Abstract

GARCIA-ATENCIA, Sandy; MARTINEZ-HERNANDEZ, Neis  and  PARDO-LOCARNO, Luis Carlos. Phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a fragment of tropical dry forest, Atlántico Department, Colombia. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2015, vol.86, n.3, pp.754-763. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmb.2015.07.009.

Dry forests areas in the Caribbean region of Colombia have been deeply impacted lagging far precious few remnants and traces of its original dynamics, so the objective of this research is to study the structure and seasonality variation of phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in the Reserva Campesina La Montaña. Nine samples were obtained from January to September 2011. Four points distanced approximately 150 m were marked. In each one, a light trap was settled, for a total of 4 (2 white and 2 violet) operating since 18:00 until 24:00 h. 3,007 individuals and 18 species clustered in 3 subfamilies were collected: Rutelinae (7 species), Melolonthinae (6 species) and Dynastinae (5 species). Melolonthidae were the most abundant and Liogenys quadridens its most abundant specie (1,667 individuals), characterized by an important pest of semestral crops, and wide distribution in the Colombian Caribbean. The highest richness (16) was obtained in May, while April presented higher abundance (1,421), which coincides with the beginning of the rainy season, showing a marked seasonality showed by the analysis of similarity Anosim (R = 0.277, p < 0.003).

Keywords : Scarabaeidae; Richness; Abundance; Seasonality; Dry Caribbean.

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