Occurrence of European Rhinoceros Beetle, <i>Oryctes nasicornis</i>(L.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania

The European rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes nasicornis (L.), is a large flying beetle in the subfamily Dynastinae of family Scarabaeidae and order Coleoptera. It is well-known to be a Palaearctic species, inhabiting Europe and Asia up to North Africa, with no reported material from the Sub-Saharan African region including Tanzania. The present work reports an occurrence of O. nasicornis in Tanzania specifically in Iringa region in the Southern Highlands zone of the country. The report is accompanied by description of the key morphological characters of the insect validating its diagnosis. The findings facilitate a basis for intervention of the existing records about O. nasicornis, including its biogeographical affiliation and the related undertakings. It is most likely that the species also ranges in other localities in Tanzania and the Sub-Saharan Africa region in general because of the existing proximity and interactions.

Introduction, Establishment, and Invasion of Digitonthophagus gazella (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) in the Savannas of Venezuela and Colombia

The invasion process involves overcoming certain barriers with negative effects on the biodiversity and ecosystem function. This is the case of the African dung beetle Digitonthophagus gazella, which was introduced in the United States and other countries in Central and South America to help in dung removal activity. The distribution of D. gazella has been documented in the Americas, but in Venezuela there is little information. Trying to understand the process of invasion of the Colombian-Venezuelan savannas and measure their potential impact, the information stored in collections and literature was collected. Five new state records were reported for Venezuela, as well as four scenarios of the process of introduction and establishment of this species in the region. Although the amount of records has increased, the number of individuals sampled is still incipient. The possible areas of invasion and the potential negative effects that the presence of this species exerts in these regions are also discussed. In addition, potential areas of invasion and negative effects of this species are discussed. Results emphasize the importance of generating models of the invasive process in order to design programs that monitor the effects incurred by the presence of D. gazella on native species and propose control and mitigation mechanisms.

The scarab gut： A potential bioreactor for bio-fuel production

Cellulose and hemicelluloses are the most prevalent sources of carbon in nature. Currently many approaches employ micro-organisms and their enzyme products to degrade plant feedstocks for production of bioenergy. Scarab larvae are one such model. They consume celluloses from a variety of sources including plant roots, soil organic matter and decaying wood, and are able to extract nutrients and energy from these sources. In this paper, we review the physicochemical properties of the scarab larval gut, the diversity and digestive role that microflora play in the scarab gut and discuss the potential for applying these digestive processes in bioreactors for improving bio-fuel production. Scarab larvae are characterised by their highly alkaline midgut which is dominated by serine proteinase enzymes, and a modified hindgut which harbors the majority of the intestinal microbiota under anaerobic conditions. Evidence suggests that digestion of recalcitrant organic matter in scarab larvae likely results from a combination of endogenous gut proteinases and cellulolytic enzymes produced by symbiotic micro-organisms. Most of the easily digestible proteins are mobilized and absorbed in the midgut by endogenous proteinases. The hindgut contents of scarab larvae are characterized by high concentrations of volatile fatty acids, the presence of fermenting bacteria, and typical anaerobic activities, such as methanogenesis. The hindgut typically contains a wide diversity of micro-organisms, some of which appear to be obligate symbionts with cellulolytic potential. As a result, the scarab larval gut can be regarded as a small bioreactor resembling the rumen of sheep or cattle, where solid food particles composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and polysaccharides are degraded through enzymatic and fermentation processes. Together these observations suggest scarab larvae have potential to assist the bio-fuel industry by providing new sources of （hemi）cellulolytic bacteria and bacterial （hemi）cellulolytic enzymes.

Incidence and management of white grub, Schizonycha ruficollis on seedlings of teak （Tectona grandis Linn, f,）

In investigation was conducted annually from 2002 to 2005 between the second week of May and the end of September on the incidence of scarab beetle, Schizonycha ruficollis （Fabricius） in a teak （Tectona grandis L.f.） nursery at Ramdongari, Nagpur, India. The immature stages, that is white grubs of the scarab beetle damaged 14%-52% of teak seedlings in the nursery beds, whereas the adult of the species, that is scarab beetles, were recorded on three new host trees （ Ziziphus xylopyra, Acacia catechu and A. leucophloea） in addition to the reported hosts such as ziziphus （Z. jujuba and Z. mauritiana）. Beetles of the S. ruficollis started emerging from the nursery beds just after the pre-monsoon showers and continued for 10-18 days. While beetle of S. ruficollis defoliated tree hosts available in the surroundings, the immature stages of the beetle caused major damage by feeding on root systerfls of teak seedlings with symptoms of wilting and mortality in forest nursery beds. The result of chemical and biological treatments for the management of grubs of S. ruficollis in nursery beds indicated phorate 10% granular at the rate of 20 g/m^2 and chlorpyriphos 20% emulsifiable concentrate at the rate of 5.0 mL/m^2 to be effective. Grubs of S. ruficollis have not been recorded previously as a major pest of teak （T. grandis）. This is also the first report on occurrence of S. ruficollis adults on tree hosts such as Z. xylopyra, A. catechu and A. leucophloea. White grubs being pests of economic importance and the toughest insects to manage, information given in this paper on incidence, pest status and management of Schizonycha ruficollis is of importance to researchers and forest nursery managers.

Habitat differences in dung beetle assemblages in an African savanna–forest ecotone:implications for secondary seed dispersal

The probability and pattern of secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles(Scarabaeinae)depend on their community structure and composition at the site of primary deposition,which,in turn,seem to be strongly determined by vegetation.Consequently,we expected pronounced differences in secondary seed dispersal between forest and savanna in the northern Ivory Coast,West Africa.We found 99 dung beetle species at experimentally exposed dung piles of the olive baboon(Papio anubis(Lesson,1827)),an important primary seed disperser in West Africa.Seventy-six species belonged to the roller and tunneler guilds,which are relevant for secondary seed dispersal.Most species showed a clear habitat preference.Contrary to the Neotropics,species number and abundance were much higher in the savanna than in the forest.Rollers and tunnelers each accounted for approximately 50%of the individuals in the savanna,but in the forest rollers made up only 4%.Seeds deposited into the savanna by an omnivorous primary disperser generally have a higher overall probability of being more rapidly dispersed secondarily by dung beetles than seeds in the forest.Also,rollers disperse seeds over larger distances.In contrast to other studies,small rollers were active in dispersal of large seeds,which were seemingly mistaken for dung balls.Our results suggest that rollers can remove seeds from any plant dispersed in primate dung in this ecosystem.

Secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles in an Amazonian forest fragment of Colombia:influence of dung type and edge effect

Seeds of many plant species are secondarily dispersed by dung beetles,but the outcome of this interaction is highly context-specific.Little is known about how certain anthropogenic disturbances affect this plant-animal interaction.The aims of this study were to assess the effect of dung type on secondary dispersal by dung beetles in a forest fragment,and to determine whether this interaction is affected by edge effects.Using pitfall traps,we captured dung beetles attracted to dung of 2 frugivorous mammals:woolly monkeys and howler monkeys.We found differences between both dung beetle assemblages,but these differences were not consistent in time.Using seeds surrounded by both dung types,we carried out a field experiment using seeds of 2 plant species.We found that the probability of secondary dispersal by dung beetles was higher for seeds placed in woolly monkey dung.Finally,we carried out a field experiment using plastic beads as seed mimics to assess edge effects.We found that secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles was negatively affected by edges.The disruption of plant-animal interactions along anthropogenic forest edges could have long-term negative effects on forest dynamics by affecting processes of regeneration.