Biodiversity of Cetoniinae beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in introduced and native habitats in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract

The ecology of the beetles of the subfamily Cetoniinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is relatively poorly known worldwide. In the neotropics in particular, there are far less studies than in other biogeographic regions. In part due to this lack of knowledge, cetoniines are not considered indicators of habitat quality in the Neotropical region. In this study, we compare the abundance, diversity, and species composition of cetoniines in three different habitats in Brazil: two exotic (Brachiaria pasturelands and eucalyptus plantation) and one native (Brazilian Atlantic Forest). We also provide diagnostic images of both sexes and of the genitalia of males of all species to facilitate species identification in further studies. The beetles were collected weekly from September to December 2012 with traps baited with fermented fruit, in five eucalyptus plantations (Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden), five exotic pasturelands (Brachiaria spp.), and five patches of Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The abundance and diversity of cetoniines was found to be lower in the eucalyptus plantations and about the same in the forest and pasturelands. The low diversity found and the little information available on the ecology of Neotropical Cetoniinae is insufficient to propose these beetles as candidates for the habitat evaluation in Brazil.