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Taxonomy, phylogeny and phylogeografy of selected groups of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae, Hydraenidae) of the Caribbean region
Deler-Hernández, Albert ; Fikáček, Martin (advisor) ; Ribera, Ignacio (referee) ; Archangelsky, Miguel (referee)
This thesis is focused in the representatives of beetle families Hydrophilidae and Hydraenidae of West Indies and adjacent regions. It consists of two parts, the phylogenetic part and the systematic part. The phylogenetic part focuses on the hydrophilid genera Phaenonotum and Crenitulus of Greater Antilles: beetles were sampled in all four main islands (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Jamaica) and analyzed using the combination of molecular and morphological data. The genus Phaenonotum contains four single-island endemics, of which those from Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola are wingless and form a clade that diversified ca. 46 million years ago (Ma) and likely colonized the Caribbean via the GAARlandia land bridge. In contrast, the Puerto Rican endemic and the two remaining non-endemic species colonized the Greater Antilles by over- water dispersal during the Oligocene-Miocene. The analysis of the genus Crenitulus revealed that Greater Antillean species belong to two separate clades: the Crenitulus yunque clade endemic for Cuba and Hispaniola, and the Crenitulus suturalis clade containing specimens from Greater Antilles and from northern America. A detailed revision of the Crenitulus yunque clade using morphology and molecular-based species delimitation recognized 11 species locally endemic for...
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Taxonomy, phylogeny and phylogeografy of selected groups of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae, Hydraenidae) of the Caribbean region
Deler-Hernández, Albert ; Fikáček, Martin (advisor) ; Ribera, Ignacio (referee) ; Archangelsky, Miguel (referee)
This thesis is focused in the representatives of beetle families Hydrophilidae and Hydraenidae of West Indies and adjacent regions. It consists of two parts, the phylogenetic part and the systematic part. The phylogenetic part focuses on the hydrophilid genera Phaenonotum and Crenitulus of Greater Antilles: beetles were sampled in all four main islands (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Jamaica) and analyzed using the combination of molecular and morphological data. The genus Phaenonotum contains four single-island endemics, of which those from Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola are wingless and form a clade that diversified ca. 46 million years ago (Ma) and likely colonized the Caribbean via the GAARlandia land bridge. In contrast, the Puerto Rican endemic and the two remaining non-endemic species colonized the Greater Antilles by over- water dispersal during the Oligocene-Miocene. The analysis of the genus Crenitulus revealed that Greater Antillean species belong to two separate clades: the Crenitulus yunque clade endemic for Cuba and Hispaniola, and the Crenitulus suturalis clade containing specimens from Greater Antilles and from northern America. A detailed revision of the Crenitulus yunque clade using morphology and molecular-based species delimitation recognized 11 species locally endemic for...
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Phylogeny and evolution of habitat preferences of the subfamilies Rygmodinae and Sphaeridiinae (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)
Sýkora, Vít ; Fikáček, Martin (advisor) ; Zrzavý, Jan (referee)
Subfamilies Rygmodinae and Sphaeridiinae together form approximately one third of the extant diversity within the family Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera: Polyphaga). Members of both these subfamilies inhabit wide spectrum of aquatic and terrestrial environments including specialized habitats such as phytotelmata, carrion or termite nests. So far, habitat shifts within these subfamilies have been only tested with a limited amount of taxa at the family level. Using a broader sampling and Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods, genus-level molecular phylogenetic analysis and divergence dating were performed. The dataset included 96 taxa, representing all major clades (genus groups) in both subfamilies, sequenced for two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes. A single shift from the aquatic to terrestrial environment in the Middle Jurassic was suggested, thus revealing both subfamilies and all tribes as ancestrally inhabiting decaying plant material and leaf litter. Secondary returns to aquatic habitats were suggested for two lineages of the Rygmodinae and several lineages belonging to tribes Coelostomatini and Megasternini. A single shift to flowers was revealed in the subfamily Rygmodinae. Similarly, single independent shifts to the inquiline lifestyle in tribes Omicrini and Megasternini were revealed. In...
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Examination of the diversity and digging activity of dung beetles in pasture
ANDĚL, Tomáš
The survey of the diversity of coprophagous beetles (Scarabaeidae, Geotrupidae, and Hydrophilidae families) and their soil activity took place at two sites in a cattle pasture in southern Bohemia (site A: 49°29'31.720"N, 14°23'44.310"E; site B: 49°29'23.257"N, 14°23'35.964"E; 575 m a. s. l.). Baited pitfall traps with fresh cow dung (1.5 l per trap) were used to capture the beetles. During the survey of the diversity of coprophagous beetle community, a total of 29 species of beetles numbering 1,189 specimens were captured from May to September 2013. Of these, the most numerous were the beetles of the genus Aphodius, who made up 79 % of the total number of captured specimens. In terms of biomass, Geotrupes spiniger (Marsham, 1802) was significant, in that it made up 24 % of the total biomass of all of the captured beetles. This species contributes most to the decomposition of dung in the pasture. The family with the least number of specimens was Hydrophilidae. Beetles from this family made up 19 % of total number. Measurement of soil activity took place repeatedly over the course of 3 weeks, always after one-week measurement of diversity. The most numerous species (A. fimetarius, A. rufus and A. fossor) showed a linear dependence of the abundances in soil-activity traps on the abundances in diversity traps from the precedent capture period. A. sticticus was one of the most numerous species during surveys of diversity (10 %). This species, belonging to the dwellers group, was not recorded in soil-activity traps, however. Large tunnellers were represented mainly by G. spiniger in traps, for which the linear dependence was not possible to confirm.
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Interplay of succession and seasonality reflects resource utilization in an ephemeral habitat
SLÁDEČEK, František
The temporal aspects, succession, seasonality, of coprophilous beetles? assemblage were studied for the first time in Central Europe. Specifically all beetles? families were targeted including both the coprophagous and predatory species. In general, the pattern of species successional turn-over resembles the patterns retrieved from Northern Europe, however with the late successional species optima shifted towards earlier days of succession. The successional position of coprophages species reflets their oviposion strategy, while the predatory species are separated according to their size. The seasonal displacement applies predominantly to the species presented in the later part of succession.
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The influence of pasture on biodiversity of invertebrates in sub-mountain localities - coprophagous beetles
SVOBODA, Lukáš
The effect of the pasture management on dung beetle communities was studied on three sites in Šumava Mts. (South and West Bohemia). The intensity of pasturing was different: 78 cattle on the first, 106 on the second and 162 on the third pasture. The beetles were collected using pitfall traps baited by 1.5 litres of fresh cattle dung. The traps were located on each pasture. Altogether 3 traps were used per each pasture. The pitfall traps were exposed in the pasture for 7 days in monthly repetitions from April to October 2008. Totally 8725 specimen and 33 species of beetles were collected. These species belong to families Scarabaeidae,Geotrupidae and Hydrophilidae. The number of species and individuals was evaluated for each pasture, as well as seasonal dynamics and biomass distribution. The results indicate that the more intensive pasturing has the positive effect on the activity of some groups of coprophagous beetles.Other effects of the different pasture management on the beetles were not documented.
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