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Global biodiversity gradients are generally expected to reflect greater species replacement closer to the equator. However, empirical validation of global biodiversity gradients largely relies on vertebrates, plants, and other less diverse taxa. Here we assess the temporal and spatial dynamics of global arthropod biodiversity dynamics using a beta-diversity framework. Sampling includes 129 sampling sites whereby malaise traps are deployed to monitor temporal changes in arthropod communities. Overall, we encountered more than 150,000 unique barcode index numbers (BINs) (i.e. species proxies). We assess between site differences in community diversity using beta-diversity and the partitioned components of species replacement and richness difference. Global total beta-diversity (dissimilarity) increases with decreasing latitude, greater spatial distance and greater temporal distance. Species replacement and richness difference patterns vary across biogeographic regions. Our findings support long-standing, general expectations of global biodiversity patterns. However, we also show that the underlying processes driving patterns may be regionally linked.

Taxonomy underpins biological research because names are needed for comparative analysis, conservation status, and public communication. Despite this, many species remain undescribed and are therefore vulnerable and unprotected, particularly in the tropics. Neotropical Staphylinidae beetles (Coleoptera) are among the insect groups most likely to contain significant unknown and/or cryptic diversity. Here we used an integrative taxonomic framework to conduct a preliminary review of one particularly diverse genus of Staphylinidae (Anotylus) in Área de Conservaciόn Guanacaste, northwestern Costa Rica. We began by DNA barcoding novel collections and using Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) as an estimate of taxonomic diversity; we found 18 provisional new species. We augmented this genetic analysis with a morphometric analysis of adult morphological characters and found that we could differentiate most provisional species by external morphology as well as by elevation of collection. All the most abundant species could be differentiated from each other by differences in body size. One BIN included slight (~1%) genetic variation that corresponded with some morphological differentiation suggesting the existence of two species within a DNA BIN. Our results support the efficacy of DNA barcoding collections of tropical insects as an effective biodiversity estimator, one that can be used as a primer for integrative taxonomic studies using BINs as species hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report one year (2013-2014) of biomonitoring an insect community in a tropical old-growth rain forest, during construction of an industrial-level geothermal electricity project. This is the first-year reaction by the species-rich insect biodiversity; six subsequent years are being analyzed now. The site is on the margin of a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), in northwestern Costa Rica. This biomonitoring is part of Costa Rica's ongoing efforts to sustainably retain its wild biodiversity through biodevelopmental integration with its societies. Essential tools are geothermal engineering needs, entomological knowledge, insect species-rich forest, government-NGO integration, common sense, DNA barcoding for species-level identification, and Malaise traps. This research is tailored for integration with its society at the product level. We combine an academic view with on-site engineering decisions. This biomonitoring requires alpha-level DNA barcoding combined with centuries of morphology-based entomological taxonomy and ecology. Not all desired insect community analyses are performed; they are for data from subsequent years combined with this year. We provide enough analysis to be used by both guilds now. This biomonitoring has shown, for the first year, that the geothermal project impacts only the biodiversity within a zone less than 50 m from the project margin. Key words: DNA barcode, geothermal project, Costa Rica, biomonitoring with insects, ICE/ACG/SINAC/MINAE/GDFCF. Les auteurs rapportent les résultats d'une première année (2013-2014) de biosurveillance d'une communauté d'insectes dans une forêt tropicale ancienne, au cours de la construction d'un complexe industriel de génération d'électricité géothermique. Il s'agit de la première année de réaction de cette communauté d'insectes riche en espèces; six années subséquentes sont en cours d'analyse. Le site est situé à la marge d'un site du Patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, l'Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), dans le nord-ouest du Costa Rica. Ce travail de biosurveillance s'inscrit dans les efforts en cours au Costa Rica pour maintenir de manière durable sa biodiversité sauvage via une intégration bio-développementale avec ses sociétés. Les outils essentiels en sont les besoins en génie géothermique, les connaissances en entomologie, une forêt riche en espèces, une intégration gouvernement-ONG, le sens commun, le codage à barres de l'ADN pour l'identification au niveau de l'espèce et les pièges Malaise. Cette recherche est faite sur mesure pour favoriser l'intégration avec la société au niveau du produit. Les auteurs combinent une vision académique avec la prise de décisions d'ingénierie sur le site. La biosurveillance nécessite un codage à barres de niveau alpha combiné avec une taxonomie et une écologie séculaires fondées sur la morphologie. Ce ne sont pas toutes les analyses de communautés d'insectes qui sont réalisées; elles le seront pour les données des années subséquentes lorsque celles-ci auront été combinées aux données de cette année. Les auteurs réalisent suffisamment d'analyses pour être utiles aux deux guildes pour l'instant. Cette biosurveillance a montré, pour la première année, que le projet de géothermie touche uniquement la biodiversité située dans une zone à moins de 50 m de la marge du projet. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés: codes-barres à l'ADN, projet de géothermie, Costa Rica, biosurveillance d'insectes, ICE/ACG/SINAC/MINAE/GDFCF., Introduction Philosophical The detailed reactions of the biodiversity of whole terrestrial communities of tropical wild eukaryotic biodiversity, to industrial-scale perturbations, have not yet become a major topic of research interest [...]

The Ornate Moth, Utetheisa ornatrix, has served as a model species in chemical ecology studies for decades. Like in the widely publicized stories of the Monarch and other milkweed butterflies, the Ornate Moth and its relatives are tropical insects colonizing whole continents assisted by their chemical defenses. With the recent advances in genomic techniques and evo-devo research, it is becoming a model for studies in other areas, from wing pattern development to phylogeography, from toxicology to epigenetics. We used a genomic approach to learn about Utetheisa's evolution, detoxification, dispersal abilities, and wing pattern diversity. We present an evolutionary genomic analysis of the worldwide genus Utetheisa, then focusing on U. ornatrix. Our reference genome of U. ornatrix reveals gene duplications in the regions possibly associated with detoxification abilities, which allows them to feed on toxic food plants. Finally, comparative genomic analysis of over 100 U. ornatrix specimens from the museum with apparent differences in wing patterns suggest the potential roles of cortex and lim3 genes in wing pattern formation of Lepidoptera and the utility of museum-preserved collection specimens for wing pattern research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]