Search

Citizen science is a valuable tool for early detection, distribution, and spread of invasive alien species (IAS). Nevertheless, citizen science initiatives have several potential biases and may be complemented with long-term structured monitoring schemes. We analyzed the spatial-temporal dynamics of the invasion of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Chile, based upon two citizen sciences databases (WEB and INAT) and one structured monitoring (SAG). We collected 8638 H. axyridis occurrences between 2009 and 2020. WEB had a higher number of records than SAG and INAT, and in all databases, the number of records has increased over time. The three databases showed that the invasion started in central Chile and then spread toward the north and south. The WEB and SAG recorded occurrences in the extreme north and south, whereas INAT concentrated all the occurrences in a more limited area, included in WEB and SAG. Both citizen science initiatives concentrated their records in areas of high human populations whereas SAG records had a more even distribution across regions. At 2020, WEB accounted for 55%, SAG 54%, and INAT 8% of the total area accumulated with H. axyridis, with only 16% of area shared among databases. WEB and INAT obtained most of their records in urban and industrial land cover types, while SAG records were more evenly represented in different land cover types. Our results confirm that combined methods, including citizen science initiatives, national surveillance system, and localized samplings, complement each other in providing knowledge to understand the patterns, processes, and consequences of this invasion.

Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) has invaded most continents in the world, including South America. In Chile, it became invasive after 2010, turning into a dominant species in coccinellid guilds in alfalfa crops, where it coexists with the introduced species Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) and the native species Eriopis chilensis Hofmann, the populations of which declined after the invasion of H. axyridis . One of the echanisms attributed to the success of invasive species is the enemy release hypothesis (ERH), which predicts that natural enemies will have a lesser impact on the invasive species in the newly invaded areas than on resident species. Dinocampus coccinellae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a cosmopolitan parasitoid of coccinellids, which vary in their suitability to parasitism according to species and location. The present study evaluated whether H. axyridis is a less suitable host than H. variegata and E. chilensis for D. coccinellae by assessing each step in the parasitism process, from oviposition to adult emergence in field and laboratory conditions. In the field, successful parasitism in H. axyridis (7%) was significantly lower than in H. variegata (33%) and E. chilensis (36%). H. axyridis was also the only species in which failed parasitoid larval development was greater than successful parasitism (adult emergence). In the laboratory, D. coccinellae never successfully oviposited in H. axyridis , while it did in the other two species. These results suggest that in Chile, H. axyridis is a less suitable host than the resident species for D. coccinellae . This mechanism, among others, may explain the dominance of this species in this early stage of invasion.

Moonlight intensity influences the activity patterns of bats. Some bat species reduce their activity levels during brighter nights, a phenomenon known as “lunar phobia.” While lunar phobia of bats has been extensively studied in tropical regions, the same is not the case of bats in temperate regions. By using acoustic detectors, we examined differences in the activity of insectivorous bats on nights with different moonlight intensity in an agricultural landscape of central Chile. We also examined the hourly activity patterns throughout the night and how these varied between full and new moon nights. All bat species modified their activity based on the moonlight intensity; however, their effects were species-specific. The activity of Lasiurus varius, L. villosissimus, Myotis chiloensis, and Histiotus montanus was lower during bright nights, while Tadarida brasiliensis was the only species whose activity was higher during bright nights. Hourly activity throughout the night differed between full moon nights and new moon nights in most bat species. During full moon, bats concentrated their activities in the early hours of the nights; a more homogeneous activity pattern was exhibited during new moon night. Our study demonstrates that moonlight affects the activity of bats in Chile, a factor that should be considered when studying bats.

Ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) provide services that are critical to food production, and they fulfill an ecological role as a food source for predators. The richness, abundance, and distribution of ladybirds, however, are compromised by many anthropogenic threats. Meanwhile, a lack of knowledge of the conservation status of most species and the factors driving their population dynamics hinders the development and implementation of conservation strategies for ladybirds. We conducted a review of the literature on the ecology, diversity, and conservation of ladybirds to identify their key ecological threats. Ladybird populations are most affected by climate factors, landscape composition, and biological invasions. We suggest mitigating actions for ladybird conservation and recovery. Short-term actions include citizen science programs and education, protective measures for habitat recovery and threatened species, prevention of the introduction of non-native species, and the maintenance and restoration of natural areas and landscape heterogeneity. Mid-term actions involve the analysis of data from monitoring programs and insect collections to disentangle the effect of different threats to ladybird populations, understand habitat use by taxa on which there is limited knowledge, and quantify temporal trends of abundance, diversity, and biomass along a management-intensity gradient. Long-term actions include the development of a worldwide monitoring program based on standardized sampling to fill data gaps, increase explanatory power, streamline analyses, and facilitate global collaborations.Las catarinas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) proporcionan servicios que son críticos para la producción de alimento, y juegan un papel ecológico como fuente de alimento para depredadores. Sin embargo, la riqueza, abundancia y distribución de catarinas están en peligro debido a muchas amenazas antropogénicas. La carencia de conocimiento sobre el estatus de conservación de la mayoría de las especies y los factores que inciden en su dinámica poblacional dificulta el desarrollo e implementación de estrategias de conservación para las catarinas. Realizamos una revisión de la literatura sobre la ecología, diversidad y conservación de catarinas para identificar sus amenazas ecológicas clave. Las poblaciones de catarinas fueron afectadas mayormente por factores climáticos, composición del paisaje e invasiones biológicas. Proponemos acciones de mitigación para la conservación y recuperación de catarinas. Acciones a corto plazo incluyen programas de ciencia y educación ciudadana, medidas de protección para la recuperación de hábitat y de especies amenazadas, prevención de la introducción de especies no nativas y el mantenimiento y restauración de áreas naturales y la heterogeneidad del paisaje. Acciones a mediano plazo implican el análisis de datos obtenidos de programas de monitoreo y colecciones de insectos para desenmarañar el efecto de las diferentes amenazas a las poblaciones de catarinas, comprender el uso del hábitat por taxa de los que se tiene conocimiento limitado y cuantifica las tendencias temporales de la abundancia, diversidad y biomasa a lo largo de un gradiente de intensidad de manejo. Acciones a largo plazo incluyen el desarrollo de un programa de monitoreo a nivel mundial basado en muestreos estandarizados para subsanar la falta de datos, incrementar el poder explicativo, optimizar los análisis y facilitar colaboraciones globales.随着世界范围内人类与野生动物的冲突不断升级, 对野生动物的宽容和接纳等概念变得越来越重要。然而, 当代保护研究表明, 人们对人类与野生动物积极互作的认识有限, 导致可能难以准确描述人类与动物的相遇。如果不解决这些局限性, 就会导致野生动物和景观管理计划的设计和实施存在不足, 以及对本土生态知识的否定。我们利用印度喀拉拉邦瓦亚纳德野生动物保护区森林中的阿迪瓦西族Kattunayakans部落的民族志证据, 来研究印度原住民对于人类与野生动物共存的观点。通过定性的实地研究(包括访谈和在森林样带调查), 我们发现Kattunayakans部落表现出对野生动物的宽容和接纳, 其特点是深入的共存, 包括三个中心思想:野生动物是有理性的交流者;野生动物是神、老师和平等的族群;野生动物是实行 “dharmam”的具有共同起源的亲戚。我们认为, 充分理解以上几点有助于将Kattunayakan部落的观点引入印度的森林管理, 并更广泛地解决人类与野生动物的冲突。.

Although saproxylic beetles use deadwood in industrial exotic forest plantations, deadwood and historical land use patterns may interact among each other making difficult the implementation sustainable management intended to conserve saproxylic beetle diversity. We assessed the additive and interactive effects of deadwood and landscape-scale variables on alpha (α) and gamma (γ) diversity of saproxylic beetles. We installed 1034 traps in 80 stands of pine/eucalyptus plantations, clear-cuts and native forest distributed in 29 1-km radius landscape units. Deadwood amount/diversity and composition (native vs. exotic) were estimated for each habitat. A 14-year image time series was used to estimate the cover of native forest and the temporal coefficient of variation of clear-cut cover, CV(CC), an indicator of how extensive clear-cut areas have been in each landscape. The amount/diversity of deadwood affected positively the α-diversity of all species, but its effect turned negative in clear cut stands. Exotic deadwood had an overall negative effect on α diversity of fungivores and was more marked as the cover of native forest increased within landscapes. The γ diversity of all species and predators responded negatively to CV(CC), while fungivores responded negatively to the current native forest cover. Deadwood and landscape-scale management had nonlinear effects on γ diversity, with the deadwood composition effect being dependent on clear-cut cover. All species and predators were less diverse as the proportion of exotic deadwood increased, but this effect turned positive within landscapes with high CV(CC). Landscape-scale forest management has long- and short-term effects on saproxylic beetles that are modulated by deadwood and propagate through species functional dimensions.

The intensive management of tree plantations has replaced and fragmented native forests worldwide. A direct consequence of this activity is the creation of new edges, which generate changes in microclimatic conditions in the adjacent forest as well as in the neighboring clearcut stands left over after harvesting by clearcut logging. Thus, newly created anthropogenic thermal gradients could influence ectothermic responses regarding abundance and physiology of native species in fragmented landscapes. Interestingly, the consequences of these changes have not been studied in insects. To test the effects of the anthropogenic thermal gradient on the abundance and physiology of ectothermic species, we chose the fragmented Maulino forest and the ground-dwelling beetle Ceroglossus chilensis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as our biological model, working with seven fragments of native forest surrounded by active and clearcut pine plantation stands. We measured temperature variables and beetle abundance in different months using transects perpendicular to the edge and used general linear modelling to explain abundance with temperature. In addition, we assessed the preferential body temperatures (Tb) and Rollover Speed (RoS) of C. chilensis at five different temperatures in controlled conditions to explain field abundance. We found that mean ambient temperatures were up to 42% higher in clearcut stands than in native forest fragments during summer. However, ambient temperatures in autumn were similar between native forest fragments and clearcut stands. The abundance of C. chilensis, is concentrated near the edge in the native forest (between 2 and 10 m to interior of native forest), regardless of month sampled. The abundance of C. chilensis was higher at the edge than inside native forest interiors or clearcut stands, regardless of the month. Ambient temperature surpasses preferential body temperature (14–15.99 °C) and physiological performance of C. chilensis (15 °C), particularly during summer. Ceroglossus chilensis abundance at the edge of clearcut stands could be favored by understory structural complexity in understory vegetation, creating suitable microclimatic conditions and increasing abundance of prey resource. In essence, we found that the higher temperatures found near the edge inside forest interiors might enable individuals of C. chilensis to display thermoregulatory behavior by concentrating activity at these particular regions, resulting in increased abundances and more concentrated occurrences, helping to explain the edge-biased distribution. Thus, we offer evidence that physiological performance might be a key functional trait to explain abundance of ectothermic species in fragmented forest landscapes. We submit to decision makers linked to the forestry industry, that managing the understory of young tree plantations and increasing the structural complexity at remnant forest edges to cushion high temperatures in clearcut stands would enable more effective conservation planning of thermosensitive ectotherms in disturbed forest landscapes.

The invasion of Harmonia axyridis has had negative consequences on coccinellid assemblages, with a decline in abundance and diversity, but the coexistence of invasive and resident species may depend on the strength of intra- and interspecific exploitative competitive interactions. These antagonistic interactions have been scarcely studied in coccinellids. Through a laboratory study we assessed aphid consumption, weight gain and reproduction when the invasive Harmonia axyridis, the alien Hippodamia variegata and the native Eriopis chilensis were alone, in conspecific and heterospecific groups, at low and high aphid densities. Under intraspecific competition, coccinellids were more voracious than when they were alone, particularly H. axyridis and H. variegata at high aphid density; H. axyridis and H. variegata gained more weight than E. chilensis, and H. axyridis barely reproduced at low aphid densities, even when alone, while in the other two species reproduction was not affected by the presence of conspecifics. Under interspecific competition, weight gain and reproduction results suggest that H. axyridis was responsible for most aphid consumption; H. variegata gained less weight and barely reproduced in heterospecific groups, but its reproduction was not affected. Eriopis chilensis weight gain and reproduction was low but not affected by the presence of the other species. The lack of negative effects of intraspecific competition on H. axyridis and its better performance in heterospecific groups suggests that this species is the stronger competitor, negatively affecting H. variegata, but not E. chilensis. Thus, exploitative interspecific competition is an important mechanism explaining the dominance of H. axyridis and the decline of some species following its invasion. Therefore, this interaction deserves more attention than what has been paid up to now.

Conversion of natural land covers to agriculture is a major cause of the global biodiversity decline. Bats are an important component of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes because they provide pest control services. Although management recommendations towards the enhancement of insectivorous bat populations in agro-ecosystems have previously been highlighted, little information is available for promoting bat conservation within viticultural landscapes. In the present study, we examined the role of the adjacent habitat on bat activity in vineyards of central Chile. We also evaluated differences in bat activity between the edges and the interiors of the vineyards in relation to the type of adjacent habitat. To accomplish this, we conducted acoustic surveys along edge and the interior of 16 vineyards bordering different adjacent habitats. Overall bat activity in vineyards was not influenced by the adjacent habitat type, but it was by the location within the vineyard; edges showed significant higher activity than the interior of the vineyards. Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation showed the highest levels of activity for Lasiurus varius, Lasiurus villosissimus and Myotis chiloensis compared to those adjacent to monoculture or urban areas. All bat species were most active at the edges of the vineyards as compared to the interior, which increase the probability of this group providing ecosystem services in vineyards. Therefore, vineyard edges, in particular those adjacent to native vegetation, should be considered as part of agricultural management in order to promote bat diversity and abundance in this crop.

We tested two questions: (i) whether the climatic conditions of the Azorean Islands in Portugal may have restricted the invasion of Harmonia axyridis across this archipelago and (ii) determine what population of this species could have a higher probability of invading the islands. We used MaxEnt to project the climate requirements of different H. axyridis populations from three regions of the world, and the potential global niche of the species in the Azorean islands. Then we assessed the suitability of the islands for each of the three H. axyridis populations and global potential niche through histograms analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of climate variables, and a variable-by-variable assessment of the suitability response curves compared with the climatic conditions of the Azores. Climatic conditions of the Azores are less suitable for the U.S. and native Asian populations of H. axyridis, and more suitable for European populations and the global potential niche. The PCA showed that the climatic conditions of the islands differed from the climatic requirements of H. axyridis. This difference is mainly explained by precipitation of the wettest month, isothermality, and the minimum temperature of the coldest month. We concluded that the climatic conditions of the Azores could have influenced the establishment and spread of H. axyridis on these islands from Europe. Our results showed that abiotic resistance represented by the climate of the potentially colonizable zones could hinder the establishment of invasive insects, but it could vary depending of the origin of the colonizing population. A.A.G thanks FONDECYT 1140662 and A.O.S thanks the grants of Direção Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia within the project M1.1.a/009/Funcionamento-C- /2016 (GBA) and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the -UID/BIA/00329/2013 project. E.B.A’s modeling work with the CIELO model was developed within the framework of the project PROAAcXXIs (PO Açores 01-0145-FEDER-000037). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

6th International Entomophagous Insects Conference, Perugia, 9-13 September 2019. Since the late 19th century, exotic ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) have been used extensively for suppressing herbivorous insects of economic importance. In recent decades, the introduction of non-native biological control (BC) agents has been greatly limited due to the awareness of the potential non-target effects of introductions. Nonetheless, recent episodes of biological invasions of economically important pests have raised the need to carefully consider whether the expected benefits of pest control go beyond the possible environmental risks of introduction. To better understand the factors that contributed to successful BC programs, here we review the literature behind classical and augmentative BC using exotic ladybirds. Additionally, by means of case studies, we discuss the BC efficacy of selected exotic species, e.g., Coccinella septempunctata L., Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), and Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), and their position within the communities of predators in the introduced areas of USA, Canada, and Chile. In Europe, much of the research on exotic ladybirds has been conducted on the undesired impact of H. axyridis. Therefore, we summarize the risk assessment data for this species and review the field research investigating the ecological impact on European aphidophagous predators. According to the BIOCAT database of classical BC programs, 212 ladybird species belonging to 68 genera have been released in about 130 years of BC activity, with 14.6% of introductions having resulted in partial, substantial, or complete control of the target pest. However, because post-release evaluation of establishment and BC success has not always been conducted, this rate could underestimate the successful cases. Among other factors, ladybird establishment and pest suppression mostly depend on (1) intrinsic factors, i.e., high voracity, synchronized predator-prey life cycle, and high dispersal ability, and (2) extrinsic factors, i.e., adaptability to the new environment and landscape composition. This review contributes to improved understanding of ladybirds as exotic BC agents. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Fil: Zamorano, Jorge. Universidad de Chile. Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias. Santiago, Chile. Fil: Bartomeus, Ignasi. Estación Biológica de Doñana. Sevilla, España. Fil: Grez, Audrey A. Universidad de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias. Santiago, Chile. Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas A. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Río Negro, Argentina. Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas A. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Río Negro, Argentina. Pendiente a incorporación en un volumen de la revista Conventional intensification of agriculture has reduced the availability of resources for pollinators, reducing their diversity and affecting plant pollination, both in natural habitats and croplands. Field margin floral enhancements such as flower strips or restored field margins could counteract these negative effects. The approaches to assess the success of these management measures generally evaluate separately the pollinator response at the edge and within the crop, as proxies for pollinator conservation and pollination services, respectively. We performed a meta‐analysis to understand the influence of field margin floral enhancements on the abundance and richness of pollinators at the edge and within the field, and on crop yield. We estimated 137 effect sizes from 40 studies, all from the northern hemisphere. Overall, the field margin floral enhancements increased the abundance and richness of pollinators at the field edge but had no consistent effect in the interior of the crop fields. Few studies evaluated crop yield, and in these studies no effects were observed. These results suggest that field margin floral enhancements can constitute a positive conservation action for pollinators but not necessarily associated with pollination ecosystem service.

We provide a list of coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) species from the island territories of Chile. We report a total of 68 records, coming from ten islands, including 42 species corresponding to more than 35% of the species of the country. This paper presents the first Coccinellidae records for the Islas Desventuradas, Isla Mocha and Isla Tenglo. Contrary to what has been reported on other islands and other taxonomic groups in Chilean islands, the level of coccinellid endemism is low (8%), with only one and two species endemic to the Juan Fernández archipelago and Isla de Chiloé, respectively, and probably a fourth species from the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. The presence of species with worldwide distribution and of agricultural relevance is strong in the Chilean oceanic islands, particularly in Rapa Nui. The fauna of the continental islands is very similar to the one in the nearby continental areas and composed of native species. Further surveys of Coccinellidae and other insects are required for the islands of Chile, especially for several of them in which there are no records.

Forestry plantations of Pinus radiata, managed through clearcutting method, would offer resistance to the movement of native fauna among remnants of native forest. In this study, we evaluate the possibilities of establishing connectivity corridors for native fauna in a forest landscape dominated by P. radiata, focusing on seven species with some level of specialisation in the use of different land covers and that exhibit different movement strategies. We sampled presences and abundances using several types of sampling to determine the abundance and crossing edge probabilities for the ground-dwelling beetle Ceroglossus chilensis; the mesocarnivores Conepatus chinga, Lycalopex culpaeus and Leopardus guigna; the terrestrial frogs Eupsophus septentrionalis and Pleuroderma thaul, and the understory bird Pteroptochos castaneus. We use species distribution modelling and circuit theory to calculate connectivity for each species. Finally, a spatial priorization approach was applied to obtain two scenarios of least-cost corridors. The results show that species with more specific requirements such as L. guigna, P. castaneus, P. thaul and E. septentrionalis, are unlikely to move through clear cuttings and young plantations, but their movement is possible through adult pine plantations with understory. For species that are habitat generalists such as C. chinga and L. culpaeus plantations were suitable for movement. The management of forest plantations should use multi-taxa assessments in the design of biological corridors that allow the connection of forest fragments.

Urbanization alters community composition, frequently leading to decline in native species abundance and richness. Nevertheless, responses might also depend on trait-based local habitat and landscape-scale filters. In this work, we studied how local characteristics of greenspaces and landscape context at 100 and 1000 m influence taxonomic and functional traits composition of native and alien coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) across an urbanization gradient extending from the city of Santiago, Chile, into surrounding rural areas. We found that greenspaces supported a rich community of coccinellids, including many native species, but both native and alien species were negatively affected by urbanization. Local habitat variables were not important predictors of coccinellids richness, abundance or functional traits. On the other hand, landscape composition at both scales did affect coccinellid communities in greenspaces. At both landscape scales, there was variation in the association of coccinellids with landscape variables based on their primary diet, thus, urbanization might differentially affect the ecological service provided by different functional groups of coccinellids. Our results show that greenspaces support a rich community of coccinellids, including many native species, but the degree to which greenspaces conserve these communities depends on the level of urbanization.

Bat populations are threatened in many regions of the world, partly due to the loss of foraging and commuting habitats in farmland and declines in insect prey populations caused by agricultural intensification. Given that bats play an important role as bioindicators and in suppressing crop pests, it is crucial to mitigate negative impacts that arise from these threats. In this study we evaluated the richness, quantified at family level, and abundance of bat prey insects in organic vineyards surrounded by three types of adjacent habitat: urban/semi-urban areas, exotic tree plantations, and remnants of native vegetation. The relationship between the abundance of prey and the foraging activity of bats in the vineyards was also examined. Insects were sampled using ultraviolet light traps, located both inside and at the edge of the vineyards. Bat activity was monitored at each site using acoustic recorders. The insect richness was unaffected by the type of adjacent habitat and did not differ between the edge and the interior of the vineyards. In contrast, insect abundance was significantly influenced by the type of adjacent habitat. Vineyards adjacent to native vegetation and exotic tree plantations showed the highest abundances for most insect orders present in the bat diet compared to urban areas. Bat activity was significantly correlated with the abundance of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, with mixed effects between bat species (negative for Tadarida brasiliensis, positive for Lasiurus varius, Lasiurus villosissimus and Myotis chiloensis). Crop edges adjacent to native vegetation provides important foraging habitat for bats and should therefore be considered in agricultural management. Locating vineyards close to these habitats may promote bat conservation via increased prey insects and may also benefit winegrowers through the ecosystem services provided by insectivorous bats in this crop.

Los efectos de la configuración de la vegetación hospedera sobre las poblaciones de insectos herbívoros y de sus enemigos naturales pueden ser diversos, por lo cual es necesario realizar investigaciones específicas para encontrar aplicaciones en el manejo de insectos plagas. En este artículo se evaluó el efecto de la forma del parche y de la vegetación circundante sobre la abundancia de Plutella xylostella y sobre su parasitismo. Se tuvieron dos formas de parche con relación perímetro/área contrastantes, y dos tipos de vegetación, Allium porrum y Medicago sativa, rodeando los parches. Plutella xylostella no fue afectada por la forma del parche, pero sí por la vegetación circundante y por la interacción vegetación circundante-forma del parche. Las plantas de B. oleracea rodeadas por alfalfa crecieron menos, particularmente las de parches con mayor perímetro/área. El efecto de estas variables fue indirecto, a través de su efecto sobre la biomasa de las plantas. El parasitismo fue alto y similar en todos los parches, lo que sugiere que el gremio de parasitoides fue denso-independiente de la abundancia de su hospedero.

The replacement of native forests by Pinus radiata plantations modifies habitat availability and quality for wildlife, constituting a threat to species survival. However, the presence of understory in mature pine plantations minimizes the negative impacts of native forest replacement, rendering a secondary habitat for wildlife. Whether forest-dwelling species recolonize clear-felled areas pending on the spontaneous development of accompanying vegetation growing after harvesting is yet to be assessed. In this context, we analyze the abundance, movement and habitat selection of the endemic ground beetle Ceroglossus chilensis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in an anthropic forest landscape consisting of native forest remnants, adult pine plantations (> 20 years) with a well-developed understory, and young (1–2 years) pine plantations with varying degrees of accompanying vegetation development. Particularly, we analyze the likelihood that C. chilensis would recolonize young pine plantations depending on the presence (> 70% cover) or the absence (

1. Harmonia axyridis has invaded many regions of the world, with negative effects on local biodiversity, and thus it is of global concern for biological conservation. Recently it has invaded central Chile, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, where the abundance and richness of ladybird species, particularly native species in agroecosystems, have declined following its arrival. \ud 2. Harmonia axyridis is particularly abundant in spring in the valleys of central Chile, but there is a dramatic decline in its abundance during the hot summer months. \ud 3. This study reports the occurrence of this invasive alien species in the summer at high altitudes (3578 m asl) in the Andes, which is the highest record worldwide. Individuals were observed on native cushion plants, in a unique environment rich in endemic species. Harmonia axyridis were active, reproducing and co-occurring with three other species of coccinellids. \ud 4. The dispersal of H. axyridis and other coccinellids from the valleys to high altitudes could represent a mechanism to escape the adverse high temperatures during the summer, returning to the valleys in autumn. Our study highlights the need to study the impacts of invasive alien species across a range of habitats, including not only agricultural landscapes, but also extreme ecosystems.

The Harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis Pallas, native to eastern Asia, is an invasive, non-native species that has recently achieved an almost worldwide distribution. A conspicuous feature of this species is colour polymorphism of the elytra. In its native area, the populations consist of a recessive non-melanic morph, several dominant melanic morphs and small numbers of other (rare) morphs. The morph proportions in native populations have been intensively studied and vary with geographic area, climate and time. In contrast, colour polymorphism in invaded regions has been little studied. We examine and try to account for the morph frequencies observed across the different invaded regions. In America, monomorphic populations consist of the non-melanic morphs while European populations contain also melanic morphs. In particular geographic areas of Europe, the average percentage of the non-melanic morphs varied between 78 and 99%. It was highest in the lowlands of northern Italy and central and northern Europe and decreased in the Alps and western (Spain, UK) and eastern (southeast Russia) margins of the recently invaded area. In central Europe the frequency of the non-melanic morphs decreased over the course of the year but increased over the years from 2010 to 2018. The local differences might thus arise through gradual change of the morph composition of the founder invasive, non-native population. However, the variation in non-melanic morph frequency was not correlated with climatic characteristics that might affect coccinellid polymorphism. The observed rate of change in morph proportions in our data was too small to explain the diversification of what was supposedly a uniform invasive, non-native population at the point of introduction.

Interactions between landscape-scale processes and fine-grained habitat heterogeneity are usually invoked to explain species occupancy in fragmented landscapes. In variegated landscapes, however, organisms face continuous variation in micro-habitat features, which makes necessary to consider ecologically meaningful estimates of habitat quality at different spatial scales. We evaluated the spatial scales at which forest cover and tree quality make the greatest contribution to the occupancy of the long-horned beetle Microplophorus magellanicus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in a variegated forest landscape. We used averaged data of tree quality (as derived from remote sensing estimates of the decay stage of single trees) and spatially independent pheromone-baited traps to model the occurrence probability as a function of multiple cross-scale combinations between forest cover and tree quality (with scales ranging between 50 and 400 m). Model support and performance increased monotonically with the increasing scale at which tree quality was measured. Forest cover was not significant, and did not exhibit scale-specific effects on the occurrence probability of M. magellanicus. The interactive effect between tree quality and forest cover was stronger than the independent (additive) effects of tree quality and particularly forest cover. Significant interactions included tree quality measured at spatial scales ≥200 m, but cross-scale interactions occurred only in four of the seven best-supported models. M. magellanicus respond to the high-quality trees available in the landscape rather than to the amount of forest per se. Conservation of viable metapopulations of M. magellanicus should consider the quality of trees at spatial scales >200 m.

Mediterranean ecosystems have been recognized as a priority for biodiversity conservation due to their high levels of species richness and endemism. In South America, these environments are restricted to central Chile and represent a biodiversity hotspot. The study of saproxylic beetles in this area is an unexplored topic, despite the ecological role they play in these ecosystems and their potential usefulness for monitoring the degree of forest conservation. We investigated the diversity distribution of trophic guilds of saproxylic beetles in Chilean Mediterranean forests, to identify the main environmental variables that influence their distribution. We also analyzed seasonal dynamics as a key factor influencing insect communities and the effect of human disturbance on their diversity and composition. We identified characteristic species of perturbation degree as bioindicators for habitat monitoring. A total of 40 window traps were used to survey three Mediterranean forest types in the Río Clarillo National Reserve and the adjacent non-protected areas. We found that the diversity, abundance and composition of saproxylic beetles varied significantly spatiotemporally among the studied forest types and among perturbation degrees, showing different patterns depending on the trophic guild. Results indicated that conservation decisions should include the preservation of a larger range of different vegetation types and the nearby zones that have suffered low levels of disturbance or fragmentation and where actions promoting the presence of old native trees would have a significant conservation value. Financial support was given by the research Project FONDECYT 3140322 (Fondo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología) of the Chilean Government.

Aim:\ud Biological invasions are one of the major threats to biodiversity. Usually highly disturbed anthropogenic habitats favour invasion by alien species such as the coccinellid Harmonia axyridis. The spread and impact of this species has been documented in Europe and North America, but no information exists for South America. The aims of this study were to: 1) document the process of invasion of H. axyridis in Chile, 2) compare the abundance of H. axyridis in different habitats with varying degrees of disturbance, and 3) assess change in the coccinellid assemblages in alfalfa fields over the six years following invasion.\ud \ud Location: Chile\ud \ud Methods:\ud The spread of H. axyridis was estimated using information from citizen scientists alongside records from the National Pest Surveillance System. The abundance of H. axyridis in different habitat types and of all coccinellids in alfalfa fields was assessed using yellow sticky traps. In alfalfa, the variations in species richness, Shannon and Simpson diversity and equitability indices through time were compared.\ud \ud Results:\ud Harmonia axyridis has rapidly increased in distribution: there have been 1875 records along 2863 km up to 2015 following the first observation in 2008 from Central Chile. The records span from sea level to 3200 m a.s.l. in the Andes. It has spread at an average rate of 184.8 km per year, preferentially colonizing disturbed habitats, but also invading native habitats. In alfalfa it is particularly abundant and has become the dominant species, with a concomitant decrease in species richness and diversity of co-occurring species.\ud \ud Main conclusion: \ud Citizen science, alongside professional surveillance, has provided an effective method for studying invasion by H. axyridis, which is now well established and distributed across Chile. The rate of spread has been dramatic and the associated changes to the coccinellid community could disrupt the functioning, and ultimately resilience, of invaded ecosystems.

Comision Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (CONICYT) CONICYT FONDECYT 3160188 Proyecto GEF Corredores Biologicos de Montana ID MMA-ONU, Chile

Records of extreme altitudes where several coccinellid species from SouthAmerica inhabit the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,and Peru are provided. After an intensive review of several entomologicalcollections and literature, records for 35 species with at least one locationover 3500-m elevation were obtained, including the genera Cycloneda(ten species), Eriopis (15 species and one subspecies), Harmonia (one species),Hippodamia (two species), Mimoscymnus (two species), Psyllobora(one species), and Stenadalia (four species). In total, 184 location recordsare listed, of which 119 were frombetween 3000 and 4000m, 57 between4000 and 4900 m and eight above 4900 m, with the highest altituderecord at 5250 m for Eriopis minima Hofmann. All records above4000 m were obtained in the Puna biogeographic province within theParamo Puneña biogeographic subregion. These records are the highestaltitudes observed for the American continent and by far surpass othersknown for coccinellids worldwide. Several species of coccinellids living insympatry at these high altitudes were verified, and in some cases, in situ development was inferred by the presence of immature stages. Thesefindings are important to foresee the future effects of global warming thatwill affect especially the biological communities of extreme altitudes.

Agricultural intensification is one of the major causes for the global loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. As an alternative to conventional farming, organic management is considered a way to mitigate some of the negative impacts on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes; however, their benefits for bats are not very conclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that organic farming benefits bats in vineyards by improving conditions for foraging through increased availability of prey. We also hypothesized that bat activity would vary between edges and the interior of vineyards in response to prey availability that in turn would be influenced by agricultural management. Bat activity was quantified along edge and the interior of each vineyard type by using acoustic surveys. In addition, we sampled nocturnal flying insects at each site using light traps. Species richness and overall bat activity were significantly higher in organic than conventional vineyards, with organic edges concentrating the highest bat activity. Our results suggest negative effects of agricultural intensification on insectivorous bats. The high bat activity along edges compared to the interior of vineyards suggest that these structural features of the landscape are important components for bat populations in vineyards, and therefore should be considered within agricultural management in order to promote bat abundance and their role as pest suppressors.

Global biodiversity monitoring is urgently needed across the world to assess the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity. One way to increase monitoring is through citizen science. ‘Citizen science’ is a term that we use in this chapter to describe the diverse approaches that involve people in monitoring in a voluntary capacity, thus including participatory monitoring in which people work collaboratively with scientists in developing monitoring. There is great unrealised potential for citizen science, especially in Asia and Africa. However, to fulfil this potential citizen science will need to meet local needs (for participants, communities and decision makers, including people's own use of the data and their motivations to participate) and support global needs for biodiversity monitoring (including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets). Activities should be feasible (for participants to provide scientifically rigorous data) and useful (for data users, from local to global scales). We use examples from across the world to demonstrate how monitoring can engage different types of participants, through different technologies, to record different variables according to different sampling approaches. Overall, these examples show how citizen science has the potential to provide a step change in our ability to monitor biodiversity—and hence respond to threats at all scales from local to global.

The harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has rapidly spread in several continents over the past 30 years and is considered an invasive alien species. The success of H. axyridis as an invader is often attributed to weak control by natural enemies. In this paper, we provide an overview of current knowledge on predators and parasitoids of H. axyridis. The common feature of predators and parasitoids is that they directly kill exploited organisms. Currently available data show that H. axyridis, displaying a variety of chemical, mechanical, and microbiological anti-predator defenses, is usually avoided by predators. However, some birds and invertebrates can eat this ladybird without harmful consequences. The primary defenses of H. axyridis against parasitoids include immune response and physiological and nutritional unsuitability for parasitoid development. These defenses are probably relatively efficient against most ladybird parasitoids, but not against flies of the genus Phalacrotophora. The latter are idiobiont parasitoids and hence can evade the host’s immune response. Indeed, rates of parasitism of H. axyridis by Phalacrotophora in the Palaearctic region (both in the native range in Asia and in Europe) are relatively high. While strong evidence for enemy release on the invasive populations of H. axyridis is lacking, several cases of parasitoid acquisition have been recorded in Europe, North America, and South America. We conclude that enemy release cannot be excluded as a possible mechanism contributing to the spread and increase of H. axyridis in the early stages of invasion, but adaptation of parasitoids may lead to novel associations which might offset previous effects of enemy release. However, further work is required to elucidate the population-level effects of such interactions.

Tree plantations may play a role in the conservation of global forest biodiversity. At the landscape scale, plantations with a complex understory may provide surrogate habitats for forest-dwelling organisms. This was tested using a manipulative experiment in which the abundance, movement and survivorship of Ceroglossus chilensis (an endemic and flightless ground beetle) was examined in plantation forest stands where the density of the understory vegetation was manipulated. Between 2009 and 2012, we collected C. chilensis by pitfall trapping in nineteen plots with naturally high, naturally low and experimentally removed understory cover. Beetle movement was evaluated by direct observation, and survival was quantified as the proportion of days that individuals survived in closed and open containers half-buried in the soil. C. chilensis exhibited higher abundance in plots with naturally high than with low or experimentally removed understory cover. Beetles traveled shorter distances and preferred to stay in stands with developed understory. C. chilensis had significantly higher mortality by predators in plantations with scarce understory cover. Therefore, forest plantations with a dense understory can become surrogate habitats for C. chilensis, and may contribute to the conservation of its populations.

Native forest in central Chile has been increasingly replaced by exotic forest plantations. In particular, saproxylic beetles could be highly sensitive to exotic forest plantations due to the clear-cutting management decreases deadwood accumulation while promoting the incompleteness of the decay cycle. We assessed the diversity and density of saproxylic beetle species at two spatial levels (habitat and microhabitat) and compared them among native Maulino forest (Native), Blue-gum eucalyptus plantations (Eucalyptus) and Monterrey pine plantations (Pine). We sampled for adult beetles at 972 logs and stumps. Although exotic plantations and Native had relatively similar amounts of deadwood, beetle species were less diverse and abundant in exotic plantations. Such a decreased density and diversity of saproxylic beetles in plantations depended on the substrate type (logs or stamps), decay stage of wood and trophic level. With the exception of Polyphagous, the richness of all species and trophic guilds decreased in forest plantations, with Eucalyptus supporting the lowest density and richness. The microclimate and the toxic leaf litter in Eucalyptus probably caused the woody biomass to be unsuitable for beetles. Although the guilds of late-successional species were underrepresented in Pine, our results provide the first evidence that saproxylic beetles benefit from exotic woody debris available in Chilean pine plantations. An increased beetle density at expenses of reduced species richness in Pine indicates that ecosystem services provided by saproxylic beetles are not limited in Pine. We suggest the conservation of saproxylic beetles in Pine plantations involves the retention of woody debris along the management cycle. We thank to project FONDECYT Grant No. 1095046 and 1131133 as well to Proyecto Basal USA1555 (Usach).

The current trend toward simplification of agricultural landscapes, as well as the associated loss of perennial cover types, can decrease landscape heterogeneity and also natural enemy abundance and diversity, favouring exotic species. We evaluated the effects of agricultural landscape composition and heterogeneity at two different spatial scales (radii of 250 and 1000 m), on the diversity and abundance of native and exotic coccinellids, associated with alfalfa fields located in two regions of Central Chile. Data were analyzed using partial least square regressions, considering the whole coccinellid assemblage and the three most abundant species. In both regions, coccinellid diversity and the abundance and proportion of native coccinellids in alfalfa responded differentially from total abundance and the abundance of exotic coccinellids. The diversity and abundance of coccinellids in alfalfa increased with the compositional and configurational heterogeneity of the landscape. The abundance of both native and exotic coccinellids in alfalfa fields decreased as the area covered by cultivated lands, such as annual crops and orchards, increased. Nevertheless, the responses of native and exotic coccinellids were not consistent among regions, which may be explained by responses of the dominant species in each region. The results of the present study suggest that variables related to a higher intensification of agricultural landscapes (lower compositional and configurational heterogeneity, as well as more annual crops) reduce coccinellid diversity and abundance in alfalfa fields. To maintain a higher abundance and diversity of these natural enemies in alfalfa, more heterogeneous landscapes with less annual crops should be promoted.

Predators are important natural enemies, often responsible for preventing pest population outbreaks of in many crops. Complementarity in resource use involves spatial or temporal segregation of predators, which can result in better biological control when several species of natural enemies share a prey. In this study, we investigated the seasonal, spatial and diel segregation of Acyrthosiphon pisum predators and its predation in alfalfa fields, by setting out cards with sentinel aphids, and making observations every 3 h for a 24 h period. A temporal and spatial segregation of predators was observed. Coccinellids were the most abundant predators, representing 51% of the total observations, followed by syrphid larvae. Coccinellids were also responsible for high levels of predation throughout the year, although the species responsible varied from spring to summer and autumn. On the other hand, syrphids were only found in spring and summer, while spiders only in autumn. Predator species also differed on their preferred sites for predation, with Heteropterans and syrphids found on the foliage, the spider Neomaso articeps only on the ground, and coccinellid and Anyphaenidae species on both sites. The two main predator groups also showed distinct diel patterns, with coccinellids observed only during day and syrphids only during night. This predatory activity corresponded with aphid predation, observing more predation in spring, on the foliage and during the day time. The proportion of predators observed preying on cards in the different seasons did not corresponded tightly with their field abundance, particularly in the case of coccinellids, which maintained high levels of predation in spite of great variations in its field abundance. Our results support the hypothesis of a spatio-temporal segregation of the predators associated with A. pisum in alfalfa, which might be beneficial for the outcome of biological control of this pest.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) expects forestry plantations to contribute to biodi- versity conservation. A well-developed understory in forestry plantations might serve as a surrogate habitat for native species and mitigate the negative effect of plantations on species richness. We experimentally tested this hypothesis by removing the understory in Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) plantations in central Chile and assessing changes in species richness and abundance of medium-sized mammals. Frequency of occurrence of mammals, including kodkods (Leopardus guigna), culpeo foxes (Pseudalopex culpaeus), lesser grisons (Conepatus chinga), and Southern pudu deer (Pudu puda), was low in forest stands with little to no understory relative to stands with well-developed undergrowth vegetation. After removing the understory, their frequency of occurrence decreased significantly, whereas in control stands, where understory was not removed, their frequency did not change. This result strongly supports the idea that facilitating the development of undergrowth vegetation may turn forestry stands into secondary habitats as opposed to their containing no habitat for native mammals. This forestry practice could contribute to conservation of biological diversity as it pertains to CBD targets.

International audience; The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is native to Asia but has been intentionally introduced to many countries as a biological control agent of pest insects. In numerous countries, however, it has been introduced unintentionally. The dramatic spread of H. axyridis within many countries has been met with considerable trepidation. It is a generalist top predator, able to thrive in many habitats and across wide climatic conditions. It poses a threat to biodiversity, particularly aphidophagous insects, through competition and predation, and in many countries adverse effects have been reported on other species, particularly coccinellids. However, the patterns are not consistent around the world and seem to be affected by many factors including landscape and climate. Research on H. axyridis has provided detailed insights into invasion biology from broad patterns and processes to approaches in surveillance and monitoring. An impressive number of studies on this alien species have provided mechanistic evidence alongside models explaining large-scale patterns and processes. The involvement of citizens in monitoring this species in a number of countries around the world is inspiring and has provided data on scales that would be otherwise unachievable. Harmonia axyridis has successfully been used as a model invasive alien species and has been the inspiration for global collaborations at various scales. There is considerable scope to expand the research and associated collaborations, particularly to increase the breadth of parallel studies conducted in the native and invaded regions. Indeed a qualitative comparison of biological traits across the native and invaded range suggests that there are differences which ultimately could influence the population dynamics of this invader. Here we provide an overview of the invasion history and ecology of H. axyridis globally with consideration of future research perspectives. We reflect broadly on the contributions of such research to our understanding of invasion biology while also informing policy and people.

The effects of forest fragmentation on ecological interactions and particularly on food webs have scarcely been analysed. There is usually less herbivory in forest fragments than in continuous forests. Here we hypothesize that forest fragmentation enhances top-down control of herbivory through an increase in insectivorous birds and a decrease in herbivorous insects, with a consequent decrease in plant reproductive success in small forest fragments. In the Maulino forest in central Chile, we experimentally excluded birds from Aristotelia chilensis (Elaeocarpaceae) trees in both forest fragments and continuous forest, and analysed herbivore insect abundance, herbivory and plant reproductive success during two consecutive growing seasons. We expected that insect abundance and herbivory would increase, and reproductive success would decrease in A. chilensis from which birds have been excluded, particularly in forest fragments where bird abundance and predation pressure on insects is higher. The abundance of herbivorous insects was lower in the forest fragments than in the continuous forest only in the first season, and herbivory was lower in forest fragments than in the continuous forest throughout the study. Moreover, during the second growing season herbivory was greater in the excluded trees than in the control trees, and as expected, there was a greater difference in the fragments than in the continuous forest, but this was not statistically significant. Exclusion of birds did not affect the reproductive success of A. chilensis. Our results, after 2 years of study, demonstrate that birds affect the levels of herbivory on A. chilensis in the Maulino forest, but do not support our hypothesis of enhanced top-down control in fragmented forests, as the strength of the effect of excluding birds did not vary with fragmentation.