Coleoptera of Togo: data of the LEA Insect Collection of the University of Lome

Study Extent

The dataset described in this article consists exclusively of insect samples collected between 1990 and 2013 in various locations in the 5 ecological zones of Togo. Nearly half of this collection (47.39%) comes from the southwestern part of ecological zone IV and dates from 2005 while about 16% of the specimens were collected in 2001.

Sampling

Sampling of insect specimens took place as follows: 1. Coleoptera specimens sampling A combination of several active and passive methods has been used to increase the chances of catching Coleoptera species. These methods are: threshing, hunting by sight, trapping, fruit incubation, rearing and collection by the strainer. 1.1. Threshing, hunting and trapping Threshing, hunting and trapping (Franck 2008, Nageleisen and Bouget 2009) were used at the level of transects in the FCM and the Botanical Garden of the University of Lome, where field trips were organized. Threshing has been done in some trees. As for hunting by sight, according to Martin (1983), it makes it possible to detect trophic links between the species. This active hunting at sight with sweep nets, pliers, knives, machetes or even the hand, was made along the transects where the vegetation was studied thanks to a botanist of the Laboratory of Botany and Plant Ecology at the University of Lome. The stems and foliage of the plants were scanned and searched to detect and capture Coleoptera adults. Similarly, various active and/or passive traps were used: - aerial traps hanging on trees and baited; - fluorescent ultraviolet light traps placed above a sheet (night hunting). Specimens of insects captured by the various methods were anesthetized with ethyl acetate in jars. These will be sorted per trap type or capture method. 1.2. Incubation of fruits Incubation of various fruits made for the purpose of inventorying fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) (Vayssières et al. 2004, 2010a, 2010b, Gomina et al. 2012, 2014, Gomina 2015); allowed to sample some beetles. This is the example of S. mangiferae obtained from the incubation of mangoes and whose larvae develop in the nucleus of this fruit (De Roffignac et al. 2007, CABI, 2017). 1.3. Rearing The specimens of bruchts were obtained by raising them on cowpea (Ketoh et al. 2000, 2002, Amevoin et al. 2006, Doumma et al. 2011). 1.4. Sampling by the strainer The use of the strainer for the sampling of beetle specimens has been done in the wetlands, in this case in the ponds and lagoon of Be of Lome.

Quality Control

The quality of the data is taken into account by the various sampling methods (Martin 1983, Vayssières et al. 2004, Amevoin et al. 2006, Franck 2008, Nageleisen and Bouget, 2009), mounting and conservation. (Perron, 1993; Franck, 2008) of the different Coleoptera specimens constituting this dataset. Similarly, rigorous identification of samples using Lepesme (1953), Allard (1985, 1986), Delvare and Aberlenc (1989), Rigout (1989), Allard (1991, 1993), Rigout and Allard (1992), Robiche et al. (2002) and especially the expertise of specialists in the field at the IITA Museum and the “Royal Museum of Central Africa” have allowed the reliable identification of the various specimens collected. The precise coordinates of sampling sites of all the specimens (1,237 specimens or about 63.92%) from the Missahoe Classified Forest were replaced by that of the localities because these specimens are threatened through their anarchic hunting for trade (MERF/PNUD 2010). Likewise, the rest of the specimens collected by students, technicians and teachers were kept at the laboratory under the name of the sampling localities without the respectives coordinates. The coordinates of localities were obtained by using GPS "eTrex® 10, Garmin". Then the map (Figure 2) was obtained by projecting these coordinates on a georeferenced map of the ecological zones of Togo with ArcGIS Software (ESRI 2014). When entering data into an Excel file, the names of the genera and species of the specimens and the names of the authors who identified them were verified online (http://www.google.com).

Method steps

1. After the capture (see detail under section "Sampling description") of the specimens in the field, several steps were followed and allowed to obtain "Darwin Core Archive" from this dataset. 1. Preparation of captured insect species Only one sample at a time per station and per trap type or method of hunting was processed to avoid cross-contamination of samples and labeling problems of specimens. All individuals of different species were prepared (mounted) and keep in entomological boxes after oven drying for identification (Perron 1993, Franck 2008). 2. Identification of insect species The families of the various specimens were identified in the LEA using the keys of Delvare and Aberlenc (1989). The identification of samples up to the genus and species was done at the IITA Museum by comparison of the preserved specimens and in consulting Lepesme (1953), Allard (1985, 1986), Rigout (1989), Allard (1991, 1993), Rigout and Allard (1992), Robiche et al. (2002). Specimens that could not be identified at IITA were determined at the Royal Museum of Central Africa (RMCA) in Tervuren, Belgium. 3. Dataset and dataset publication The raw data of the species identified concerning the biotope, the season and date of capture, the number of individuals caught per species and per a given capture method, the collector(s) were taken into account during setting up this dataset. After entering these data in an "Excel" file taking into account "Darwin Core Terms", the resulting file was converted to a "Text" format file and subsequently cleaned using OpenRefine software. After cleaning the file, it was saved in "tsv" format before being imported into the IPT (Integrated Publishing Toolkit) of the GBIF-Togo Node hosted by GBIF France. Finally, after the Metadata Mapping and their publication on the IPT, the file "Darwin Core Archive" was generated.

Of the 319 Coleoptera taxa collected, 184 were identified up to the species level, and 69 to genus; thanks to specialists from IITA Museum in Cotonou-Benin and the Royal Museum of Central Africa (RMCA) in Tervuren, Belgium. According to Figure 6, the families of Scarabaeidae and Cerambycidae are the most abundant in the collection with respectively 31.35 and 21.94%. Similarly, the Scarabaeidae family is the most diverse (90 species) followed by that of Cerambycidae (55 species) (Table 1 and Annex 1).

1. Animalia
   rank: kingdom
2. Arthropoda
   rank: phylum
3. Insecta
   rank: class
4. Coleoptera
   rank: order
5. Cicindelidae, Carabidae, Histeridae, Lycidae, Meloidae, Elateridae, Buprestidae, Erotylidae, Cleridae, Coccinellidae, Tenebrionidae, Lagriidae, Bostrichidae, Curculionidae, Passalidae, Lucanidae, Melyridae, Lampyridae, Chrysomelidae, Cerambycidae, Scarabaeidae, Dytiscidae, Hydrophilidae, Staphylinidae
   rank: family

The different specimens of Coleoptera composing this dataset were sampled in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of the 5 ecological zones of Togo. In fact, 63.92% of the specimens representing 1,237 occurrences of the dataset come from the ecological zone IV, particularly from the FCM. Then, Lome and its peripheries (Agoe, Agbalepedo) located in ecological zone V, recorded secondly the maximum of occurrences (428 or 22.11%). Finally, in ecological zones II, III and I the maximum number of specimens was collected respectively in Kpewa, Atakpame and Sibortoti with respectively 5.37 (104 occurrences), 0.82 (16 occurrences) and 0.72% (14 occurrences) of 1,935 specimens collected.