coleoptera fauna found in oak trees of different ages in Mersin/Gülnar in the Eastern Mediterranean Region in 2017. Fourty-five window traps were used to sample the beetles on the oak trees. Traps were checked five times, once a month, from June to October. In total, 13 217 individuals from the order Coleoptera were collected and 242 saproxylic beetle species belonging to 44 families were found. In the material, 33 beetle species were identified as new records for the Turkish fauna. Most beetle species were from the Buprestidae (24 species), Anobiidae (23 species) and Tenebrionidae (18 species) families. The highest numbers of individuals were from the Dermestidae (2 354), Elateridae (2 325) and Curculionidae (1 531) families. The highest number of individuals were Xyleborus dryographus (Ratzeburg, 1837) (Curculionidae) and Cardiophorus (Cardiophorus) parvulus Platia & Gudenzi, 2000 (Elateridae) with 1 109 individuals each. Three species were found; namely Protaetia (Eupotosia) mirifica (Mulsant, 1842), Chromovalgus peyroni (Mulsant, 1852) (Cetonidae) and Propomacrus bimucronatus (Pallas, 1781) (Euchiridae), which appear on the IUCN European and Mediterranean red list as Vulnerable (VU).

The Effectiveness of Some Types of Refugia for Supplying the Population of The First Lice (Bemisia Tabaci) on Soybean Plant

Soybean is one of the important food commodities in Indonesia which occupies the third position after rice and corn. In 2020, soybean production reached 632.3 tons but decreased by 3.01% to 613.3 tons in 2021 and is predicted to continue to decline until 2024. Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is one of the important pests on soybeans. which is also a viral vector. The purpose of this study was to obtain refugia plants which were effective in suppressing the whitefly pest population on soybeans. The study was carried out using a Randomized Block Design (RAK) with 5 treatments and repeated 3 times so that there were 15 experimental units. The treatment used 4 types of refugia plants, namely: R1 = yellow kenikir flower, R2 = orange kenikir flower, R3 = Zinnia elegans paper flower, R4 = Tagetes erecta flower, and R0 = Control (soybean plant without refugia block). The results showed that the four types of refugia affected the whitefly pest population but were not significantly different in each treatment and had no effect on the intensity of the whitefly pest attack. There are 7 species of natural enemies of whitefly consisting of 6 species of predators and 1 species of parasitoid. Most predators come from the order Coleoptera.

Mycotoxins on edible insects: Should we be worried?

Edible insects are a solid alternative to meet the growing demand for animal protein. However, there are doubts regarding the safety of insect consumption. Mycotoxins are substances of concern for food safety, as they may cause harmful effects on the human organism and accumulate in the tissues of some animals. This study focuses on the characteristics of the main mycotoxins, the mitigation of human consumption of contaminated insects, and the effects of mycotoxins on insect metabolism. To date, studies reported the interaction of the mycotoxins aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1, and T-2, isolated or combined, in three insect species from Coleoptera and one from Diptera order. The use of rearing substrates with low mycotoxin contamination did not reduce the survival and development of insects. Fasting practices and replacing contaminated substrate with a decontaminated one decreased the concentration of mycotoxins in insects. There is no evidence that mycotoxins accumulate in the tissues of the insects' larvae. Coleoptera species showed high excretion capacity, while Hermetia illucens had a lower excretion capacity of ochratoxin A, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol. Thus, a substrate with low mycotoxin contamination could be used for raising edible insects, particularly from the Coleoptera order.

Addition of Rice Bran, Soy Protein, Yeast, and Its Combinations to the Styrofoam Degradation by Hongkong Caterpillar (Tenebrio molitor L)

The use of plastic as food packaging dominates polystyrene plastic, namely Styrofoam, because of its light characteristics and the fact that it can be carried without realizing it, releasing large amounts of waste into the environment. Overcoming Styrofoam plastic can be made by using insects from the Coleoptera order, namely Tenebrio molitor L., better known to the common people as the Hongkong Caterpillar. This insect has been extensively explored as a plastic degradation agent. An important component in increasing the rate of styrofoam degradation by Tenebrio molitor L. by providing nutrients in the form of feed such as rice bran, yeast and soy protein. This study aims to determine which feed has the best effect based on styrofoam degradation, biodegradation rate, and survival rate on the performance of Tenebrio molitor L. in degrading styrofoam plastic. This research was conducted from 28 December 2022 to 26 February 2023 at the Biosystematics Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Sriwijaya University, Indralaya. The research is begun used by cultivating and caring stage of Tenebrio molitor L caterpillar. Beetle to obtain the Tenebrio molitor L caterpillar. The next stage is the preparation of EPS styrofoam material and feed in the form of rice bran, yeast and soy protein used for research experiments. The results of this study showed that the combination of rice bran and yeast increased the performance of Tenebrio molitor L. in styrofoam plastic degradation based on the biodegradation rate and 100% survival rate. The conclusion of this study is that rice bran and yeast can improve the performance of Tenebrio molitor L. in degrading styrofoam plastic L.

Diversity of insects on bitti stands (Vitex cofassus)

Insects are the most abundant group of animals compared to other animal groups, this is related to the high adaptability of insects to various types of habitats. This study aims to analyze the diversity of soil surface insects and arboreal insects (nocturnal and diurnal) on bitti stands (Vitex cofassus) in Belabori Village, Parangloe District, Gowa Regency. Data collection was carried out for 2 months starting from October to November 2019 using 3 trap techniques (Sweep Net, Pitfall Trap, Light Trap). The results showed that the insects caught each consisted of 8 orders, 19 families, 28 types and a total of 231 individuals divided into 45 soil-surface insects, 163 nocturnal insects and 21 diurnal insects. The order most commonly found in ground-level insects is the order Hymenoptera while the arboreal insects (Nocturnal and Diurnal) are the order Coleoptera. The Shanon-Wieiner (H’) diversity index category in bitti stands in ground-level insects and arboreal insects (Nocturnal and Diurnal) is classified as a medium category and the Margalef species wealth index (Dmg) is classified as a low category.

Estimating the Post-mortem Interval Using Black Larder Beetles (Coleoptera: Dermestidae): A Case Study of Cats Abandoned Indoors in Daegu, Korea

Black larder beetles prefer to feed on decomposing animal bodies, particularly those that are dried. When conditions are dry and warm, these beetles often appear in large numbers on dried animal carcasses. In our case, the dried carcasses of several cats were found nearly skeletonized at a villa in Daegu Metropolitan City on July 13, 2022. There were very few empty pupae of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) in the villa, but many adult black larder beetles, larvae, and larval cast skin (exuviae) (<i>Dermestes haemorrhoidalis</i> Küster) belonging to the family of larder beetles (Dermestidae) were found. We estimated the minimum post-mortem interval to be 44.5 days using temperature data from the nearest meteorological observatory and reported animal carcass decomposition and Dermestidae developmental rates. Police investigation confirmed that the cats were alive at least 3 months ago. Consequently, the neglected cats could not have been deceased in the villa for more than 3 months. As a result, the estimate closely matched the statement from the suspect.

Net effects of pasture-raised poultry on arthropod communities driven by top-down and bottom-up forces in a mixed-cover crop system

As consumer demand and grower interest for pasture-raised poultry grow, more research is needed to understand the ecological consequences of the integration of pasture-raised poultry on agroecosystems. Poultry could have profound and complex net effects on arthropod communities given their high density per area, broad omnivory, and high manure deposition. Further, some studies suggest poultry may aid in the suppression of agricultural pests in integrated systems. Yet, unlike wild birds, pasture-raised poultry have received little attention in the field of agroecological net effects. Across 2 years, we examined how an absence (control- cover crop only), low- [9.51 m2 (102.4 ft.2) of pasture per broiler] and high-densities [4.76 m2 (51.2 ft.2) of pasture per broiler] of broilers impacted cover crop biomass, ground-dwelling arthropods, and plant-dwelling arthropods in a rotationally grazed mixed-cover crop system. High- and low-density poultry treatments had 7.8-fold and 3.5-fold less cover crop biomass compared to the control treatment after 1–3 days of access, respectively. Despite the depletion of cover crops, there were substantial positive effects on ground-dwelling arthropods. Most striking was the impact on house fly larvae where high-density poultry treatments had ~1,432-fold more house fly larvae relative to the control treatments. Dung beetle, spider, and rove beetle mean relative abundances increased 47-, 2.4-, and 3.5-fold, respectively, from the control treatment to the high-density poultry treatment. In contrast, the mean relative abundances of plant-dwelling arthropod orders Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera were 4-, 5-, and 3.6-fold higher, respectively, in the control treatment relative to the high-density poultry treatment. Overall, these results suggest that pasture-raised poultry may promote the abundance of ground-dwelling arthropods through bottom-up mechanisms by depositing fecal material. However, poultry decreased the abundance of plant-dwelling arthropods, likely by destroying their habitat and food resources (via consumption and trampling of cover crop) and direct consumption of arthropods. While the integration of poultry into crop rotations is thought to benefit crop yield through nutrient deposition in the form of manure, this study suggests it may also stimulate the soil and ground-foraging arthropod food webs. This study is the first to evaluate the impacts of pastured poultry to arthropod communities in a mixed-cover crop system.

Curation status of beetle specimens at the Invertebrate Collection of the Charles Darwin Research Station (ICCDRS), Galápagos Islands

The importance of a scientific collection is related to the preservation quality of its specimens. Specimens that have been properly preserved may contain more quantity and quality of data than neglected specimens. The objective of this study was to determine the curation status of the specimens of the order Coleoptera in the Invertebrate Collection of the Charles Darwin Research Station (ICCDRS) of the Charles Darwin Foundation, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. Our diagnostics of the collection included the analysis of ten metrics of 9201 dry-pinned beetles. We found that 8612 specimens are in optimal conditions, and damaged specimens are randomly distributed in the collection, indicating that handling and storage are appropriate. 83% of the beetles are identified as species, and 85% of the specimens have been assigned a catalog number. These results indicate a very good curation status of this growing collection. Additionally, we discuss future directions to improve the curatorial process of this collection and incentivize its scientific use.

Protein Antioxidant Complex of Water Extract of Larvae of Black Beetles <i>Ulomoides dermestoides</i>

An aqueous extract from the larvae of black beetles Ulomoides dermestoides grown under controlled conditions was obtained and its proteomic analysis based on one-dimensional electrophoretic separation of proteins, their trypsinolysis in a gel and subsequent chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed. Protein identification was performed using MaxQuant v.1.6.3.4 software. The Uniprot database was used to identify proteins by homology. Catalase activity was determined spectrophotometrically by hydrogen peroxide concentration decrease. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by luminol chemiluminescence quenching. The extract contained proteins that can determine the biological activity of the extract: universal regulators of cellular processes calmodulin (62%), cytochrome c-2 (13.5%), nucleoside diphosphate kinase (11.1%), the enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, peroxiredoxin, glutathione synthetase as well as thioredoxin, 70 and 60 kDa heat shock proteins, chitinase complex (13.4% in total). Catalase activity was 6.3 ± 1.1 µmol H2O2/min/mg protein; antioxidant activity of 1 mg protein per ml extract was equivalent to 1.36 ± 0.3 mM trolox. The prospects for practical use of the extract as a natural antioxidant complex were noted.

Biological control of the pear psylla: studies of its natural enemies and aspects of its chemical communication: Doctoral thesis abstract

The pear psylla, Cacopsylla bidens, is one of the pests that has acquired a primary role in pear cultivation. Finding alternate control methods is required because the management of this hemipteran has relied on the usage of chemical control. To meet this demand, these project aims to improve the understanding of the biology, chemical communication and trophic webs of the predator guild to be able to design a biological control strategy. Molecular approaches were used to determine which of the predators present in the orchard was feeding on C. bidens. Likewise, it was sought to determine at what time of the season these natural enemies begin to act. The findings revealed that many predators from the orders Coleoptera and Neuroptera feed on the pest. Chrysoperla externa was the predator that most frequently fed on C. bidens. In turn, it was determined that these predators begin to act in a more relevant way only on the third generation of C. bidens. To anticipate the arrival of C. externa in the season, it was investigated whether the pear tree changed its volatile profile after being damaged by C. bidens. Likewise, the volatile released following Argyrotaenia sphaleropa damage were identified. The results showed that the pear tree modifies its volatile profile, and this alteration is specific to the herbivore. The predator C. externa was evaluated to determine whether this change could elicit a behavioral response, demonstrating that this predator benefits from the change by discriminating between undamaged plants and plants damaged by both herbivores by being more attracted to volatiles released when the plant is damaged by C. bidens. These finding provides critical information that may be used to move towards a more sustainable management of the pest.

Taxonomic identification accuracy from BOLD and GenBank databases using over a thousand insect DNA barcodes from Colombia.

Recent declines of insect populations at high rates have resulted in the need to develop a quick method to determine their diversity and to process massive data for the identification of species of highly diverse groups. A short sequence of DNA from COI is widely used for insect identification by comparing it against sequences of known species. Repositories of sequences are available online with tools that facilitate matching of the sequences of interest to a known individual. However, the performance of these tools can differ. Here we aim to assess the accuracy in identification of insect taxonomic categories from two repositories, BOLD Systems and GenBank. This was done by comparing the sequence matches between the taxonomist identification and the suggested identification from the platforms. We used 1,160 COI sequences representing eight orders of insects from Colombia. After the comparison, we reanalyzed the results from a representative subset of the data from the subfamily Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera). Overall, BOLD systems outperformed GenBank, and the performance of both engines differed by orders and other taxonomic categories (species, genus and family). Higher rates of accurate identification were obtained at family and genus levels. The accuracy was higher in BOLD for the order Coleoptera at family level, for Coleoptera and Lepidoptera at genus and species level. Other orders performed similarly in both repositories. Moreover, the Scarabaeinae subset showed that species were correctly identified only when BOLD match percentage was above 93.4% and a total of 85% of the samples were correctly assigned to a taxonomic category. These results accentuate the great potential of the identification engines to place insects accurately into their respective taxonomic categories based on DNA barcodes and highlight the reliability of BOLD Systems for insect identification in the absence of a large reference database for a highly diverse country.

ENTOMOFAUNA DE INTERES FORENSE ASOCIADA AL PROCESO DE DESCOMPOSICIÓN CADAVÉRICA DE Sus scrofa EN ÉPOCA DE VERANO EN UN DISTRITO DEL NORTE DEL PERÚ

Necrophagous insects, mainly Diptera and Coleoptera, are involved in the cadaveric decomposition process depending on time ofstudy and location, are important to estimate the postmortem interval. Pigs have become the most frequently used animal model in forensic science. The objective of this research was to identify the genera and/or species of necrophagous insects in the five stages of the cadaveric decomposition process, at the time of summer 2018 taking place in an urban area of Nuevo Chimbote (Ancash, Peru), using SusscrofaL. as an animal model. It was used a 12-kg pig carcass, recently euthanized and kept for 70 days, at an average temperature of 24.26°C and an average relative humidity of 66.96% inside a Schoenly-type trap to capture insects. Insects of the Diptera and Coleoptera orders were found in the different phases of decomposition: In the initial phase (two days) only dipterous insects, Sarcophagasp., Chrysomyaalbiceps, Cochliomyiamacellariaand Luciliacuprinawere identified; in the phase of active putrefaction(two days) the same species of diptera and coleoptera, Necrobiarufipesand Dermestesfrischii; in the advanced putrefaction phase (three days) the same species and also Muscadomesticadiptera; in the fermentation phase (11 days) the same species and also beetle Ammophorusperuvianus; and in the skeletonization phase (52 days) only beetles Saprinussp., Necrobiarufipesand Dermestesfrischiiwere identified. The results of this study indicate that in an open environment in an urban area of Nuevo Chimbote(Ancash, Peru), in summer season (January-March), the entomofauna was associated with the decomposition of S. scrofwhich is composed of five species of the order Diptera and four of the order Coleoptera. In addition, it was possible to observe that in the initial phase only diptera were present and in the final phase (skeletation) only coleoptera, which could be used as decomposition markers.

A study on morphological variations of male Helophorus (Helophorus) aquaticus (L., 1758) (Coleoptera: Helophoridae) in Türkiye

The geographic structure of Türkiye is well-suited for determining species diversity and interspecific variation as Türkiye has many regions with different altitudes and ecological characteristics. A large number of specimens belonging to the Helophoridae family belonging to the order Coleoptera were collected from different regions of Turkey between 2007-2021, examined and kept as museum material. Among the museum materials evaluated in terms of variation, Helophorus (Helophorus) aquaticus (L., 1758) species were seen to be both more common and more diverse in each region. In this study, male specimens varying in color, size, pronotum, tarsi, and genital structure were selected among the samples collected from different regions and geographic locations within the same locality. A total of 17 different morphological variations were identified and listed by examining the pronotum, elytra, tarsi, and aedeagophore structures. The relationships of these variations with altitude have been evaluated. As a result of this study, it has been determined that variations of the same species can coexist in the same locality, as well as similar variations in localities in different geographical regions. In addition, it was determined that the size of the insects increased as the altitude increased.

Dietary and Sexual Correlates of Gut Microbiota in the Japanese Gecko, Gekko japonicus (Schlegel, 1836).

Numerous studies have demonstrated that multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors shape the structure and composition of gut microbiota in a host. The disorder of the gut microbiota may trigger various host diseases. Here, we collected fecal samples from wild-caught Japanese geckos (Gekko japonicus) and captive conspecifics fed with mealworms (mealworm-fed geckos) and fruit flies (fly-fed geckos), aiming to examine the dietary and sexual correlates of the gut microbiota. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology to determine the composition of the gut microbiota. The dominant phyla with a mean relative abundance higher than 10% were Verrucomicrobiota, Bacteroidota, and Firmicutes. Gut microbial community richness and diversity were higher in mealworm-fed geckos than in wild geckos. Neither community evenness nor beta diversity of gut microbiota differed among wild, mealworm-fed, and fly-fed geckos. The beta rather than alpha diversity of gut microbiota was sex dependent. Based on the relative abundance of gut bacteria and their gene functions, we concluded that gut microbiota contributed more significantly to the host's metabolic and immune functions. A higher diversity of gut microbiota in mealworm-fed geckos could result from higher chitin content in insects of the order Coleoptera. This study not only provides basic information about the gut microbiota of G. japonicus but also shows that gut microbiota correlates with dietary habits and sex in the species.