Rove Beetle Species Research Articles

Experimental effects of habitat fragmentation on rove beetles and ants: patch area or edge?

The effects of habitat fragmentation may include the loss of species from isolated fragments or changes in species abundances among habitats that differ in area, structure, or edge characteristics. We measured the species richness and abundance of ground‐dwelling insects in a 1.14‐ha old field that was mowed to produce patches of unmowed vegetation which differed in size, degree of isolation, and the amount of habitat edge. Four treatments – ranging from unfragmented (169‐m2) to highly fragmented (1‐m2) patches – were replicated four times in a Latin square design, and insects were sampled twice during 1995 using 177 pitfall traps. Species richness showed a non‐monotonic response to fragmentation, with the fewest species occurring in the slightly fragmented treatment. Responses of rove beetles and ants, the most species‐rich and abundant taxa, respectively, were similar to the overall insect community but ants had a stronger and more consistent treatment effect in both sample months. Ordinations of ant and rove‐beetle assemblages using nonmetric multidimensional scaling showed that the slightly fragmented treatment differed from other treatments in species occurrence and abundance. The lower species richness in the slightly fragmented treatment was primarily due to a subset of ant and rove beetle species that showed a lower abundance than in other treatments, possibly because this treatment had the greatest amount of habitat edge. We hypothesize that the non‐monotonic species response to fragmentation was due to the differential effects of habitat edge on species movements across the habitat boundary between unmowed patches and mowed areas. A greater effect due to the amount of habitat edge rather than total patch area, at least among the range of patch sizes studied, suggests that the length of habitat edge may be quite important to the distribution and abundance of ground‐dwelling animals in fragmented habitats.

Two new species of Ilyomyces

Two new species of Ilyomyces parasitizing rove beetles of the subfamily Steninae in Sulawesi, Indonesia, are described and illustrated. The taxa are discussed in relation to the two previously known species of Ilyomyces from Europe and an emendation of the generic diagnosis is proposed in order to accommodate the new species.

Defense chemicals from abdominal glands of 13 rove beetle species of subtribe staphylinina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Staphylininae)

Forty-one volatile constituents have been characterized from the abdominal defensive glands of 13 Staphylinina rove beetle species (Staphylinidae). The major secretion component, a rapidly polymerizing iridoid dialdehyde (in most cases iridodial), is mainly accompanied by variable amounts of some iridoid lactones, traces of actinidine, some possible monoterpene precursors, short-chain ketones, cyclic compounds, and spiroacetals. The secretion mixtures even of single Staphylinina genera are very heterogenously composed of a variety of active substances with different structures. This situation may be a typical feature of iridoid defense systems based upon a primary fixative major compound and clearly differs from other chemical defense systems (for example the quinone system) which have a toxic main component.

ANTHOBIOIDES PUBESCENS, AN UNUSUAL NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF OMALIINAE (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINTOAE) FROM WASHINGTON

AbstractAnthobioides pubescens, an unusual new genus and new species of rove beetle, is described from the Olympic and Mt. Rainier National Parks, WA. The genus is assigned to the Anthobium-group of genera in the tribe Anthophagini, subfamily Omaliinae. The new genus represents the sister group of the genus Camioleum Lewis from Japan. The phylogeny of Anthobioides and Camioleum and their relationship to the other four genera assigned to the Anthobium-group is discussed. All pertinent characters of Anthobioides are illustrated by line drawings or scanning electron photomicrographs.

Progression North of Two Species of Rove Beetles in California (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Progression North of Two Species of Rove Beetles in California (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

A New Genus and Species of Rove Beetle from California (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

A New Genus and Species of Rove Beetle from California (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)