Dung beetle communities have been compared across north temperate latitudes. Tropical dung beetle communities appear to be more diverse based on studies using different methodologies. Here, we present results from a standardized sampling protocol used to compare dung beetle communities across five neotropical forests in Brazil and Ecuador and two warm, north temperate forests in Mississippi and Louisiana. Species richness in the tropical forests was three to seven times higher than the temperate forests, as would be expected by studies of other taxa across tropical and temperate latitudes. Average body size in the temperate forests was larger than the tropical forests, as predicted by Bergmann's rule. Dung beetle abundance and volume per trap-day were generally higher in Ecuador than Brazil, and higher in Mississippi than Louisiana, but there were no tropical-temperate differences. Species rank-abundance curves were similar within countries and between countries. Rank-volume distributions indicated a smaller range of beetle body sizes in Ecuador versus Brazil or the USA. Community similarity was high within countries and low between countries. Community differences between Brazil and Ecuador sites may be explained by differences in productivity based on geological age of the soils.

Em área de floresta primária da Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, foi feito o levantamento da ocorrência de insetos da família Scolytidae (Coleoptera), utilizando-se as armadilhas Escolitídeo/Curitiba e Marques/Carrano/Abreu, instaladas em alturas de 1m; 3 m; 5 m; 7,5 m e 10 m. Os dados de coleta foram avaliados quantitativa e qualitativamente. Dos 7.974 escolitídeos coletados, 4.131 (51,8%) o foram com a armadilha Escolitídeo/Curitíba e 3.843 (48,2 %) com a Marques/Carrano. Os dados revelam a existência de 14 gêneros e 168 espécies. O gênero Xyleborus foi responsável por mais de 50% das coletas e as principais espécies capturadas foram: Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff, que predominou durante o período do experimento, Xyleborus sp1, Premnobius cavipennis Eichhoff, Cryptocarenus heveae (Hagedorn), Cryptocarenus diadematus Eggers, Monarthrum sp1, Hypothenemus eruditus Westwood, Hypothenemus obscurus Fabricius e Xylosandrus compactus Eichhoff.

A survey on the occurrence of insecta of the Scolytidae family (Coleoptera) was carried out in the area of primary forest of the forest Reserve Adolpho Ducke, with flight traps Escolitídeo/Curitiba and Marques/Carrano/Abreu, installed at height of 1m; 3 m; 5 m; 7.5 m, and 10 m. The collected data were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. From the 7974 Scolytidae insects collected, 4131 (51.8%) were captured in the Escolitídeo/Curitiba traps and 3843 (48.2 %) in the Marques/Carrano traps. The genus Xyleborus was responsible for more than 50% of the total collection and the principal species were: Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff was predominant during the whole period of the experiment, Xyleborus sp1, Premnobius cavipennis Eichhoff, Cryptocarenus heveae (Hagedorn), Cryptocarenus diadematus Eggers, Monarthrum sp1, Hypothenemus eruditus Westwood, Hypothenemus obscurus Fabricius, and Xylosandrus compactus Eichhoff.

Coleópteros da família Passalidae, com distribuição pantropical, parecem contribuir, pelo menos em parte, para a reciclagem dos nutrientes nas florestas, facilitando a penetração de umidade e de microorganismos decompositores no interior dos troncos mortos, pela abertuda de galerias. Aspectos da bionomia de Passalus convexus Dalm. e Passalus latifrons Perch. Foram estudados durante um ciclo sazonal completo, com levantament dos tipos de troncos atacadio, fauna acompanhante e os estágios de decomposição mais propícios à colonização.

Beetles of the family Passalidae, with pantropical distribution, appear partially to contribute in the cycle of the forest nutrients favouring humidity penetration and microrganisms action, in the trunks, by its galleries.Bionomics os Passalus convexus Dalm. and P. latifronsPerch., was studied during a sazonal cycle; identification of attacked trunks, related fauna and decomposition stages, which determinate colonization was observed.