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Dichotomius Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) is a very abundant and diverse genus of dung beetles of the New World ecosystems, with about 190 species, distributed in four subgenera. Luederwaldt (Separata Rev Mus Paul 14: 3-13 1929) proposed the division of subgenera into sections (now species groups) based mainly on characters of external morphology. Based on Luederwaldt's proposal, progress has been made in recent years in the taxonomic revision of the genus; however, inconsistencies have been found in the subgeneric division and species groups proposed by this author. Based on the external morphology and the male genital organ of the all type material and other material deposited in fifteen entomological collections, in this paper, the redefinition and taxonomic revision of the Dichotomius mormon species group is carried out. The new definition of the group and the species key are presented. Five species are included in the group: Dichotomius conicollis (Blanchard, 1846) (Bolivia), Dichotomius larseni sp. nov. (Bolivia), Dichotomius mormon (Ljungh, 1799) (Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay), Dichotomius ohausi (Luederwaldt, 1923) (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru), and Dichotomius talaus (Erichson, 1847) stat. rev. (Bolivia, and Peru). The lectotypes for D. conicollis, Copris ephialtes Mannerheim, 1829, Copris nasuta Castelnau, 1840, Copris protensus Perty, 1830, D. ohausi, and D. talaus were designated. For each of the species that are included in the group, the following information is presented: taxonomic history, species' citation in published literature, description or redescription of males and females, list of material examined, photographs of the external morphology, illustrations of male genital organ and its endophallites, and distribution map.

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Megaceropsis Dechambre, 1976 (Coleoptera, Melolonthidae, Dynastinae, Oryctini) is a South American genus with two known species until now: Megaceropsis quadridentata Dechambre, 1976 and Megaceropsis lecourti Dechambre, 1996. We describe a third species herein: Megaceropsis kleytoni sp. nov., from Brazil. Illustrations, a distributional map, and an identification key including all Megaceropsis species are provided. Additionally, a first record of M. quadridentata from Brazil is presented.

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Abstract Pasturelands are characterized as grasslands utilized for cattle raising and consist of natural or exotic vegetation, predominantly grasses. In the context of sustainable production, the biodiversity of insects within grazing environments holds significant value. Dung beetles play a crucial role in sustaining pasturelands as the burial of feces by these beetles fosters ecological services indispensable for maintaining a robust and healthy environment. Given that different dung beetle species contribute to distinct environmental benefits, a comprehensive understanding of the species present in pasturelands, their origins, and the ecological services they provide is imperative. This study endeavors to compile comprehensive information on dung beetle species native to South America, emphasizing taxonomic precision and a confirmed affinity for cattle dung. Our findings are derived from a synthesis of literature and observational data, incorporating location information obtained from taxonomic revisions and specimen labels of specimens housed at CEMT. In South America, a total of 57 dung beetle species are documented that inhabit grazing areas and actively feed on cattle manure. These areas span diverse biomes encompassing native and/or introduced grasslands, which may include deforested sections within forest biomes such as Chaco, Pantanal, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pampa, Atlantic Forest, Amazon Forest, Paramo, Puna, Llanos, and Patagonia. The preponderance of species identified fall within the paracoprid category, recognized as particularly vital for the sustainability of pasturelands. Despite their acknowledged importance, a noticeable knowledge gap impedes the effective conservation of these species. This gap is a focal point of discussion in this study, addressing the challenges and opportunities for enhancing conservation efforts. The species documented in this research exhibit notable economic and environmental relevance in the context of sustainable livestock production, emphasizing the urgency and significance of initiatives that prioritize their conservation.

Resumo Pastagens são áreas formadas por vegetação nativa ou exótica, principalmente gramíneas, e são utilizadas na pecuária. A diversidade de insetos em áreas de pastagens é muito valiosa, especialmente quando consideramos os métodos de produção sustentável. Besouros rola-bostas são importantes para a sustentabilidade em pastagens porque o enterrio de esterco promove benefícios essenciais para a manutenção do ambiente pastoril. Espécies diferentes exercem diferentes serviços ecossistêmicos, logo é necessário saber quais espécies estão presentes em áreas de pastoreio para saber quais são os benefícios que elas podem proporcionar. Aqui reunimos todas as informações disponíveis para as espécies taxonomicamente bem definidas de rola-bostas nativos da América do Sul e que são conhecidas por utilizar fezes bovinas como recurso para alimentação e nidificação. Usamos dados encontrados na literatura, em observações de campo e em etiquetas de espécimes depositados na CEMT. São registradas 57 espécies de rola-bostas nativos da América do Sul que se alimentam e nidificam em fezes bovinas, e estas estão distribuídas nos seguintes biomas: Chaco, Pantanal, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pampa, áreas abertas da Mata Atlântica e da Floresta Amazônia, Paramo, Puna, Llanos e Patagônia. A maioria das espécies são de paracoprídeos e estes são considerados os mais importantes para as áreas de pastagem. No entanto, existe uma grande lacuna de conhecimento em história natural, o que dificulta a efetividade da conservação dessas espécies. Todas as espécies listadas neste trabalho têm potencial relevância econômica e ambiental na pecuária sustentável e, portanto, o estudo e conservação delas devem ser priorizadas.

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ABSTRACT The Brazilian species of Euphoria Burmeister are revised. We describe E. euridesi sp. nov., a new species from the Cerrado biome of Brazil, and redescribe E. lurida (Fabricius 1775). Both species are illustrated and diagnostic characters that distinguish them are presented. A key to the seven South american species of Euphoria and observations on the natural history are also given.

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ABSTRACT Influence of Quaternary climate change on the potencial distribution of Atlantic Forest dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). The role of Cenozoic paleoclimatic changes in the distribution of dung beetles species from the Atlantic Forest (AF) remains poorly understood. We used ecological niche modeling under different scenarios (present, 6 ka, 21 ka, and 120 ka) to investigate how climatic oscillations during the Quaternary might have influenced the distribution of species endemic to this region. Models were built for five of the nine dung beetle species of the Dichotomius sericeus group: D. iannuzziae, D. irinus, D. laevicollis, D. schiffleri, and D. sericeus. The models of climatic suitability for D. irinus and D. laevicollis show a similar historical pattern in response to climate change but were divergent from D. iannuzziae, D. schiffleri, and D. sericeus. Dichotomius schiffleri is the species with the smallest area of ​​potencial occurrence. Over time, the species probably remained limited to lowland AF areas on the Brazilian coast and, it is currently found preferentially in Restinga ecosystems along the coast. Regarding the potential distribution models at the present, D. iannuzziae, D. schiffleri, and D. sericeus have potential distributions similar to their realized distribution. This study shows that the historical distribution of the D. sericeus species group has been influenced by paleoclimatic changes that occurred in the AF over the last 120 ka.

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Abstract Presented here is a trilingual (English, Portuguese, and Spanish) key to the 44 currently recognized genera and 37 subgenera of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) occurring in the Brazilian Amazon. Photographs of all taxa are included.

Resumo Apresentamos aqui uma chave trilíngue (inglês, português e espanhol) dos 44 gêneros e 37 subgêneros atualmente reconhecidos de besouros rola-bosta (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) que ocorrem na Amazônia brasileira. Fotos de todos os táxons estão incluídas.

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Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%-18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost.

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The taxonomic revision of the Dichotomius reclinatus species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Dichotomius Hope, 1838) sensu Arias-Buriticá and Vaz-de-Mello (2019) is presented. The group comprises four species previously included in the Dichotomius buqueti species group: Dichotomius horridus (Felsche, 1911) from Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname; Dichotomius nimuendaju (Luederwaldt, 1925) from Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru; Dichotomius quadrinodosus (Felsche, 1901) from Brazil; and Dichotomius reclinatus (Felsche, 1901) from Colombia and Ecuador. A definition of the D. reclinatus species group and an identification key are presented. In the key we included to Dichotomius camposeabrai Martínez, 1974, this species due the external morphology can be confused with the D. reclinatus species group and for the first time photographs of males and female of this species are presented. For each species of the D. reclinatus species group, the following information is provided: taxonomic history, citation of the species in published literature, redescription, list of material examined, photographs of the external morphology, illustrations of male genital organs and the endophallites, and distribution map.

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Background: The Amazon Forest is one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems and yet its protected areas are understudied concerning insects and other invertebrates. These organisms are essential for tropical forests due to their ecological processes, with some species being very sensitive to habitat disturbances. Dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) have been used as bioindicators for more than 30 years and were surveyed to assess the insect biodiversity of two sustainable-use forest reserves in the Brazilian Amazon. New information: We report inventories of dung beetles from two Amazonian forest reserves in Pará State, Brazil: the Tapajós National Forest and the Carajás National Forest. Surveys were carried out with baited-pitfall traps installed in 2010, 2016, 2017 and 2019. We collected a total of 3,772 individuals from 19 genera and 96 species. We highlight the importance of Amazonian protected areas as refugia for insect biodiversity, particularly dung beetles, which contribute to many key ecosystem processes.

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Abstract The Pantanal is the largest seasonal freshwater wetland on Earth, characterized by the seasonal flooding and complex mosaic vegetation, which determines its biodiversity. Among this biodiversity, dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) are a group of insects that perform important ecological functions, such as: nutrient cycling, seed dispersion and parasite control. In order to mitigate the lack of information on dung beetle fauna of the Brazilian Pantanal, we conducted a bibliographic search of virtually all literature published until november-2020 on dung beetles sampled in the Pantanal. In addition, we had accessed to the records the largest collection of the dung beetle species from Brazilian Pantanal. We recorded 68 dung beetle species of 30 genera. The genera Canthon Holffmanseg 1847 is the most diverse with 13 species recorded. Although our knowledge about the dung beetle fauna in this ecosystem is still incipient, our results demonstrated a high richness of dung beetles in the Brazilian Pantanal. In addition, our study provides first list of dung beetle species and an illustrated dichotomy key to identify genera and some species occurring in the Brazilian Pantanal. Thus, the use of this guide for identification of dung beetle species and a list of species can be important tools to help researchers and provide incentive for new inventories on dung beetle fauna in the Brazilian Pantanal.

Resumo O Pantanal é a maior área úmida sazonal de água doce Neotropical da Terra, caracterizada pelas inundações sazonais e pela complexa vegetação em mosaico, que determina sua biodiversidade. Dentre essa biodiversidade, os besouros rola-bosta (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) são um grupo de insetos que desempenham importantes funções ecológicas, tais como: ciclagem de nutrientes, dispersão de sementes e controle de parasitas. A fim de mitigar a falta de informações sobre a fauna de besouros rola-bosta do Pantanal brasileiro, realizamos uma pesquisa bibliográfica de praticamente toda a literatura publicada até novembro de 2020 sobre besouros rola-bosta amostrados no Pantanal. Além disso, acessamos os registros da maior coleção da espécie de rola-bosta do Pantanal brasileiro. Registramos 68 espécies de besouros rola-bosta de 30 gêneros. O gênero Canthon Holffmanseg 1847 é o mais diverso com 13 espécies registradas. Embora nosso conhecimento sobre a fauna de rola-bostas neste ecossistema ainda seja incipiente, nossos resultados demonstraram uma alta riqueza de besouros rola-bosta no Pantanal brasileiro. Além disso, nosso estudo fornece a primeira lista de espécies de besouros rola-bosta e uma chave de dicotomia ilustrada para identificar gêneros e algumas espécies encontrados no Pantanal brasileiro. Assim, a utilização deste guia para identificação das espécies de besouros rola-bostas e uma lista de espécies podem ser ferramentas importantes para auxiliar pesquisadores e incentivar novos inventários sobre a fauna de besouros rola-bostas no Pantanal brasileiro.

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Among the 26 Hybosorinae genera, seven are present exclusively in the Neotropical region. However, Hybosorinae from the New World have been less studied. One new genus and new species collected in Brazil is herein described to this subfamily. The genus is recognizable by the following combination of characters: labium with semicircular mentum; mandibles with lateral projection excavated, separated in the middle by longitudinal carina, inner side sheltering the labrum; antennae with nine antenomeres; scutellar shield with strong punctures at the proximal half; elytra with single rows formed by punctures; and protibia without well-defined denticles.

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Human activities pose a major threat to tropical forest biodiversity and ecosystem services. Although the impacts of deforestation are well studied, multiple land-use and land-cover transitions (LULCTs) occur in tropical landscapes, and we do not know how LULCTs differ in their rates or impacts on key ecosystem components. Here, we quantified the impacts of 18 LULCTs on three ecosystem components (biodiversity, carbon, and soil), based on 18 variables collected from 310 sites in the Brazilian Amazon. Across all LULCTs, biodiversity was the most affected ecosystem component, followed by carbon stocks, but the magnitude of change differed widely among LULCTs and individual variables. Forest clearance for pasture was the most prevalent and high-impact transition, but we also identified other LULCTs with high impact but lower prevalence (e.g., forest to agriculture). Our study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple ecosystem components and LULCTs to understand the consequences of human activities in tropical landscapes.

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Deltochilum Eschscholtz, 1822 is perhaps the most speciose genus of the tribe Deltochilini sensu Tarasov & Dimitrov (2016) (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) and has been traditionally divided into eight subgenera. Among them, the subgenus Deltohyboma Lane, 1946, is the most speciose with 47 species, five of which are described here (D. genieri sp. nov., D. gilli sp. nov., D. susanae sp. nov., D. bolivariensis sp. nov. and D. inesae sp. nov.), and at least 165 species still undescribed. Due to the large number of species, and for practical purposes, the subgenus is here divided into 19 species-groups, with D. inesae sp. nov. left as incertae sedis. This division into species-groups will help in the reliable identification of species and will aid in the completion of the revision of subgenus. This report is the first part of the taxonomic revision of the subgenus Deltohyboma; it is based on the examination of all type specimens and almost 9,800 specimens of which approximately 1,200, mostly males, had their genitalia studied. The 19 species-groups recognized here are based mainly on characters described for the first time for Deltohyboma, namely, the state of a) the anterior margin of the clypeus (between the clypeal teeth), b) the internal margin of hypomera, c) the ventral face of the protibia, d) the posterior margin of the metafemur, and e) several new characters resulting from the first detailed study of the aedeagus and the endophallus of the group. Diagnosis, description, geographic distribution, composition and identifications keys (for males as well as males and females) for the species-groups are provided.

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Pelidnota MacLeay, 1819 is one of the most diverse genus in Rutelina (Rutelini) and, even after broad and recent revisions, fieldwork has revealed a diversity of species yet to be known to science. Here, we describe Pelidnota silveiranetoisp. nov. with illustrations and a map for the type locality, as well as its inclusion in a previously published identification key for the Pelidnota species. The new species is diagnosable by its color pattern (body with metallic green reflections, except on the elytra, which lack black spots), mouthpart features (galea bearing three teeth and the anterior part of the labium with an excavated surface, straight proximal margin, and the posterior part with a rounded lateral margin), and parameres (concave distal margin gradually acute and slightly divergent at the apex; straight lateral margin that is slightly sinuous at the middle; slightly corrugated proximal margin).(AU)

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Abstract Pelidnota MacLeay, 1819 is one of the most diverse genus in Rutelina (Rutelini) and, even after broad and recent revisions, fieldwork has revealed a diversity of species yet to be known to science. Here, we describe Pelidnota silveiranetoi sp. nov. with illustrations and a map for the type locality, as well as its inclusion in a previously published identification key for the Pelidnota species. The new species is diagnosable by its color pattern (body with metallic green reflections, except on the elytra, which lack black spots), mouthpart features (galea bearing three teeth and the anterior part of the labium with an excavated surface, straight proximal margin, and the posterior part with a rounded lateral margin), and parameres (concave distal margin gradually acute and slightly divergent at the apex; straight lateral margin that is slightly sinuous at the middle; slightly corrugated proximal margin).

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In the framework of the taxonomic revision of South American Sericini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), we examined the type specimens of the species described by Burmeister (1855) in the genus Astaena Erichson, 1847. A few taxa resulted to not belong to the South American Sericini fauna, either due to different geographical provenience or due to incorrect systematical placement within Sericini. Two new combinations and one new synonymy are proposed: Neoserica pubescens (Burmeister, 1855), new combination (= Neoserica subsetosa Ahrens Fabrizi, 2016: 121, new synonymy) and Manonychus robustus (Burmeister, 1855), new combination.

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A new species of Canthon is described, illustrated and the morphological similarities with related species are discussed. The species Canthon cleidecostae was named after Dr. Cleide Costa a great beetles specialist. The subgeneric category of species is considered incertae sedis until the taxonomic revision of the genus Canthon is fully addressed. Also, we provide a key for genera, subgenera and isolated species-groups that can be confused with the genus Canthon.

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A new species of Canthon is described, illustrated and the morphological similarities with related species are discussed. The species Canthon cleidecostae was named after Dr. Cleide Costa a great beetles specialist. The subgeneric category of species is considered incertae sedis until the taxonomic revision of the genus Canthon is fully addressed. Also, we provide a key for genera, subgenera and isolated species-groups that can be confused with the genus Canthon.(AU)

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Although dung beetles are important members of ecological communities and indicators of ecosystem quality, species diversity, and how it varies over space and habitat types, remains poorly understood in the Brazilian Cerrado. We compared dung beetle communities among plant formations in the Serra Azul State Park (SASP) in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Sampling (by baited pitfall and flight-interception traps) was carried out in 2012 in the Park in four habitat types: two different savanna formations (typical and open) and two forest formations (seasonally deciduous and gallery). A total of 5,400 individuals collected comprised 57 species in 22 genera. Typical savanna had the greatest species richness and abundance, followed by open savanna and deciduous forest, while the gallery forest had the fewest species but high abundance. Tunnelers (one of three main nesting behavior guilds) showed the greatest richness and abundance (except in the gallery forest, where one dweller species was extremely abundant) in all plant formations. We found that species richness and abundance of the dung beetle community are influenced by differences among plant formations. Habitat heterogeneity in the different plant formations along with anthropic influences (fire, habitat fragmentation) are cited as important factors that explain guild and species richness and distribution patterns. These results emphasize the importance of protected areas, such as SASP, for the maintenance and conservation of species diversity in the Brazilian Cerrado.

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Our goals were to determine whether the pattern of geographical distribution of dung beetles in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (BAF), Southeast Brazil, supports the identification of the areas of endemism in this biome, how the number and boundaries of the areas of endemism vary with the spatial scale used in the analysis, if the areas of endemism identified here are consistent with previous proposals described in the literature. We used the analysis of endemicity (NDM) on the distributional patterns of 198 species and subspecies of dung beetles in order to identify areas of endemism into grids of 0.25°x0.25°, 0.5°x0.5° and 1°x1°. A total of 15 consensus areas (CA) were identified with the different grid sizes employed (two of 0.25°, three of 0.5° and 10 of 1°). Our results support the assumptions about the influence of the grid size, since a smaller number of CA were identified for the 0.25° grids (02 CA), whereas by increasing the size of the units, there was an increase in the number of the areas of endemism (10 CA of 1°). Despite different levels of geographical congruence, the areas of endemism located in the BAF described elsewhere are corroborate, all or part of them. The overlap of these CA allowed the definition of three generalized areas of endemism: Southeast, Central and Southwest. These generalized areas encompassed habitats with great environmental variety, potentially influencing the levels of endemism of species of dung beetles. Furthermore, they were corroborated by other areas of endemism described in the literature, allowing us to argue that processes forming these regions have influenced dung beetle species as described for other groups of organisms.

Nossos objetivos foram determinar se o padrão de distribuição geográfica de besouros rola-bostas na Mata Atlântica Brasileira (MAB), no sudeste do Brasil, permite a identificação das áreas de endemismo nesse bioma, como o número e os limites das áreas de endemismo variam com a escala espacial usada na análise, se as áreas de endemismo aqui identificadas são consistentes com propostas anteriores descritas na literatura. Utilizamos a análise de endemicidade (NDM) sobre os padrões de distribuição de 198 espécies e subespécies de besouros rola-bostas, a fim de identificar áreas de endemismo em grades de 0,25°x0,25°, 0,5°x0, 5° e 1°x1°. Foram identificadas 15 áreas de consenso (AC) com os diferentes tamanhos de quadrículas empregados (duas de 0,25°, três de 0,5° e 10 do 1°). Nossos resultados corroboram as premissas sobre a influência do tamanho da grade, uma vez que um número menor de AC foi identificado nas quadrículas de 0,25° (02 AC), enquanto que ao aumentar o tamanho das unidades, houve um aumento no número de áreas de endemismo (10 AC do 1°). Apesar de diferentes níveis de congruência geográfica, as áreas de endemismo localizadas no MAB descritas em outros trabalhos são corroboradas, total ou parcialmente. A sobreposição dessas AC permitiu a definição de três áreas generalizadas de endemismo: Sudeste, Central e Sudoeste. Essas áreas generalizadas englobaram habitats com grande variedade ambiental, influenciando potencialmente os níveis de endemismo de espécies de besouros. Além disso, eles foram corroborados por outras áreas de endemismo descritas na literatura, permitindo argumentar que os processos que formam essas regiões influenciaram as espécies de besouros como descrito para outros grupos de organismos.

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