Ecosystem functions and functional traits for the study of phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)Funciones ecosistmicas y rasgos funcionales para el estudio de los escarabajos fitfagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Owing to the rapid and ongoing anthropogenic changes impacting ecosystem functions and their interplay with biodiversity, there is a growing focus on assessing insect functional diversity. This emphasis helps to unravel key roles of insects on ecosystem processes and to identify the assembly mechanisms that regulate species coexistence. The ecological functions of phytophagous scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) have been relatively unexplored, and potential functional traits are scattered throughout the literature. Species within this group exhibit diverse lifestyles, forms and sizes. They exploit various resources such as decomposing wood, foliage, roots and flowers, with a small subset identified as predators. Although many of their representatives are significant agricultural pests, information on their contributions in natural ecosystems has not been consolidated. This study reviews the ecological functions potentially carried out by phytophagous scarab beetles and proposes functional traits to be incorporated into studies of functional diversity. Through this, the goal is to integrate the scattered information, stimulate the generation of questions that go beyond classical ecological theory and contribute to advancing our knowledge of their ecosystem functions, as well as the foundations for understanding community structure. We propose to use trophic groups to define functions such as bioturbation, organic matter decomposition, biological control and potential pollination. A simplified list of functional traits was obtained by conducting correlation analyses using a trait matrix from a region in northern Colombia. This represents a significant advance for the study of traits within the framework of functional ecology, applicable to territorial planning and biodiversity conservation. This study integrates scattered information on the functional traits of phytophagous beetles (Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae, Rutelinae, Dynastinae and Melolonthinae), which exhibit a wide range of colours, sizes, habits and lifestyles. Phytophagous beetles play important roles in ecosystem processes and functions, including bioturbation, organic matter decomposition, biological control and potential pollination. A simplified list of functional traits, obtained from the analyses of a full data set from a hypothetical community, is proposed for the study of phytophagous beetle traits applicable to functional diversity studies. image Debido a los cambios antropogenicos rapidos y en curso que impactan el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas y sus interacciones con la biodiversidad, hay una atencion creciente en la diversidad funcional de los insectos. Este enfasis ayuda a revelar los papeles claves que tienen los insectos en los procesos de los ecosistemas, y a identificar los mecanismos de ensamblaje que regulan la coexistencia de las especies. Las funciones ecologicas de los escarabajos fitofagos (Scarabaeidae) han sido relativamente inexploradas, y sus potenciales rasgos funcionales se encuentran dispersos en la literatura. Las especies de este grupo exhiben diversos modos de vida, formas y tamanos. Explotan varios recursos, tales como madera en descomposicion, follaje, raices y flores, e incluyen un pequeno grupo de especies identificadas como depredadoras. Aunque muchos de sus representantes son importantes plagas agricolas, aun no se ha integrado informacion sobre sus contribuciones en ecosistemas naturales. Este estudio revisa las funciones ecologicas que potencialmente son realizadas por los escarabajos fitofagos y propone rasgos funcionales que pueden incorporarse en estudios de diversidad funcional. De esta manera, el objetivo es integrar la informacion dispersa, estimular la generacion de preguntas que vayan mas alla de la teoria ecologica clasica, y contribuir en el avance de nuestro conocimiento sobre sus funciones ecosistemicas, asi como en las bases para entender la estructura de sus comunidades. Se propone usar grupos troficos para definir funciones tales como la bioturbacion, descomposicion de la materia organica, control biologico y la potencial polinizacion. Mediante analisis de correlacion se obtuvo una lista simplificada de rasgos funcionales usando una matriz de rasgos de una region del norte de Colombia. Esto representa un avance importante para el estudio de los rasgos en el marco de la ecologia funcional, aplicable a la planeacion territorial y la conservacion de la biodiversidad.