Endogean beetles (Coleoptera) of Guatemala: deep soil sampling and illustrated DNA barcode library

Abstract

We document the diversity of endogean beetles discovered by us in the deep soil in Guatemala. They belong to eight families: Carabidae, Histeridae, Jacobsoniidae (first record for the country), Ptiliidae, Staphylinidae (subfamilies Aleocharinae, Leptotyphlinae, Osoriinae, Paederinae, Pselaphinae, Scydmaeninae, Staphylinidae), Scarabaeidae, Tenebrionidae, and Curculionidae. In total, we took 26 soil samples, each 20–40 litres in volume, and extracted from them 444 endogean adult beetles. To facilitate further studies of these poorly known organisms, often belonging to unnamed species and/or genera, we provide an open access online DNA barcode library containing 78 representative specimens (dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-VGDS26). This is the first dedicated study highlighting the diversity of wingless and often eyeless beetles inhabiting the deep soil in Central America.

Keywords

• Coleoptera
• beetle
• endogean
• deep soil
• Guatemala