Staphylinidae Research Articles

Ensamble de coleópteros (Coleoptera) atraídos a la carroña en un bosque artificial resultado de la urbanización de un área natural en el centro de México

The ensembles of beetles and the seasonal distribution of diversity attracted to carrion in an artificial forest result of the urbanization of the Protected Natural Area Sierra de Guadalupe in central Mexico was studied. Monthly samples were collected from June 2017 to May 2018 using four carrion traps type NTP-80. A total of 3,434 individuals belonging to 17 families and 58 species were collected, of which 13 were identified to the species level and 45 to morphospecies. The species estimators suggest that was registered between 77.3% (Chao 1) and 80.5% (ACE) of the species. The families Staphylinidae, Silphidae, Carabidae, Leiodidae, Histeridae and Nitidulidae grouped 95.8% of the total abundance and 67.2% of the species. The family Staphylinidae was the higher richness with 21 species, the remaining had less than five species, of which the family Silphidae was the most important with four species, and represented the necrophagous guilt which was the second most abundant making up 21% of all beetles collected after the predators (62%). The diversity was higher in rainy than in drought season, the faunistic similarity between seasons was low (J=0.37), with 32 species exclusive of rainy and four of drought season. In the area inhabit wide-ranging species adapted to perturbation conditions, an endemic species, and converge montane elements with species of semiarid environments, therefore, is important to maintain the connection of the artificial forest with the forest area in upper parts of the Sierra de Guadalupe, and conserve the fragments of xeric shrubland that are scarce in the basin of Mexican Valley, so as to mitigate the impact of the urbanization in the diversity of beetles associated to carrion

Preliminary study of habitat preferences of dryomyzid flies and a rove beetle, Platydracus brevicornis, in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Preliminary study of habitat preferences of dryomyzid flies and a rove beetle, Platydracus brevicornis, in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Impact of Conservation Agriculture and Traditional Tillage Systems on Epiedaphic Springtails, Ground Beetles, Rove Beetles, and Spiders

Impact of Conservation Agriculture and Traditional Tillage Systems on Epiedaphic Springtails, Ground Beetles, Rove Beetles, and Spiders

Clinico-dermatologic patterns of Paederus dermatitis in a teaching hospital, South India.

Paederus dermatitis (PD) is common skin condition occurring in South India caused due to contact with Rove beetle. It is often misdiagnosed due to wide difference in its presentation. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical, sociodemographic, and environmental condition of patient's presenting with PD. A descriptive study was done among all patients diagnosed of PD at the Dermatology department of a teaching hospital in Trichy, South India, between January and December 2020. A detailed clinical history, examination of the lesion, and systemic examination was done. Patients were followed-up after 1 week to re-assess the lesion. A total of 117 cases were included in the final analysis. The mean age of patients was 24.54 ± 11.8 years. Female were 51% with 84.6% residing in rural area. Majority of the cases presented between January and May. Presence of thick vegetation (85.5%) and sleeping with windows open (60.7%) were found to be the common risk factors. Most patients reported noticing the lesion in the morning with sudden onset associated with redness and tenderness with a bizarre pattern of lesion. Face, neck, and upper extremity were the most affected sites with burning sensation and itching, experienced by 82.1% and 76.1%, respectively. Ocular involvement with peri-orbital odema was seen among 17% of cases. Post-inflammatory pigmentation was present in 92.1% patients. PD present has a varying degree of skin lesions with absence of the typical linear pattern. Knowledge of its presentation is important to avoid misdiagnosis.

Rove beetles of the open plains of the South European Russia: a review with the key to genera and annotated species checklist (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Rove beetles of the open plains of the South European Russia: a review with the key to genera and annotated species checklist (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) communities of the upper forest line of the Ukrainian Carpathians: structure and biotopic distribution (on the example of the Polonynskyi ridge)

The results of studies of species diversity, community structure, and biotopic distribution of rove beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) at the upper forest line on the Yavirnyk and Stinka mountain ridges (Polonynskyi massif, Ukrainian Carpathians) are presented. As a result, 91 species of Staphylinidae belonging to 53 genera and 10 subfamilies were found. In particular, 71 species were found on Yavirnyk, and 69 species on Stinka. The largest number of species was noticed on meadows of both ridges: 48 species on Yavirnyk and 51 on Stinka. The lowest number of species was recorded in in ecotones: 39 species on Yavirnyk and 40 on Stinka. The rove beetle dominant complex of the Yavirnyk ridge includes four species, including two eudominants—Eusphalerum alpinum and Philonthus politus, and two dominants—Eusphalerum anale and Philonthus decorus. The dominant complex of the Stinka ridge includes six species: three eudominants—Eusphalerum alpinum, Ocypus macrocephalus, and Staphylinus erythroptery, and three dominants in almost equal proportions—Anotylus mutator, Dinothenarus fossor, and Philonthus decorus. All indices of species richness and diversity of the rove beetle communities have higher values on the Stinka ridge, and they are the highest in forest biotopes of both mountain ridges, which indicates their high ecological quality and stability. This is also confirmed by the highest rate of originality of the species composition of Staphylinidae in these areas. The most similar in species composition are the rove beetle communities of meadows. The original fauna of rove beetles of Yavirnyk is represented by 25 species, and of Stinka by 19 species. Among the species of Staphylinidae, 18 occurred in all biotopes of the upper forest line, which is 19.8% of the total number of species found here. In terms of trophic specialization, predators that live in the forest floor, among remains of organic origin and in fungi predominate in all biotopes of the upper forest line (UFL). In terms of biotopic distribution, eurytopic species predominate.

Mate finding in a mimetic termitophile amidst its host termites

AbstractA frequently overlooked cost can be involved in mimetic termitophily: excess resemblance to the model may compromise intraspecific recognition lowering fitness for the mimic. We address this problem, inspecting mate‐finding behavioural strategies used by Corotoca spp. rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) which obligatorily cohabit the termitaria of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae). In a bioassay, we show that whole‐body chemical extracts of these rove beetles (i) elicit behavioural activity, (ii) are perceivable by contact, (iii) can be used by Corotoca spp. to disguise themselves as a termite, and (iv) elicit a trail‐following behaviour similar to the "innate" one elicited by termites on themselves. In another bioassay using a Y‐shaped olfactometer, we show that beetles, despite disguising themselves, preserve their identity by employing long‐range signals to find mates amidst a termite crowd. Our data suggest that Corotoca beetles have developed different strategies (i) to bypass the nestmate recognition performed by termites (mimicking short‐range signals) and (ii) to preserve the ability to encounter their beetle conspecifics (perceiving long‐range signals). In conclusion, our results indicate that termitophiles such as Corotoca spp, while highly integrated in termite colonies, are still able to perform conspecific recognition.

Landscape- and time-dependent benefits of wildflower areas to ground-dwelling arthropods

Wildflower areas are a popular agri-environment scheme to counteract agro-biodiversity loss. Yet, their benefits are controversially discussed. Since inconsistent benefits may be owed to landscape context and temporal dynamics, we applied a multi-year study to unravel effects of permanent and transient habitats on ground-dwelling arthropods in wildflower areas and cereal fields.Across three consecutive years, we studied activity density, species richness and community composition of rove beetles, carabid beetles and spiders in ten pairs of wildflower areas and cereal fields along independent gradients of proportions of permanent semi-natural habitats or transient wildflower areas.Arthropod responses to the proportions of permanent semi-natural habitats often followed a hump-shaped pattern, whereas transient wildflower areas seemed to drive linear responses. An interactive effect on rove beetle richness in wildflower areas implies that benefits were highest either at intermediate proportions of permanent semi-natural habitats or at lower proportions, but with additional availability of transient wildflower areas or in landscapes with low proportions of permanent semi-natural habitats, but high proportions of wildflower areas. However, ground-dwelling arthropod activity density or species richness did not systematically increase over the three study years.Our results suggest that both permanent and transient habitats differ in how they affect biodiversity, possibly due to different temporal continuity and resource diversity. Benefits of permanent semi-natural habitats seemed highest at an equilibrium between an increasing resource-related species pool and an increasing diversity dilution, whereas benefits of transient wildflower areas seemed to increase with resource complementarity and connectivity at the landscape scale. Nevertheless, both habitats seem to complement each other and considered in concert, seem to be most effective in promoting benefits of wildflower areas to ground-dwelling arthropods at intermediate landscape complexity. The substantial variation in diversity patterns among years with weather extremes, suggests that optimizing benefits of wildflower areas requires further multi-year studies.

Rove beetle diversity and coffee agroecosystems in the Colombian Andes

AbstractThe intensification of coffee plantations has driven biodiversity loss worldwide, but little is known about how it affects the ecological structure of Andean rove beetle communities. The rove beetle diversity was estimated in a coffee‐intensification gradient located on the western slope of Central Andes (1300–1800 m elevation). Sixteen sampling sites in four land uses were selected: four native forest patches and twelve coffee production systems (four polygeneric shade coffee plantations, four monogeneric shade coffee plantations, and four sun‐grown coffee plantations). We used unbaited pitfall traps and leaf litter extraction and recorded environmental and vegetation variables in each land use. 101 staphylinid species were collected in 12 subfamilies and 45 genera (N = 522 individuals). We recorded for the first time the subfamily Leptotyphlinae in Colombia. Anotylus sp. 1 was the most abundant species with about 16% of the total individuals, while 60% of the remaining species showed <2 individuals. Native forest and polygeneric shade coffee plantations were more diverse than monogeneric shade and sun‐grown coffee plantations (for all qD measures). Monogeneric shade coffee plantations were the least diverse in all studies. Species composition was different between forests and coffee plantations, and the sun‐grown coffee had a low number of exclusive species. The rove beetle diversity did not show a linear reduction with the intensification levels of the coffee plantation, and the sun‐grown coffee did not represent an absolutely hostile environment. We discuss the role of staphylinid as model group for comparative ecological studies in the tropical agricultural landscape.

A second fossil species of the enigmatic rove beetle genusCharhyphusin Eocene Baltic amber, with implications on the morphology of the female genitalia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Phloeocharinae)

ABSTRACTPhloeocharinae is a small and likely non-monophyletic subfamily of rove beetles. The enigmatic genusCharhyphusSharp, 1887 has long been placed in Phloeocharinae, whereas recent studies have found it to be phylogenetically very distant from the core members of this subfamily, suggesting the possibility that it actually deserves its own separate subfamily status. So far, the sole definitive fossil record forCharhyphusis known based on a single male from Eocene Baltic amber as represented by †Charhyphus balticusShavrin, 2020. Here, we describe and illustrate another newCharhyphusspecies, †Charhyphus serratussp. nov. Yamamoto & Shavrin, from Baltic amber based on a well-preserved female fossil. Considering the general proportions of the body and the head, this new species is most similar to †C.balticus. The new species differs from all known species by the development of strong serration of the lateral edges of the pronotum and features of the shape of the apical margin of the mesoventrite. By using X-ray micro-computed tomography, we succeeded in visualising not only the general habitus but also each individual body part, recovering a previously undocumented sclerite on the female internal genital segments in the genus. Morphological features of extinct and extant species ofCharhyphusare briefly discussed. Figures of all extantCharhyphusspecies and a key for the genus are also provided. Our study is important for considering possible higher palaeodiversity, more common occurrence, and palaeobiogeography ofCharhyphus.

Evolutionary assembly of cooperating cell types in an animal chemical defense system

How the functions of multicellular organs emerge from the underlying evolution of cell types is poorly understood. We deconstructed evolution of an organ novelty: a rove beetle gland that secretes a defensive cocktail. We show how gland function arose via assembly of two cell types that manufacture distinct compounds. One cell type, comprising a chemical reservoir within the abdomen, produces alkane and ester compounds. We demonstrate that this cell type is a hybrid of cuticle cells and ancient pheromone and adipocyte-like cells, executing its function via a mosaic of enzymes from each parental cell type. The second cell type synthesizes benzoquinones using a chimera of conserved cellular energy and cuticle formation pathways. We show that evolution of each cell type was shaped by coevolution between the two cell types, yielding a potent secretion that confers adaptive value. Our findings illustrate how cooperation between cell types arises, generating new, organ-level behaviors.

Significance to the Horticulture Industry

Significance to the Horticulture Industry

Redescription of the genus Megastilicus Casey (Staphylinidae, Paederinae) with the description of a new species

The myrmecophilous Paederinae rove beetle genus Megastilicus Casey, 1889 from North America is reviewed based on museum specimens. Prior to this study, the genus was monotypic with one species Megastilicus formicarius Casey, 1889 described. Here, we provide a redescription of the genus and the type species, designate a lectotype, and provide pictures of habitus and illustrations of the aedeagus and genital segments. Additionally, we describe a new species for the genus, Megastilicus iowaensis sp. nov., include an identification key to the two species and present the distribution map of both of them, including new state records. We discuss the assignment of the genus to the subtribe Stilicina based on morphological features.

Functional diversity and habitat preferences of native grassland plants and ground-dwelling invertebrates in private gardens along an urbanization gradient.

Urbanization is occurring around the globe, changing environmental conditions and influencing biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Urban domestic gardens represent a small‐grained mosaic of diverse habitats for numerous species. The challenging conditions in urban gardens support species possessing certain traits, and exclude other species. Functional diversity is therefore often altered in urban gardens. By using a multi‐taxa approach focused on native grassland plants and ground‐dwelling invertebrates with overall low mobility (snails, slugs, spiders, millipedes, woodlice, ants, rove beetles), we examined the effects of urbanization (distance to city center, percentage of sealed area) and garden characteristics on functional dispersion, functional evenness, habitat preferences and body size. We conducted a field survey in 35 domestic gardens along a rural–urban gradient in Basel, Switzerland. The various groups showed different responses to urbanization. Functional dispersion of native grassland plants decreased with increasing distance to the city center, while functional dispersion of ants decreased with increasing percentage of sealed area. Functional evenness of ants increased with increasing distance to the city center and that of rove beetles decreased with increasing percentage of sealed area. Contrary to our expectation, in rove beetles, the proportion of generalists decreased with increasing percentage of sealed area in the surroundings, and the proportion of species preferring dry conditions increased with increasing distance to the city center. Body size of species increased with distance to city center for slugs, spiders, millipedes, ants, and rove beetles. Local garden characteristics had few effects on functional diversity and habitat preferences of the groups examined. Our study supports the importance of using multi‐taxa approaches when examining effects of environmental change on biodiversity. Considering only a single group may result in misleading findings for overall biodiversity. The ground‐dwelling invertebrates investigated may be affected in different ways from the more often‐studied flying pollinators or birds.

Influence of Selected Environmental Parameters on Rove Beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Communities in Central European Floodplain Forests

Wetlands and especially floodplain forests belong to the most endangered ecosystems in Europe, characterized by complex dynamics of flood and dry periods and providing specific irreplaceable habitats for many organisms, including bioindicators. Many rove beetle species, for instance, are well-known detectors in monitoring ecological change, however, their use in environmental assessment requires to expand the insufficient knowledge on ecological environmental particularities of their assemblages. Therefore, we compared the rove beetle communities in eight habitats of floodplain forests from 2015 to 2016. Staphylinids were sampled by pitfall trapping. We compared the rove beetle taxocoenoses in the floodplain forests and their ecotones alongside three rivers (Danube, Tisa and Begej). We evaluated the impact of plant diversity and cover of vegetation layers, area, circumference and age of forest stands, distance to the forest edge, thickness of the litter layer, physical and chemical properties of soil and leaf litter (conductivity, pH, P, N, H, C) and anthropogenic impact on structure of rove beetle communities. We recorded significant interactions between total dynamic activity of rove beetles and number of plant species in shrub vegetation layer. Species richness was significantly positively correlated with number of plant species in shrub vegetation layer and soil pH, and negatively with relative H content of soil. We did not find any significant correlation between Shannon diversity, but evenness was negatively linked with species richness of plant communities in shrub layer.

Risk Odors Deriving from Predator Abdominal Gland Secretions Mediate Non-Consumptive Effects on Prey.

Prey can detect the presence of predators by predator-released cues and then flexibly alter their phenotypical traits to mitigate the risk, thus non-consumptive effects emerge. Non-consumptive effects have been widely studied in many ecosystems, however, the mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood, leaving questions as to the nature of the risk cues and how prey detect the predator. Here, we used a Y-tube olfactometer to examine whether small brown planthoppers, Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén), could detect the presence of rove beetles (Paederus fuscipes Curtis) via odor from rove beetle abdominal gland secretion. We further identified the chemicals of abdominal gland secretion by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Chemicals identified were exposed to a planthopper to test their effects on planthopper behavior. Female or male planthoppers could distinguish the predation risk odors of rove beetle or rove beetle abdominal gland secretion from odor without predation risks. Through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, sixteen of the most abundant chemicals were found in female and male abdominal gland secretion. Five of them (n-undecane, n-pentadecane, n-hexadecane, n-eicosane, and n-heneicosane) individually or collectively reduced the activity level of planthoppers. These findings enhance our understanding of the role of abdominal gland secretion in mediating non-consumptive predator effects, with significant implications for pest management, and the evolution of chemical signals.

Different extinction debts among plants and arthropods after loss of grassland amount and connectivity

A decrease in habitat amount and connectivity causes immediate or delayed species extinctions in transformed landscapes due to reduced functional connections among populations and altered environmental conditions. We assessed the effects of present and historical grassland amount and connectivity as well as local habitat factors typical of the present landscape on the current species richness of grassland specialist and generalist plants and arthropods in grassland fragments. We surveyed herbaceous plants, ants, orthopterans, true bugs and rove beetles in 60 dry grassland fragments in Hungary. We recorded the area of the focal grassland, the slope and the cover of woody vegetation. By using habitat maps of the present and historical landscape, we calculated grassland amount and connectivity for four time periods covering 158 years (1858–2016). We found evidence for an unpaid extinction debt in specialist plants, suggesting that they have not come to equilibrium with the grassland amount and connectivity of the present landscape yet. This localised and typically long-lived group responded slowly to the landscape changes. Specialist arthropod taxa with short generation times responded much faster to habitat loss than plants and did not show an extinction debt. Generalist plants and animals adapted to a wide range of habitats were affected by the landscape-scale decline of grassland habitats. Despite decreased habitat connectivity, grassland fragments with dry environmental conditions and high environmental heterogeneity can sustain specialist plants in transformed landscapes. Unpaid extinction debt should be considered an early warning signal: Restoration of grassland connectivity is necessary to halt ongoing extinction processes.

Фаунистический комплекс мицетофильных жесткокрылых (Insecta: Сoleoptera) ксилотрофного гриба Fomes fomentarius (Basidiomycetes) на территории Саратовской области

This article describes the characteristics of the beetle fauna – inhabitants of fruiting bodies and the mycelial layer of the true tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius L.: Fr. and are considers some important aspects of the ecology of mycetophilous beetles. Coleopteran population of fruiting bodies of the fungus in five districts of the Saratov region is 63%. Two species from the family Staphylinidae (Gyrophaena joyi Wendeler, 1924 and Scaphisoma boreale Lundblad, 1952) have been recorded on growing and / or spore bearing fruiting bodies. The complex of the main distructors is confined to dying fruiting bodies (20 species). The predominant group (61%) is Diaperis boleti (Linnaeus, 1758) (Tenebrionidae) and Erotylidae. At the trophic level, obligate mycetophages and mycetosaprophages prevail among coleopterans (95%). The most similar are the mycetophilous communities of the residential areas of Saratov and Engels (Kf = 0.7), extremely low similarity was noted for Saratov and Bazarno-Karabulak district (Kf = 0.1).

Coppicing and topsoil removal promote diversity of dung‐inhabiting beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Geotrupidae, Staphylinidae) in forests

AbstractCentral European forests experience a substantial loss of open‐forest organisms due to forest management and increasing nitrogen deposition. However, management strategies, removing different levels of nitrogen, have been rarely evaluated simultaneously. We tested the additive effects of coppicing and topsoil removal on communities of dung‐inhabiting beetles compared to closed forests. We sampled 57 021 beetles, using baited pitfall traps exposed on 27 plots. Experimental treatments resulted in significantly different communities by promoting open‐habitat species. While alpha diversity did not differ among treatments, gamma diversity of Geotrupidae and Scarabaeidae and beta diversity of Staphylinidae were higher in coppice than in forest. Functional diversity of rove beetles was higher in both, coppice and topsoil‐removed plots, compared to control plots. This was likely driven by higher habitat heterogeneity in established forest openings. Five dung beetle species and four rove beetle species benefitted from coppicing, one red‐listed dung beetle and two rove beetle species benefitted from topsoil removal. Our results demonstrate that dung‐inhabiting beetles related to open forest patches can be promoted by both, coppicing and additional topsoil removal. A mosaic of coppice and bare‐soil‐rich patches can hence promote landscape‐level gamma diversity of dung and rove beetles within forests.

Phylogenetic review of the tribal system of Aleocharinae, a mega‐lineage of terrestrial arthropods in need of reclassification

Recently published molecular and total evidence phylogenies of the mega-diverse rove beetle subfamily Aleocharinae defined a backbone for the greatly needed further detailed phylogenetic research and large-scale reclassification of this lineage. Given the enormous species diversity of Aleocharinae, wise taxon sampling is crucial for such research. To facilitate that and place future systematic investigations on a solid phylogenetic basis, here we provide a review of all 62 current tribes of Aleocharinae based on information from 191 references, where we summarize all outstanding phylogenetic questions ever considered about each tribe. For each tribe, we provide current diagnoses as they are understood now and, where possible, we stress emerging monophyletic clades within or across the current legacy tribes and provide their diagnostic features too.