Marco Dellacasa

Cumulative annual dung beetle diversity in Mediterranean seasonal environments

Species diversity assessments should consider the dynamic nature of ecological communities, especially in highly seasonal ecosystems. Here we provide a comprehensive framework for analysing seasonal changes in species composition, richness and diversity in two local dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Aphodiidae, Geotrupidae, and Scarabaeidae) communities from Western Tuscany (Italy), in the Mediterranean ecoregion. We test whether, in this highly seasonal region, cumulative annual diversity is an oversimplification of well differentiated seasonal communities. Data were obtained through repeated standardised samples collected regularly over an entire year. We clearly identify different summer and winter communities at each site based on species composition and abundance. Seasonal richness and diversity values are different from the cumulative annual values, as a consequence of beta diversity between seasons, and some dung beetle species are identified as idiosyncratic of each particular season. Both ecological (niche partitioning) and biogeographical factors are suggested as drivers of these temporal variations. Thus, because local inventories of fauna that include records over long time periods actually reflect situations where coexistence and interactions are unlikely to occur, highly seasonal sites must be viewed as having temporally differentiated communities in order to reach feasible and reliable baselines for local diversity assessments.

Pseudogonaphodiellus zdzislawae, new genus and new species of Mexican Aphodiini (Scarabaeoidea: Aphodiidae)

Pseudogonaphodiellus zdzislawae, new genus and new species of Mexican Aphodiini, is described and figured.

A new species of Cephalocyclus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) from Mexico

Cephalocyclus moroni new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) from humid forest in the mountains of Manantlán, Jalisco, Mexico is described and illustrated. It is similar to Cephalocyclus ordonezi Dellacasa, Dellacasa, & Gordon, 2007 and Cephalocyclus stebnickae Deloya & Ibañez-Bernal, 2000, both from Mexico.

Auperia Jacquelin-Duval is a Junior Synonym of Euparia Le Peletier De Saint-Fargeau and Serville and Odontolytes Kozhantshikov is the Valid Name for Auperia sensu Stebnicka (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae)

ABSTRACT Since Auperia Jacquelin-Duval, 1857 was established as an unnecessary replacement name for Euparia Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau and Serville, 1828, both names are objective synonyms with Euparia being valid. The type species of both genera is Euparia castanea Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau and Serville, 1828. Dellacasas later fixation of Scarabaeus stercorator F., 1775 as type species for Auperia is invalid. Stebnickas later fixation of Auperia denominata Chevrolat, 1864 as type species for “Auperia Chevrolat” is invalid because Chevrolat did not introduce a new name but just referred to Jacquelin-Duvals Auperia. Since Stebnicka synonymized the type species of Odontolytes Kozhantshikov, 1916, O. andamanensis Kozhantshikov, with a species of Phalangochaeta Martínez, 1952, Odontolytes becomes the valid name for Auperia sensu Stebnicka. Consequently, 18 species are transferred from Auperia sensu Stebnicka to Odontolytes which now contains 19 species.