Inventory of tiger- and ground-beetles (Coleoptera Caraboidea: Cicindelidae, Carabidae) from the Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique)
Citation
Serrano A R M, Carvalho R, Boieiro M, Borges P A V, Martins da Silva P, Baptista M (2023). Inventory of tiger- and ground-beetles (Coleoptera Caraboidea: Cicindelidae, Carabidae) from the Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique). Version 1.8. Universidade dos Açores. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/hwjbhd accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-09-01.Description
The Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique) is one of the most emblematic protected areas in Africa, well known for its vertebrate biodiversity and restoration ecology efforts following the Mozambican civil war in 1992. The invertebrate biodiversity of Gorongosa National Park is still poorly studied, although the scarce information available indicates the existence of a rich number of species, particularly ground-beetles. The study of Caraboidea beetles is key for designing conservation practices since they are frequently used as biodiversity and ecological indicators and provide valuable information to help decision making. Therefore, the diversity assessment of Caraboidea beetles using standardized methodologies, can be used to quantify the effects of climate change in areas identified as vulnerable to climate change, such as the Gorongosa National Park. We report the occurrence of five tiger-beetles (Cicindelidae) and 93 ground-beetles (Carabidae) species/morphospecies in Gorongosa National Park from a field survey funded by the ECOASSESS project. Sampling was performed in the four main habitat types present in the park (miombo tropical forest, mixed dry forest, transition forest and grasslands) between October 25th and November 25th. In this sampling window, the turnover of Caraboidea species from the dry season to the wet season was recorded for the first time. Twenty-eight species of ground-beetles are new records to Mozambique, including 4 new subgenera and 2 new genera. Additional information on species phenology and habitat preferences is also provided.Sampling Description
Study Extent
ECOASSESS survey focused on the four main habitat types, i.e. miombo tropical forest, mixed dry forest, transition forest and grasslands, encompassing the low plateau of the Gorongosa National Park, in a total sampling area of 56130 m2. These habitats were selected considering the ecosystem changes and complex dynamics due to seasonal flooding and human disturbance in this area of the park. Within each habitat type, 25 sampling plots were randomly distributed, with a minimum distance of 1 km between each otherSampling
Caraboidea beetle sampling was done by using pitfall traps (Drift, 1951; Greenslade, 1964). At each sampling plot, three pitfall traps (sub-samples) were placed according to a triangle arrangement, with 5 m of separation between them. Pitfall traps consisted of plastic vials of 10cm diameter and filled to approximately 75-80% capacity with ethyleneglycol (5%). To include the seasonal effects on community dynamics, Caraboidea beetles were collected on three sampling periods: T1 (25 October to 5 November) and T2 (5-15 November), both during the dry season, and T3 (15-25 November) in the wet season, comprising ten days per sampling window. During pitfall collection, the content of each pitfall was enclosed in a cloth bag and all bags were transported in jerricans filled with 100% ethanol to the laboratory at the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (University of Lisbon, Portugal) for sorting and taxonomic identification to the species/subspecies level, or morphospecies using several specialized keys. Data from pitfall sub-samples were then pooled before data analysisQuality Control
All carabid and cicindelid specimens were taxonomically identified by Artur R. M. Serrano.Method steps
- Whenever possible the identification was made to the subspecies or species level, otherwise, the specimens were separated as morphospecies
Taxonomic Coverages
The following Classe and Order are covered: Insecta: Coleoptera; Caraboidea
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Carabidaecommon name: ground-beetle rank: family
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Cicindelidaecommon name: tiger-beetes rank: family
Geographic Coverages
This study was carried out in the Gorongosa National Park (18°58′04.84″ S, 34°21′41.64″ E), located in the centre of Mozambique, occupying around 4000 km2 of the Sofala Province
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
Artur R. M. Serranooriginator
position: Researcher
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Rua Ernesto de Vasconcelos Ed. C2, Campo Grande
Lisbon
1749- 016
Lisbon
PT
email: aserrano@fc.ul.pt
homepage: https://ce3c.ciencias.ulisboa.pt/member/arturrmserrano
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4282-6073
Rui Carvalho
originator
position: Researcher
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Rua Ernesto de Vasconcelos Ed. C2, Campo Grande
Lisbon
1749- 016
Lisbon
PT
email: rui.m.carvalho@gmail.com
Mário Boieiro
originator
position: Researcher
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores
Angra do Heroísmo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: mboieiro@fc.ul.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/maacuterio-rui-canelas-boieiro
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9087-091X
Paulo A. V. Borges
originator
position: Associate Professor
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores
Angra do Heroísmo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623
Pedro Martins da Silva
originator
position: Researcher
Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra
Calçada Martim de Freitas
Coimbra
3000-456
Coimbra
PT
email: pedrogpmartins@gmail.com
homepage: https://www.cienciavitae.pt/3314-5AAD-48D7
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5930-264X
Martim Baptista
originator
position: Researcher
Universidade de Lisboa
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Rua Ernesto de Vasconcelos Ed. C2, Campo Grande
Lisbon
1749- 016
Lisbon
PT
email: martimbaptista@hotmail.com
Rui Carvalho
metadata author
position: Researcher
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Rua Ernesto de Vasconcelos Ed. C2, Campo Grande
Lisbon
1749- 016
Lisbon
PT
email: rui.m.carvalho@gmail.com
Rui Carvalho
content provider
position: Researcher
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Rua Ernesto de Vasconcelos Ed. C2, Campo Grande
Lisbon
1749- 016
Lisbon
PT
email: rui.m.carvalho@gmail.com
Paulo A. V. Borges
curator
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores
Angra do Heroísmo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623
Rui Carvalho
administrative point of contact
position: Researcher
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Rua Ernesto de Vasconcelos Ed. C2, Campo Grande
Lisbon
1749- 016
Lisbon
PT
email: rui.m.carvalho@gmail.com
Paulo A. V. Borges
administrative point of contact
position: Associate Professor
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores
Angra do Heroísmo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623