Survey of the Dynastine Beetles of Costa Rica and Panama

该项目支持对哥斯达黎加和巴拿马的圣甲虫王朝进行生物调查。由于其丰富的多样性、数量以及在某些情况下的大小和体型，王朝是昆虫动物群的重要组成部分；这些是热带地区的犀牛或独角兽甲虫。哥斯达黎加和巴拿马的Dynastinae亚科包括32属，约161种，还有新种有待描述。该项目的目标是：(1)研究已经在哥斯达黎加、巴拿马和北美的研究收藏中的王朝蝇，(2)在哥斯达黎加和巴拿马的许多地方和不同季节集中收集（主要是在灯光陷阱、飞行拦截陷阱和腐烂的原木中）。(3)在哥斯达黎加、巴拿马和美国收集并保存权威鉴定的藏品，(4)向其他人提供复制标本，(5)出版一份关于该群体在哥斯达黎加和巴拿马存在的专题调查。本专著将包括所有分类群的双语识别密钥、所有分类群的描述、地理和时间分布、生态和生活史数据、生物地理数据以及大量插图。该项目意义重大，因为它将首次提供有关这些甲虫在中美洲出现的所有方面的广泛文件。这种对王朝的详细处理在拉丁美洲的任何大陆国家都没有做过。该研究也将为今后对这些甲虫的研究提供良好的分类学基础。未来关于生物地理学、系统发育推断和生态关系的研究只能通过这次调查收集到的数据来完成。

This project supports a biological survey of the dynastine scarab beetles of Costa Rica and Panama. Dynastines are prominent elements of the entomofauna as a result of their rich diversity, numbers and, in some instances, their size and body form; these are the rhinoceros or unicorn beetles of the tropics. The subfamily Dynastinae in Costa Rica and Panama consists of 32 genera and approximately 161 species with new species awaiting description. The objectives of the project are to (1) study the Dynastinae already residing in research collections in Costa Rica, Panama, and North America, (2) collect intensively in numerous localities and different seasons in Costa Rica and Panama (primarily at light traps, flight intercept traps and in rotting logs), (3) assemble and deposit authoritatively identified collections in Costa Rica, Panama, and the United States, (4) make available to others duplicate specimens, and (5) publish a monographic survey of this group as it exists in Costa Rica and Panama. Included in the monograph will be bilingual identification keys to all taxa, descriptions of all taxa, geographic and temporal distributions, ecological and life history data, biogeographical data, and numerous illustrations. The project is significant because it will provide the first extensive documentation on all aspects of these beetles as they occur in Central America. This kind of detailed treatment of Dynastinae has never been done for any mainland country in Latin America. The study will also provide a sound taxonomic basis for all future studies on these beetles. Future studies dealing with biogeography, phylogenetic inferences, and ecological relationships can only be accomplished with the kind of data gathered in this proposed survey.