Hector Jaime Gasca Alvarez

Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia | UPTC · Facultad de Ciencias Básicas

Este es un homenaje a la memoria de Germán Amat García por parte de algunos de sus estudiantes, quienes quisimos recordar los momentos más memorables y exaltar su contribución a la entomología en Colombia y sus valiosos aportes como docente, investigador y directivo. Su labor docente por más de 30 años fue un legado para numerosos estudiantes de pr...

The new species Amithao miradorensis Gasca-Álvarez and Deloya, is described from southern Mexico and compared to related species. Color photographs of habitus and male genitalia of the new species and related species are provided and compared. An updated taxonomic key to species in the genus in both English and Spanish is provided. Diversity and di...

The indigenous communities of the Colombian Amazon East maintain their traditional knowledge for the use of their resources. Insects have been used as an alternative food that has been included as part of their daily diet. Fourteen species of edible insects belonging to 15 families of five orders were recorded in the communities of Santa María de I...

Insects have been used worldwide as a source of food, and edible species are eaten both as immature (eggs, larvae, pupae, and nymphs) and in some cases as adults. In this regard, several scholars and researchers seek to promote an alternative entomological trend and highlight the potential of insects as a high-quality nutritional option. The consum...

En la Amazonía colombiana, los insectos constituyen un recurso natural abundante, el cual es aprovechado mediante el consumo de especies comestibles. Históricamente, los pueblos indígenas son entomofágicos y han incluido a insectos y otros artrópodos en sus dietas. En el presente estudio, se analiza el uso tradicional de insectos comestibles en las...

Dyslexia Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, new genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Erotylini), is described and illustrated. The genus is comprised of four new species, all described by Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez: D. belamyi, D. dathomirria, D. pulcricolor, and D. tomasi. The unique broad head structures of this genus are characterized and compared...

Michyrus Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, new genus, is a Neotropical Tritomini (Coleoptera: Ero­tylidae: Erotylinae) with many unusual characters, whose relationships are unclear. Two new species are described: M. thomasi Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez and M. yvineci Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez. Resumen. Michyrus Skelley y Gasca-Álvarez, nuevo género, es un Tr...

A new Aegidium Westwood species from the East Andes Mountains in Colombia is described and illustrated. A key to the species of Aegidium from Colombia is provided in both English and Spanish. The check list of Aegidium especies of the New World is provided. RESUMEN

The scarab beetle Cyclocephala panthera Dechambre, 1979, previously known from Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, is recorded from Colombia for the first time and redescribed. The redescription is provided with illustrations of the diagnostic characters and a map of the known distribution of the species.

The aim of this work is to describe and illustrate new teratological cases in species of the genus Phyllophaga. A total of 830 specimens collected in 2013 and 2017 in Sierra Sur region of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico were reviewed. Two cases of morphological anomalies were found. The first case is a clypeal malformation in Phyllophaga dasypoda, and...

Bacis nigropictus Crotch, 1876 and Phricobacis flavomaculatus Mader, 1943 are redescribed. Redescriptions are provided with illustrations of diagnostic characters. Based upon the study of type material, Zonarius limbatus Kuhnt, 1910 is considered a new synonym of B. nigropictus. A lectotype is designated for Zonarius limbatus Kuhnt, 1910. Based on...

The larvae of Cotinis aliena Woodruff, 2008 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), from the type locality in the Florida Keys (United States of America), are described and illustrated for the first time and compared with the known larvae of other Cotinis Burmeister, 1842 species. A revised key to the known third instars of New World Gym...

An unusual eye malformation observed in Trichiotinus rufobrunneus (Casey) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Trichiini), is described and illustrated. The functionality of the ectopic compound eye is discussed. According to label data, larval association with oak rotten log habitats is reported. Se describe e ilustra una malformación inusual en...

A taxonomic synopsis and analysis of the potential distribution of the three Cotinis species found in Colombia are presented, based on the revision of 212 specimens deposited in 20 entomological collections. Based on collection information and geo-referencing locality data, the rate of record accumulation over time and observed distribution for eac...

A new brachypterous species of Onthophagus from Mexico, belonging to the New World chevrolati species group, is described and illustrated. Illustrations of the male and female dorsal habitus, and genitalia are provided. The relationships with other brachypterous species that occur in Guerrero (Mexico) are discussed. Placement of the new species in...

A new Orizabus species is described from Chilapa de Álvarez in the state of Guerrero (Mexico). The new species is similar to Orizabus rawlinsi Dechambre Bull Soc Entomol Fr 98:342, 1993, which is known from the state of Oaxaca but differs in the pygidial punctation, and the shape of the marginal pronotal bead and the parameres. A revised identifica...

Seven new teratological cases in five species of the American genus Cotinis Burmeister are described and illustrated. Anomalies affect head structures, the pronotum, elytra, and pygidium. A compilation of previously described teratological cases in 48 species of Scarabaeoidea is provided.

The female of Hologymnetis reyesi Gasca and Deloya is described and illustrated for the first time based upon specimens from Estado de México, Mexico, new state record. The species is also herein reported from the state of Guerrero, new state record. A bilingual key in Spanish and English to all the species of Hologymnetis Martínez is presented and...

An updated and annotated checklist of the Pentodontini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of the New World is presented. The tribe is composed of 32 genera and 151 species, including the introduced species Heteronychus arator (Fabricius).

The female of Cyclocephala monacha Ratcliffe is described and illustrated for the first time. Biological and distribu-tional data are provided. A preliminary list of 104 Cyclocephala species from Colombia is provided. RESUMEN Se describe e ilustra por primera vez la hembra de Cyclocephala monacha Ratcliffe. Se proporcionan datos sobre su biología y...

After more than 80 years, the rediscovery of Tomarus cuniculus in Mexico is presented based on two male specimens recently collected from Tabasco. Historical records from the literature are reviewed. A modification to the identification key of the species of Tomarus in Mexico is provided.RésuméRedécouverte de Tomarus cuniculus (Fabricius, 1801) (Co...

Pentodontini is the most diverse tribe of Dynastinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), and most of the genera are restricted to a single biogeographic region. In this work, the taxonomic composition of the Pentodontini in Colombia was determined, and genera and species were diagnosed based on external morphology and male genitalia. Records of 1,580 speci...

A new Cotinis Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini) species from Venezuela is described and illustrated. The new species is compared with Cotinis barthelemyi (Gory & Percheron) from Colombia. The Neotropical distribution of Cotinis is expanded to Venezuela. A revised key to the species of Cotinis is provided in both English a...

A new Mexican species of the Neotropical genus Hologymnetis Martínez (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini) is described and illustrated. A new key to identify adults of Hologymnetis species is provided.

Cyclocephala mannheimsi Endrödi, 1964 is recorded for the first time in Colombia, currently known from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. Species redescription is provided based in 103 exemplars. Color patterns observed are described and illustrated analyzing dominant forms and discuss possible causes that influence the variation of pigmentation in that sp...

A new Tomarus Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini) species is described from western Colombia. The new species is compared with Tomarus laevicollis (Bates, 1888) from Central America. An identification key is also provided to the species occurring in the country.

Given the current problems for the development of conservation projects in Colombia, a validation based on the experience of the authors is presented. This is not intended to impose a theory or philosophy , but, rather, to be a reflection on the way in which once can encourage and maintain relevant research and conservation of biological diversity...

La tribu Oryctini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) comprende un grupo de escarabajos Dynastinae con distribución mundial, compuesta por 26 géneros y aproximadamente 230 especies, de los cuales 14 géneros y aproximadamente135 especies se encuentran distribuidas en la región Neotropical. Las especies se distribuyen tanto en los bosques tropicales secos com...

A brief review of the taxonomy and natural history of the New World Oryctini is provided. An updated and annotated checklist of the Oryctini of the Neotropical and Nearctic realms is included. This now includes 14 genera, 133 extant species, and two extinct species. Tehuacania porioni Dechambre, 2009 (Oryctini) is reduced to synonymy with Barutus h...

Resumen Se presentan protocolos para la colecta y estudio de artrópodos del dosel de los bosques de niebla neotropicales. Para cada método se indican las ventajas y desventajas y se sugiere una estandarización de colecta para optimizar la investigación en el dosel. Se proporciona una clave para la elección de un método adecuado de colecta para inve...

Se presentan protocolos para la colecta y estudio de artrópodos del dosel de los bosques de niebla neotropicales. Para cada método se indican las ventajas y desventajas y se sugiere una estandarización de colecta para optimizar la investigación en el dosel. Se proporciona una clave para la elección de un método adecuado de colecta para investigador...

An illustrated key to identify the adults at the generic level of Dynastinae known from Colombia is provided. A synopsis for each genus is given with updated information on the diversity and distribution of species in Colombia and worldwide.

Resumen: Se describe el hallazgo del escorpión Chactas keyserlingi (Chactidae), en el dosel de un bosque alto-andino de la Cordillera oriental de los Andes de Colom-bia. Palabras clave: Escorpiones, Chactidae, dosel, Colombia. Record of Chactas keyserlingi Pocock, 1893 (Scorpiones, Chactidae) in High-Andean forest canopy from Colombia. Abstract: In...

A Coleção de Invertebrados do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) possui 554 espécimes de Oryctini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), pertencentes a 7 gêneros, 16 espécies e 2 subespécies. As distribuições geográficas das espécies são fornecidas, sendo que 97% do material examinado procedem de coletas feitas em diferentes locais...

Three species of pleasing fungus beetles of Erotylidae are recorded for the first time in Colombia, currently known from Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. Specimens are deposited in the insect collection of the Instituto de Ciencias Naturales (ICN) of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

The scarab beetle Amblyodus taurusWestwood, 1878 (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Phileurini) is record for the first time in Brazil (Brazilian Amazon), based upon several specimens collected in ¿terra firme¿ primary rainforest, in the interfluvial region between the Juruá river and the Purus river, Amazonas State.

The Oryctini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) is a large tribe of worldwide distribution with approximately 26 genera and 230 species. Fourteen genera and 113 species are found in the Neotropical region. Knowledge of the tribe in the Neotropics is fragmentary, necessitating further studies that address taxonomy, biology, and geographical dist...

Se presenta información preliminar sobre la abundancia, el estado actual del hábitat y las actividades de extracción existentes para el escarabajo elefante Megasoma mars (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Dynastinae) en sectores aledaños a la ciudad de Leticia – Amazonas. Dentro de los datos obtenidos en la última semana del mes de enero fue posible el re...