Use Of Pitfall Research Articles

Two New Ant-Eating Spider in the Genus Mallinella Strand, 1906 (Araneae: Zodariidae) from Tingloy Island, Batangas, Philippinesa

Two new species from the genus Mallinella Strand, 1906 (Zodariidae) were collected from Barangay Sto. Tomas of the island municipality of Tingloy, Batangas, Philippines from January to June 2018 through the use of pitfall traps. Male and female genitalia of Mallinella tingloy n. sp. and Mallinella marikaban n. sp. were observed and documented in details including their specific posterior ventral spines (PVS), a shared character among Mallinella spiders. This faunistic exploration and inventory of Zodariidae revealed that Mallinella tingloy n. sp. and Mallinella marikaban n. sp. are the sixth and seventh Mallinella species collected and recorded in the Philippines, respectively, and the first recorded species of Mallinella in the province of Batangas and in the island municipality of Tingloy. The new taxa are hereby described and photographs are provided to facilitate species identification. Diagnosis of each species is summarized herewith: Mallinella marikaban n. sp. is a member of the hilaris-group and it runs close to M. acanthoclada Dankittipakul, Jocqué & Singtripop, 2012 found in Thailand, but the new species from the Philippines can be distinguished from the latter by its distinct thick and sclerotized embolus with bifurcated tip and a “mouthlike” epigynum with a pair of spherical widely spaced spermatheca. Mallinella tingloy n. sp., on the other hand, belongs to the annulipes-group and runs close to M. calilungae (Barrion & Litsinger, 1992) found in the Philippines, and can be distinguished from the latter with the presence of long and broad embolus with deep longitudinal groove and a sclerotized, lip-like epigynum with widely-spaced longitudinal spermatheca with globular tip.

Examining the bias of pitfall traps with enclosure experiments and removal sampling

Abstract Pitfall trapping is among the most widely used sampling methods for ground‐dwelling beetles. However, the sampled ground‐dwelling beetle abundance in pitfall traps may be biased, which can lead to difficulties when comparing the sampled abundance between different habitats. To better understand the comparability of the sampled abundance, we focused on two sampling processes: a temporary migration process (referring to the individual movements into and out of the effective trap area) and a removal process (determining the number of individuals collected given the number of individuals within the trap area). To examine the effects of the temporary migration process, we compared the sampled abundance of 10 ground‐dwelling beetle species inside and outside enclosures in 2 habitats (clear‐cut and forested sites) and found that installing the enclosure decreased the sampled abundance in both habitats, but the effects did not differ among habitats. To examine the effects of the removal process, we examined the effects of daily soil temperature on the daily sampled abundance (removal probability) of Pterostichus thunbergi using removal sampling within enclosures. We found that soil temperature increased the removal probability, but this effect was limited and not consistent across survey periods. The results suggest that the effects of the temporary migration process may not be habitat dependent and that the effects of the removal process may be small. Therefore, the traditional use of pitfall traps is, to some extent, a robust and comparable measure of the sampled abundance of ground‐dwelling beetles among different habitats.

Use of pitfall traps in the survey of edaphic fauna in the rural area of Traipu - AL

Resumo- Armadilhas do tipo pitfall são utilizadas no meio científico, por ser de extrema importância, pois facilita na coleta de pequenos insetos que circulam na superfície terrestre, os chamados animais edáficos, que normalmente não são tão fáceis de capturar. Com este trabalho, objetivou-se identificar insetos típicos da fauna edáfica na zona rural de Traipu-AL. Para a realização do trabalho foram dispostas quatro armadilhas do tipo pitfall, em um quadrante medindo 4m², com distância equivalente a 1m de uma armadilha para a outra. As coletas foram realizadas diariamente em um período de sete dias (13/04/2020 á 19/04/2020). O material coletado foi colocado em um recipiente com álcool 70% e levado ao Laboratório da Universidade Estadual de Alagoas-UNEAL para a identificação. Portanto, foram coletados 316 insetos, sendo destes, 121 na armadilha “A”, 50 na armadilha “B”, 55 na armadilha “C” e 90 na armadilha “D”. Em geral, observou-se a predominância de formigas, cujas, pertencem a família Formicidae, da ordem Hymenoptera. Levando-se em conta o tempo que as armadilhas pitfall foram observadas, é notório a sua aplicabilidade, tanto no contexto econômico, quanto para estudos científicos, sendo tudo isso possibilitado por ser uma armadilha prática e de fácil manuseio.

Use of pitfall traps in the survey of edaphic fauna in the rural area of Traipu - AL

Resumo- Armadilhas do tipo pitfall são utilizadas no meio científico, por ser de extrema importância, pois facilita na coleta de pequenos insetos que circulam na superfície terrestre, os chamados animais edáficos, que normalmente não são tão fáceis de capturar. Com este trabalho, objetivou-se identificar insetos típicos da fauna edáfica na zona rural de Traipu-AL. Para a realização do trabalho foram dispostas quatro armadilhas do tipo pitfall, em um quadrante medindo 4m², com distância equivalente a 1m de uma armadilha para a outra. As coletas foram realizadas diariamente em um período de sete dias (13/04/2020 á 19/04/2020). O material coletado foi colocado em um recipiente com álcool 70% e levado ao Laboratório da Universidade Estadual de Alagoas-UNEAL para a identificação. Portanto, foram coletados 316 insetos, sendo destes, 121 na armadilha “A”, 50 na armadilha “B”, 55 na armadilha “C” e 90 na armadilha “D”. Em geral, observou-se a predominância de formigas, cujas, pertencem a família Formicidae, da ordem Hymenoptera. Levando-se em conta o tempo que as armadilhas pitfall foram observadas, é notório a sua aplicabilidade, tanto no contexto econômico, quanto para estudos científicos, sendo tudo isso possibilitado por ser uma armadilha prática e de fácil manuseio.

Scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) at elevated altitudes of an area of conservation in the Caatinga

This study aims to report the diversity of scorpions at elevated altitudes in the Parque Estadual das Sete Passagens (PESP), in an area of conservation located in the Chapada Diamantina within the Caatinga domain in north-eastern Brazil. Data collection occurred in December 2016 and December 2017, through the use of pitfall traps and nocturnal manual collection with the help of ultraviolet torches. 86 individuals were collected, pertaining to nine species, grouped into two families. The Bothriuridae represented 71% of samples, with Bothriurus sp. 1 occurring at all sample altitudes. Whereas, the Buthidae represente 29% of samples, with Ananteris sp, the most represented species, occurring at altitudes of 1,000m and 1,076m and Tityus stigmurus inhabiting areas with extensive human presence. The ample diversity found in the PESP, reveals that this location can be considered representative of the scorpiofauna of Bahia and of the Caatinga, especially due to the lack of data available on scorpions in semi-arid environments.

Distribution and community structure of araneocoenoses (Araneae) along an altitudinal gradient on Kozuf Mountain (North Macedonia)

The aim of this paper is to perform a biocoenological analysis of spiders and to follow their distribution along an altitudinal gradient on Kozuf Mountain. The research area extends from the foothill to the highest parts of the mountain (89–2080 m a.s.l.), covering 17 localities, characterized by a broad spectrum of habitats. The material was collected monthly, in the period of June–November 2016, with the use of pitfall traps. A bimodal increase in species richness was recorded as a consequence of more favourable conditions at an intermediate altitude in mountain ecosystems. The lowest abundance (0.77 ind. trap−1) was noted in the arid locality at the lowest altitude (89 m a.s.l.), while the highest values were registered in open habitats above 1500 m a.s.l. This is a result of the higher abundance of epigeic invertebrates in open areas in comparison to forests. The araneofauna can be divided into six araneocoenoses: an araneocoenosis inhabiting arid localities, a mygalomorph/Mediterranean araneocoenosis, a montane beech forest araneocoenosis, an araneocoenosis inhabiting damp localities, an araneocoenosis inhabiting open high-altitude localities and an araneocoenosis inhabiting high altitude forest habitats. A low degree of similarity between the araneocoenoses was detected due to the heterogeneity of habitats and altitudes. Both altitude and habitat type had strong effects on community structure and distribution with the latter having a stronger impact.

Necrophilous Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Diverse Habitats in Taiwan

Ants are a highly diverse group that not only are often strongly associated with certain habitat types, but also can be found on carcasses and, therefore, in crime scenes. In the present study, a survey of the necrophilous ants in Taiwan was conducted and a preliminary species checklist was provided for the first time. The aim of this study was primarily to offer information on Taiwanese ant species of forensic significance. A total of 50 ant species/morphospecies from 26 genera were collected from large scale regions in Taiwan using combination pig liver bait and pitfall traps, bringing the Taiwanese necrophilous ants up to 55 species from 33 genera within the known Taiwanese ant fauna of 288 species from 71 genera. Seventeen species found in this study are tramp or potentially exotic species, which often dominated the baits. Use of pitfall traps increased the diversity of ants collected relative to hand-collecting from the carcass, adding useful data. These necrophilous ants may play important roles in carcass decomposition and can be useful in reconstructing crime scenes, as certain ants are more common in certain habitat types. This checklist and accompanying habitat information of these ants is likely the first such comprehensive data in Taiwan applying ants to the field of forensic entomology.

Simple Is Best: Pine Twigs Are Better Than Artificial Lures for Trapping of Pine Weevils in Pitfall Traps

The large pine weevil Hylobius abietis (Linnaeus 1758) is the main pest of coniferous seedlings in Europe and causes substantial damage in areas that have been clear-cut or otherwise disturbed. We compared the efficacy of different attractants for the capture of H. abietis adults in white pitfall traps. The field experiment was performed from mid-April to the end of August 2018 at six plots in Central Europe located in spruce stands that had been clear-cut. At each plot, we compared five attractants: one pine twig with ethanol, Hylodor, alpha-pinene + ethanol, turpentine oil and ethanol (separated), and turpentine oil + ethanol (not separated). Traps without attractant served as a control. Six traps for each attractant or control were distributed at each plot. Of the total number of H. abietis adults trapped, 43.3%, 20.5%, 17.9%, 9.8%, 8.5% and 0.5% were captured in traps with pine twigs with ethanol, alpha-pinene, Hylodor, turpentine, oil + ethanol (separated), turpentine oil + ethanol (combined), and no attractant, respectively. The bottom of each trap contained propylene glycol to kill and preserve beetles. The small number of beetles captured in the control traps confirms that the propylene glycol:water mixture did not influence the trapping of H. abietis. The use of pitfall traps with a suitable attractant (especially pine twigs and ethanol) should be useful for monitoring of H. abietis, because it is simple and cost-effective. The use of such pitfall traps to control H. abietis by mass trapping would require 50 to 100 traps per ha.

Small mammals of the Estação Ecológica de Bananal, southeastern Atlantic Forest, Brazil, with description of a new species of Brucepattersonius (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae)

The Atlantic Forest harbors an impressive diversity of nonvolant small mammals. Despite having been the target of many ecological and taxonomical studies in the last decades, this group is still poorly known in several aspects – basic information on intrapopulational morphologic variation and proper diagnoses are lacking for many species, even for common taxa. This is related to the fact that large series of specimens from a single locality are extremely rare in scientific collections. A consistent sampling effort was conducted at Estação Ecológica de Bananal, northeastern São Paulo State, throughout seven field expeditions between 2003 and 2011, under the coordination of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, resulting in extensive series of nonvolant small mammals. We studied in detail the external and cranio-dental morphology of this sample (575 specimens), that we assigned to 31 known species besides one new species to science. Most species belong to order Rodentia (26 species) from the families Cricetidae (22 species) and Echimyidae (four species); the remaining (six species) are marsupials from the order Didelphimorphia, family Didelphidae. This is one of the most diverse assemblages ever recorded in this biome, and includes some of the rarest endemic rodents of the Atlantic Forest, such as Abrawayaomys ruschii, Blarinomys breviceps, Drymoreomys albimaculatus, Phaenomys ferrugineus, Phyllomys kerri and Rhagomys rufescens. This outstanding richness can be explained by the extensive sampling effort performed for a long period of time. Also, the capture success of the third expedition (8.25%) is among the highest rates obtained in the Atlantic Forest and the extensive use of pitfall traps was fundamental for trapping this high number of species. Herein, we provide an annotated list of nonvolant small mammals occurring at Estação Ecológica de Bananal, with comprehensive analyses of morphological variation and detailed diagnoses that will allow their proper identification, and will provide a sound basis for a better comprehension of the geographic variation of these taxa across the biome. We also present a formal description for a new species of Brucepattersonius from the mountain ranges along the Paraíba do Sul valley. For five species of sigmodontine rodents, we investigate the levels of ontogenetic and sexual variation, and while the first is accentuate in all analyzed species the second does not contribute significantly to intrapopulation variation.

New Litter Trap Devices Outperform Pitfall Traps for Studying Arthropod Activity.

Soil fauna play a key role in nutrient cycling and decomposition, and in recent years, researchers have become more and more interested in this compartment of terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, soil fauna can act as ecosystem engineers by creating, modifying, and maintaining the habitat for other organisms. Ecologists usually utilize live catches in pitfalls traps as a standard method to study the activity of epigeic fauna in addition to relative abundance. Counts in pitfall traps can be used as estimates of relative activity to compare among experimental treatments. This requires taking independent estimates of abundance (e.g., by sifting soil litter, mark–recapture), which can then be used as covariates in linear models to compare the levels of fauna activity (trap catches) among treatments. However, many studies show that the use of pitfall traps is not the most adequate method to estimate soil fauna relative abundances, and these concerns may be extensible to estimating activity. Here, we present two new types of traps devised to study activity in litter fauna, and which we call “cul-de-sac” and “basket traps”, respectively. We experimentally show that, at least for litter dwellers, these new traps are more appropriate to estimate fauna activity than pitfall traps because: (1) pitfall traps contain 3.5× more moisture than the surrounding environment, potentially attracting animals towards them when environmental conditions are relatively dry; (2) cul-de-sac and basket traps catch ca. 4× more of both meso- and macrofauna than pitfall traps, suggesting that pitfall traps are underestimating activity; and (3) pitfall traps show a bias towards collecting 1.5× higher amounts of predators, which suggests that predation rates are higher within pitfall traps. We end with a protocol and recommendations for how to use these new traps in ecological experiments and surveys aiming at estimating soil arthropod activity.

Use of pitfall traps for sampling marine benthic arthropods on soft substrate

AbstractEcological monitoring is a prerequisite for ecosystem-based management and conservation. There is a need for developing an efficient and non-destructive method for monitoring marine benthic arthropods on soft substrate, as the currently applied methods are often inadequate. Pitfall trapping has been used extensively to sample terrestrial arthropods, but has not been seriously considered yet in the marine environment. In this study, the effectiveness of pitfall traps for monitoring marine benthic arthropods was assessed through a case study in the shallow sublittoral zone of Kalloni Gulf, Lesvos Island, Greece. Two different trap types were installed in August 2016 at five depths, during two 12 h periods (day and night). Pitfall traps performed well, collecting a large number of individuals. The hermit crabDiogenes pugilatordominated the catches. The catch of this species significantly differed by trap type, while the interaction between depth and period was also found significant. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficiency of different types of pitfall traps and field protocols in the marine environment.

Effect of intercropping narrow-leafed lupin with spring triticale on the abundance and diversity of rove beetles

Description of the subject. Intercropping is a kind of polyculture, growing two or more crops together. This practice should improve pest management mainly by increasing predator diversity. It was hypothesized that the intercropping of narrow-leafed lupin with spring triticale would increase the number and diversity of rove beetles compared to monocultures of the aforementioned crops. Objectives. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of intercropping of narrow-leafed lupin with spring triticale on rove beetle abundance and diversity. Method. Over a three-year period, rove beetles were trapped with the use of pitfall traps, and adults were identified to species. The experiment was carried out on a narrow-leafed lupin and spring triticale crop sown as monocultures, and on two mixtures with different proportions of lupin seeds. Results. In total, in all treatments 100 rove beetle species were found, classified into three trophic groups. The most numerous forms were predatory zoophages, which were followed by parasites and saprophages. Staphylinidae abundance and ecological significance decreased with increasing degree of habitat diversity in comparison to crops grown in the pure stand. The same response to intercropping was observed in the case of zoophages. Conclusions. Contrary to what was hypothesized, the abundance and diversity of rove beetle decreased when narrow-leafed lupin and spring triticale were grown together compared to their monoculture. Presumably, the higher abundance of rove beetle in lupin and spring triticale grown in the pure stand is mostly the result of better food supply in monocultures during the whole season.

Eficiencia en el uso de trampas de caída y suficiencia taxonómica en comunidades de arañas (Araneae) epigeas en tres ecorregiones del Noroeste Argentino

The increased degradation of natural habitats has strengthened the need to know and assess biodiversity patterns. Particularly, the study of the araneofauna in the North of Argentina is scarce in ecoregions with priority interests of conservation. Generally, spiders are used as indicators to compare biodiversity patterns, and here we tested whether the spider family-level can act as a substitute of the species-level in biodiversity rapid assessments. For this, we analyzed the alpha and beta diversity of the epigeal spider communities in three separate sites of different ecoregions of Salta province (Chaco Serrano, Monte de Sierras and Bolsones, and Puna), during the fall, winter, spring and summer of 2005 -2007. In each site, 10 pitfall traps, located along a linear transect and 10 meters apart, were placed for seven days per season of continuous activity. Samples were obtained, taken to the laboratory and identified. A total of 886 spiders were collected from 100 species/morphospecies of 19 families. The completeness of the inventory obtained for each ecoregion surpassed 70 %. The Chaco ecoregion (S = 56, N = 495) reported the highest species richness and abundance compared to Monte (S = 44, N = 262) and Puna (S = 23, N = 129). Alpha and beta diversity showed that ecoregional spider communities were different, sharing between them very few species (0.7 %). The Chaco reported a high dissimilarity of its assemblage with respect to the other ecoregions. The colder seasons (autumn and winter) proved to be important in assessing the diversity of spiders in these ecoregions, contributing to regional diversity in conjunction with the diversity of warm seasons (spring and summer). Four guilds were reported (ground hunters, specialists, other hunters and ambush hunters), but the latter was absent in Monte, and the specialists dominated in Chaco. Zodariidae was dominant in Chaco Serrano, where Leprolochus birabeni is an indicator of native environments. On the other hand, Lycosidae, Philodromidae, Anyphaenidae and Oonopidae were important for Monte and Puna. This way, the use of pitfall traps in all seasons of the year, and the recognition of spider families for epigeal fauna, was very useful for biodiversity rapid assessments in this area. Like the species-level, the taxonomic family-level evidenced changes in alpha and beta diversity. This allowed the inclusion of this taxonomic group for future biodiversity monitoring studies for conservation plans in these ecoregions.

Changes in the size structure of carabid communities in forest ecosystems under technogenic transformation

The body size structure of carabid communities has been analyzed based on the 2009 and 2013 collections (with the use of pitfall traps) performed at 10 sites of a spruce–fir forest along the gradient of pollution with emissions from the Middle Ural Copper Smelter. A reduction in the unweighted mean body size of carabid individuals has been shown, as well as the heterogeneity of body sizes in the community (Gini coefficient) of the extremely polluted territory. It has been revealed that the weighted mean body size of individuals and the Lorentz asymmetry coefficient are not dependent on the level of pollution. Differences between the communities of carabids in the background and polluted territories are associated with the smaller number of large-sized species, while the similarity is explained by the dominance of medium- and small-sized species at all sites. The high interannual variability has been observed in the ratio of size groups of the analyzed communities at the background and moderate levels of pollution.

Estrutura e organização de assembleias de Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) em diferentes fitofisionomias no sul do Brasil

RESUMO Padrões de riqueza de espécies, abundância, diversidade, equitabilidade e dominância, além da organização em guildas tróficas e comportamentais da fauna de Scarabaeinae foram analisados em três diferentes fitofisionomias (floresta, campo natural e lavoura) na região noroeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, entre setembro e novembro de 2012, através da utilização de armadilhas de queda iscadas com distintos recursos (fezes, carne em decomposição e banana fermentada). Foram capturados 9.325 espécimes, distribuídos em nove gêneros e 32 espécies. As espécies mais abundantes foram Onthophagus aff.tristis Harold, 1873, Canthidium aff.trinodosum (Boheman, 1858), Canthon aff.fallax Harold, 1868, Canthon lividusBlanchard, 1845 e Deltochilum morbillosum Burmeister, 1848 que representaram 65,54% do total de indivíduos amostrados. A floresta apresentou os valores mais elevados de número de indivíduos e de espécies. A menor riqueza foi observada no campo, enquanto a lavoura apresentou a menor abundância de indivíduos. Scarabaeinae apresentou diferenças quali- e quantitativas em suas assembleias pelas fitofisionomias amostradas. A floresta abrigou a maior riqueza observada de espécies e uma fração destas é exclusiva deste ambiente, e dificilmente ocorre em outros tipos de ecossistemas. A floresta apresentou uma proporção maior de espécies generalistas ou copro-necrófagas em sua composição. Outra parte desta fauna, representada por espécies coprófagas, está adaptada ao ambiente aberto indicando uma modificação na guilda alimentar causada pela substituição da floresta por pastagem. Dessa forma, em um contexto mais amplo a paisagem pode desempenhar um papel importante na diversidade de Scarabaeinae.

Determinants of capture-recapture success: an evaluation of trapping methods to estimate population and community parameters for Atlantic forest small mammals

Efficiently obtaining high-quality data on animal populations and communities is paramount for ecological and conservation studies. In many instances these data come from live-trapping, the success of which depends on various factors, such as the interaction between the trap's mechanisms and the morphological or ecological characteristics of the animals, and weather conditions that can affect both trap efficiency and animal behavior. Integrative approaches that address the simultaneous effects of these factors on capture-recapture success are rare. Here we contribute to close this knowledge gap by focusing on a large capture-recapture dataset from three 2-ha grids monitored for approximately two years (totaling 55.000 traps-night) in the Morro Grande Forest Reserve, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The dataset contains data on 3608 captures of 1273 individuals from 24 species of Atlantic forest small mammals. We evaluated if mortality rates and the capture-recapture success of small mammals varied between two types of trap (Sherman and pitfall), and if the capture success of each type varied with age and sex of individuals, and with weather conditions. Our findings highlight that trap efficiency depends not only on the quantities considered (species, individuals or recaptures), but also on animal characteristics and weather conditions. Large pitfall traps should be used whenever the focus is on biodiversity and community parameters, since they captured more individuals and species. Studies focusing on demographic parameters require the combined use of pitfall and Sherman traps. While pitfall traps captured a larger number of individuals and a higher proportion of juveniles, Sherman traps provided higher recapture rates for most species.

Efficiency of snake sampling methods in the Brazilian semiarid region

The choice of sampling methods is a crucial step in every field survey in herpetology. In countries where time and financial support are limited, the choice of the methods is critical. The methods used to sample snakes often lack objective criteria, and the traditional methods have apparently been more important when making the choice. Consequently researches using not-standardized methods are frequently found in the literature. We have compared four commonly used methods for sampling snake assemblages in a semiarid area in Brazil. We compared the efficacy of each method based on the cost-benefit regarding the number of individuals and species captured, time, and financial investment. We found that pitfall traps were the less effective method in all aspects that were evaluated and it was not complementary to the other methods in terms of abundance of species and assemblage structure. We conclude that methods can only be considered complementary if they are standardized to the objectives of the study. The use of pitfall traps in short-term surveys of the snake fauna in areas with shrubby vegetation and stony soil is not recommended.

Diversity and seasonality of Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in forest fragments in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Scarabaeinae specimens were collected with the use of pitfall traps baited with human excrement, rotten meat and rotting banana, between May 2009 and April 2010, in three forest fragments in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: 'Morro do Elefante' (MOEL), 'Morro do Cerrito' (MOCE) and 'Campus da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria' (UFSM). A total of 19,699 individuals belonging to 33 species were collected. Canthidium aff. trinodosum Boheman, 1858, Canthon latipes Blanchard, 1845, Dichotomius assifer (Eschscholtz 1822), Eurysternus caribaeus (Herbst 1789), Canthidium sp. and Canthon lividus Blanchard, 1845, were the most abundant species. MOEL showed the greatest richness, MOCE the greatest abundance, while UFSM showed the lowest values of richness and abundance. The greatest similarity (qualitative and quantitative) was found between MOEL and MOCE, while the lowest occurred between MOCE and UFSM. Only 51% of the species were common to all three fragments. The richness and abundance of Scarabaeinae were positively correlated with the air temperature. The richness of the fragment decreased according to the smaller size and the greater degree of disturbance of vegetation structure.

Diversity and seasonality of Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in forest fragments in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Scarabaeinae specimens were collected with the use of pitfall traps baited with human excrement, rotten meat and rotting banana, between May 2009 and April 2010, in three forest fragments in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: ‘Morro do Elefante’ (MOEL), ‘Morro do Cerrito’ (MOCE) and ‘Campus da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria’ (UFSM). A total of 19,699 individuals belonging to 33 species were collected. Canthidium aff.trinodosum Boheman, 1858, Canthon latipesBlanchard, 1845, Dichotomius assifer (Eschscholtz 1822),Eurysternus caribaeus (Herbst 1789),Canthidium sp. and Canthon lividusBlanchard, 1845, were the most abundant species. MOEL showed the greatest richness, MOCE the greatest abundance, while UFSM showed the lowest values of richness and abundance. The greatest similarity (qualitative and quantitative) was found between MOEL and MOCE, while the lowest occurred between MOCE and UFSM. Only 51% of the species were common to all three fragments. The richness and abundance of Scarabaeinae were positively correlated with the air temperature. The richness of the fragment decreased according to the smaller size and the greater degree of disturbance of vegetation structure.

An evaluation of methods for sampling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in British Columbia, Canada

AbstractAnts (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are ubiquitous and of considerable ecological interest, yet poorly studied in Canada. Given their natural history attributes and relatively low density and diversity in cool boreal forests, there is a need to evaluate the applicability of commonly used approaches to sampling and analysis. We examined the relative utility of two pitfall trap designs, mini-Winkler litter extractions, and colony versus forager sampling for ecological studies. First, we found that Laurent (conventional) and Nordlander (modified to exclude larger nontarget organisms) pitfall traps were equally efficacious for estimating total species richness. Second, pitfall trapping yielded marginally higher total species richness than mini-Winkler litter sampling, by the incidence-based estimator (Chao2). Third, two studies considering the relationship between captures of individual ants in pitfall traps and identified ant colonies argued for caution in how pitfall captures are interpreted. In the first study, Nordlander traps placed in a grid surrounding nests ofFormica obscuripesForel revealed unique and highly patchy captures of individuals, with no patterns relating to proximity to the nest. In the second study, abundance estimates to compare ant assemblage structure in a simple grassland ecosystem by pitfall trapping (relative) and area-based hand sampling (absolute) for colonies, revealed that relative sampling does not reflect the absolute ant assemblage structure. Our results support, equivocally, the use of pitfall traps (Nordlander) over mini-Winklers in the cool moist forests of west-central British Columbia, but individual specimen counts should not be used when analysing the data.