Peruvian biodiversity is pivotal for conserving and managing natural resources, food security, poverty reduction, health, biosecurity, new industrial product development, and ecotourism (Smith et al., 2011). Geotrupidae Diversity in Peru: 1 subfamily, 4 genera, and 11 species. Recognition: The body shape is oval or round, and the head is not deflexed. The antennae are 11-segmented with a 3-segmented, opposable club with all antennomeres tomentose. The eyes are completely or partially divided by a canthus. The clypeus is often with a tubercle or horn. The labrum is truncate, prominent, and produced beyond the apex of the clypeus. The mandibles are prominent and produced beyond the apex of the labrum. The pronotum is convex with a base wider than or subequal to the elytral base and with or without tubercles, ridges, horns, or sulci. The elytra are convex, with or without striae. The pygidium is concealed by the elytra (Jameson, 2002a). Habitat: Life histories of the geotrupids are diverse, and food habits vary from saprophagous to coprophagous and mycetophagous. Adults of most species are secretive, living most of their life in burrows. Although adults do not tend larvae, adults provision food for larvae in brood burrows. Adults dig vertical burrows (15-200 cm in depth) and provision larval cells with dead leaves, cow dung, horse dung, or humus. Burrows of some species extend to a depth of 3.0 m (Jameson, 2002a). Notes: The family Geotrupidae includes 68 genera and about 620 species (Scholtz and Browne, 1996). The subfamily Geotrupinae does not occur in South America.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. Ecological Society of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Ecology.Abstract. Experimental work has established that vertebrates can have a large impact on the abundance of arthropods in temperate forest and grasslands, as well as on tropical islands. The importance of vertebrate insectivory has only rarely been evaluated for mainland tropical ecosystems. In this study, we used exclosures to measure the impact of birds on arthropods in Guatemalan coffee plantations. Variation in shade management on coffee farms provides a gradient of similar habitats that vary in the complexity of vegetative structure and floristics. We hypothesized that shaded coffee plantations, which support a higher abundance of insectivorous birds, would experience relatively greater levels of predation than would the sun coffee farms. We found a reduction (64-80%) in the number of large (> 5 mm in length) but not small arthropods in both coffee types which was consistent across most taxonomic groups and ecological guilds. We also found a small but significant increase in the frequency of herbivore damage on leaves in the exclosures. This level of predation suggests that birds may help in reducing herbivore numbers and is also consistent with food limitation for birds in coffee agroecosystems. However, the presence of shade did not have an effect on levels of insectivory.

Experimental work has established that vertebrates can have a large impact on the abundance of arthropods in temperate forest and grasslands, as well as on tropical islands. The importance of vertebrate insectivory has only rarely been evaluated for mainland tropical ecosystems. In this study, we used exclosures to measure the impact of birds on arthropods in Guatemalan coffee plantations. Variation in shade management on coffee farms provides a gradient of similar habitats that vary in the complexity of vegetative structure and floristics. We hypothesized that shaded coffee plantations, which support a higher abundance of insectivorous birds, would experience relatively greater levels of predation than would the sun coffee farms. We found a reduction (64–80%) in the number of large (> 5 mm in length) but not small arthropods in both coffee types which was consistent across most taxonomic groups and ecological guilds. We also found a small but significant increase in the frequency of herbivore damage on leaves in the exclosures. This level of predation suggests that birds may help in reducing herbivore numbers and is also consistent with food limitation for birds in coffee agroecosystems. However, the presence of shade did not have an effect on levels of insectivory.

We linked primary dispersal by spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) and howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) to post-dispersal seed fate by studying the effects of dung type and defecation pattern on secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles. First, we described the defecation patterns for both primate species. Howler monkeys generally defecated in groups (88% of observed defecations), with each individual producing on average 31 g of dung, resulting in a large area of the forest floor (31 m 2 ) covered by large amounts of dung (clumped spatial pattern). Spider monkeys generally (96% of observed defecations) defecated individually, each individual producing an average of 11 g of dung, resulting in a small area of the forest floor (2 m 2 ) covered by small amounts of dung (scattered spatial pattern). Secondly, we captured dung beetles using as bait the dung of both primate species, to detect differences in the assemblages of these secondary seed dispersers attracted to the dung of both primates. More individual dung beetles, but not more species, were attracted to howler monkey dung than to spider monkey dung. Finally, we assessed experimentally (using plastic beads as seed mimics) how dung type (Ateles vs. Alouatta) and defecation pattern (scattered vs. clumped) affect secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles. We found that post-dispersal seed fate was affected by dung type, with more seeds being buried when present in howler monkey dung, than in spider monkey dung, but was not affected by defecation pattern. It is important to consider post-dispersal processes, such as secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles, when comparing species of primary dispersers. RESUMENAsociamos la dispersión primaria de semillas por monos araña (Atetes geoffroyi) y monos aulladores (Alouatta pigra), con el destino post-dispersión de las semillas, estudiando los efectos del tipo de heces y el patrón de defecación sobre la dispersión secundaria por escarabajos coprófagos. Primero describimos los patrones de defecación de ambas especies de primates. Los monos aulladores generalmente defecaron en grupo (88% de las defecaciones observadas), produciendo en promedio 31g de heces por individuos, resultando así en unárea grande del suelo del bosque (31 m 2 ) cubierta con grandes cantidades de heces (patrón espacial agregado). Los monos araña generalmente (96% de las defecaciones observadas) defecan individualmente, produciendo en promedio 11 g de heces por individuo, resultando en unárea pequeña del suelo del bosque (2 m 2 ) cubierta por heces (patrón espacial disperso). Luego, capturamos escarabajos coprófagos utilizando como carnada heces de ambas especies de primates, para determinar las diferencias en los ensambles de estos dispersores secundarios atraídos a las heces de ambos primates. Más individuos, pero no más especies, de escarabajos coprófagos fueron capturados con heces de mono aullador, que con heces de mono araña. Finalmente, determinamos experimentalmente (usando cuentas de plástico a manera de semillas) cómo el tipo de heces (Ateles vs. ...

Biological diversity conservation within natural reserves has been prioritized, but conservation efforts outside protected areas (where most human activities take place) have been very little considered. In this scenario, an alternative agricultural practice that may reduce the impacts of fragmentation in outer landscapes is a perforation process, which involves conservation in agricultural fields surrounded by continuous forests. Such practices enhance the positive impact of ecological services on fields. In this study we analyzed the biological diversity state in perforation fields and their surrounding forests. The analysis was done using dung beetles as biological indicators. A nested pattern in dung beetles distribution was found, which ordered the surrounding continuous forest sites as the ones with the highest species richness, followed by the perforation fields, and placed the fragmentation practice fields (continuous agricultural fields surrounding forest patches) with the lowest one. Indicator species for perforation fields and surrounding continuous forests were chosen. In general, perforation practice fields differed in composition, based upon functional groups richness and identity; it also contained a higher species richness than the fragmentation practice. Agricultural practices that enhance biological diversity conservation such as perforation, should be recommended and considered in natural resource management by local communities in order to take advantage of ecological services that otherwise may be gradually lost.

Two new species of Copris Geoffroy from Guatemala and Honduras are described and illustrated: Copris caliginosus sp. nov. and Copris nubilosus sp. nov. Both species are related to C. sallei Harold, which is redescribed and illustrated for the first time. A key for the remotus complex is also included. New distributional records of Copris are provided for five species and subspecies from Guatemala and El Salvador.

Scarabaeoidea is one of the biogeographically best known groups of organisms for Nuclear Central America, especially Guatemala. They have been used to determine areas of endemism for cloud forests of the region and to analyze relationships among these endemic areas. A major north-south division of these areas is described. Lowland scenarios are also given. This information was used for justifying the establishment of biological reserves in the area and is a tool available for prioritization of reserve establishment that could be adapted to other parts of the world as well. Resumen Scarabaeoidea es uno de los grupos mejor conocidos biogeograficamente en Centroamerica Nuclear, especialmente Guatemala. Han sido usados para establecer areas de endemismo en bosques nubosos de la region y para analizar relaciones entre esas areas. Una division mayor norte-sur de estas areas endemicas esta descrita. Escenarios de tierra de baja elevaci6n tambien se presentan. Esta informacion fue usada para justificar el establecimiento de reservas biologicas en el area y como una valiosa herramienta para priorizar el establecimiento de reservas, lo cual podria ser adaptado tambien a otras partes del mundo.

A phylogenetic morphological analysis of the genus Ogyges Kaup, distributed in Nuclear Central America, from Chiapas, Mexico, to northwestern Nicaragua was undertaken. Five species of Proculejus Kaup, distributed north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico, were selected as outgroup. Ogyges was recovered as monophyletic with three species groups: championi, laevissimus, and crassulus. Each species group shows a distinct, generally allopatric distribution. The O. championi species group, with ten species, is distributed in the Maya block, more specifically in the mountainous system north of the Motozintla-Comaltitlán fault in Chiapas, and north of the dry valleys of the Cuilco and Motagua rivers in Guatemala. The two remaining species groups are distributed in the Chortis block. The O. laevissimus species group, including seven species, ranges mostly along the Pacific Volcanic Chain from Guatemala to El Salvador, and from southeastern Honduras to the northwestern area of Nicaragua. The O. crassulus species group, with ten species, is distributed from northeastern Guatemala (Merendón) to northern Honduras. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico, the Motagua-Cuilco and Motozintla-Comaltitlán sutures zones in Chiapas and Guatemala, the lowland valleys of Colón and Comalí rivers between Nicaragua and Honduras (or, perhaps, the northern suture of the Siuna Terrane in Nicaragua), the Guayape fault system in Honduras, and the intricate dry valleys of Ulúa-Chamelecón-Olancho in Honduras, are hypothesized to have acted as barriers that affected the geographical distribution of Ogyges, as well as probably other montane organisms.