Abstract

PACHECO FLORES, Cutberto; CASTRO RAMIREZ, Adriana E.; MORON, Miguel A.  and  GOMEZ Y GOMEZ, Benigno. Fauna de escarabajos melolóntidos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) en el Municipio de Villaflores, Chiapas, México. Acta Zool. Mex [online]. 2008, vol.24, n.1, pp.139-168. ISSN 2448-8445.

A first approach to the knowledge of the Melolonthid beetles of the region Frailesca in the State of Chiapas, Mexico, is presented. Most part of the original tropical deciduous forest today is replaced by great extensions with agricultural and cattle production. Studied localities were Francisco Villa, Cuauhtémoc, El Jardín and the surrounds of Villaflores city, all from the municipality of Villaflores. Diurnal and nocturnal systematic collections of adult beetles were made in agricultural parcels during May to September, 2006, by mean of light traps, transects, and fruit traps We obtained 6,780 specimens that represent four subfamilies, eight tribes, 17 genera and 46 species. The genera with greatest number of species and individuals were Phyllophaga, Diplotaxis and Ligyrus; along with the species of the genera Cyclocephala, Anomala and Strigoderma cover 88,7% of the total abundance. An updated list of the 368 species of Melolonthidae recorded in the state of Chiapas is included.

Keywords : Phyllophaga; Diplotaxis; Ligyrus; Frailesca region; tropical deciduous forest; hosts; maize.