BINCO vzw, Rijmenamsesteenweg 189, 3150 Haacht, Belgium.
J Insect Sci. 2013;13:21. doi: 10.1673/031.013.2101.
Jewel scarabs, beetles in the genus Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Rutelinae: Scarabaeidae), receive their name from the bright, often gold, green elytra that reflect light like a precious stone. Jewel scarabs are commonly observed at light traps in Mesoamerican cloud forests, and their association with mountain forests makes them potentially interesting candidates for cloud forest conservation monitoring. The absence of survey protocols and identification tools, and the little ecological information available are barriers. In the present study, collection of Chrysina species assembled during biodiversity surveys by Operation Wallacea in Cusuco National Park (CNP), Honduras, were studied. The aim of this overview is to provide an easy to use identification tool for in the field, hopefully stimulating data collection on these beetles. Based on the data associated with the collection localities, elevation distribution of the species in the park was analyzed. The limited data points available were complemented with potential distribution areas generated with distribution models based on climate and elevation data. This study is aimed at initializing the development of a survey protocol for Chrysina species that can be used in cloud forest conservation monitoring throughout Central America. A list of Chrysina species recorded from Honduras so far is provided. The six identified and one unidentified species recorded from CNP are easy to identify in the field based on color and straightforward morphological characteristics. Literature research revealed ten species currently recorded from Honduras. This low species richness in comparison with surrounding Central American countries indicates the poor knowledge of this genus in Honduras. Chrysina species richness in CNP increases with elevation, thereby making the genus one of a few groups of organisms where this correlation is observed, and rendering it a suitable invertebrate representative for cloud forest habitats in Central America.
宝石金龟，属鞘翅目金龟科（金花虫科：金龟总科）的甲虫，得名于其明亮的、通常呈金黄色的鞘翅，在光线下像宝石一样反射光芒。宝石金龟常在中美洲云雾森林的灯光陷阱中被观察到，由于它们与山地森林有关，因此它们可能是云雾森林保护监测的有趣候选者。缺乏调查协议和鉴定工具，以及可用的生态信息很少，这是障碍。在本研究中，研究了在洪都拉斯库苏科国家公园（CNP）的 Operation Wallacea 生物多样性调查期间收集的 Chrysina 物种。本综述的目的是提供一种易于在野外使用的鉴定工具，希望能激发对这些甲虫的更多数据收集。根据与采集地点相关的数据，分析了该公园内物种的海拔分布。利用基于气候和海拔数据的分布模型生成的潜在分布区域来补充现有数据点。本研究旨在为在中美洲的云雾森林保护监测中使用的 Chrysina 物种调查协议的制定提供初始基础。提供了迄今为止从洪都拉斯记录的 Chrysina 物种列表。从 CNP 记录的六种已识别和一种未识别的物种可以根据颜色和简单的形态特征在野外轻松识别。文献研究揭示了目前从洪都拉斯记录的十种物种。与周围中美洲国家相比，该物种丰富度较低，表明人们对该属在洪都拉斯的了解甚少。CNP 中的 Chrysina 物种丰富度随海拔升高而增加，这使得该属成为在中美洲云雾森林生境中观察到这种相关性的少数生物群体之一，并且使其成为云雾森林生境中适合的无脊椎动物代表。
