Taiwan beetles - User contributions [en]

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2026-09-23T05:15:06Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
[[File:Sampled_localities.png|thumb|right|250px|Sampled localities across Taiwan (last update: September 2026)]]
{| style="float:right; clear:right; width:260px; margin:0 0 1em 1em; border:1px solid #C9B49A; background:#FBF8F3; border-collapse:collapse;"
|+ style="background:#7B4A1E; color:#FFFFFF; padding:0.4em;" | '''Project in numbers'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Specimens sorted || style="text-align:right;" | '''39,730'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Samples sorted and sequenced || style="text-align:right;" | '''157'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Individuals with high-quality sequences || style="text-align:right;" | '''5,466'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Potential beetle species (OTUs) || style="text-align:right;" | '''1,543'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Papers published (2021–2026) || style="text-align:right;" | '''11'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| New species described / in progress || style="text-align:right;" | '''45'''
|}

<div style="text-align:left; font-size:250%; font-weight:bold; margin:0.5em 0; color:#7B4A1E;">
Taiwan Leaf litter Beetles Project
</div>
<div style="text-align:left; font-size:170%; margin-bottom:1.5em;">
Exploring the hidden diversity of beetles in Taiwanese forests
</div>

== Why forest leaf litter? ==

The forest floor is home to an enormous diversity of insects that are keeping the forest alive - they are decomposers, predators, fungivores or parasitoids. Often, they are very tiny, some of them can be very common. The combination of tiny size, high diversity and high number of specimens makes them difficult to study - one sample of leaf litter often includes so many species and individuals that it may need weeks of work to get their basic identifications. Yet, without knowing who they are, we cannot study their biodiversity and ecology, and to understand whether and how are they involved in the life of the forest.

Many of these tiny leaf litter insects are '''beetles''': one sample of leaf litter in Taiwan may contain up to 900 individuals of beetles belonging to 100 species. Beetles are also diverse in their diets and life styles, making them a good proxy group to understand how forest floor invertebrate community works. And they are more popular than other groups, and hence more easy in finding students to work with them and researchers to help with their identifications.

Our project aims to accumulate the basic data about diversity and distribution of leaf litter beetles in Taiwan. We sample leaf litter across Taiwan, sort out the beetles, and use '''DNA barcoding''' to find out which species live where, how they live, and how diverse and unique Taiwan's forest-floor fauna is.

<div style="border:2px solid #E02020; background:#FDECEA; color:#E02020; padding:0.6em 1em; margin:1em 0; font-size:105%; overflow:hidden;">
⚠️ This wiki was just started: lots of information will be added soon!
</div>

== Project goals ==
* '''Sample the forest floor across Taiwan''': we aim at collecting at least 300 samples across Taiwan, from lowlands to high mountains, from pristine forest to plantations and city forests.
* '''Catalogue all beetle species''' found in the samples by providing:
** ''cox1'' DNA barcodes
** species identification, ideally done by taxonomic experts
** distribution
* '''Build up open-access DNA barcode library''' that will allow for a quick identification and make leaf litter beetles in Taiwan accessible for ecological or forestry studies.
* '''Collect basic biology data''', such as larval morphology, altitudinal distribution, types of forests inhabited, etc.
* '''Map diversity and endemism in Taiwan''' by combining the data of all species.

== How we work ==
[[File:Workflow.png|thumb|right|350px|Simplified workflow of the project]]
Our workflow goes from a bag of leaf litter to DNA barcodes for every beetle morphospecies:

# '''Collecting''' – sifting forest leaf litter in the field (at least 4 litres of leaf litter per sample).
# '''Extracting insects''' – using Winkler extractors.
# '''Sorting''' – picking out all beetles from each sample.
# '''DNA extraction''' using the HotShot protocol (one specimen of each morphospecies in each sample)
# '''PCR amplification''' of the ''cox1'' gene – two reactions per specimen to increase success rate.
# '''Sequencing''' – pooled PCR products are sequenced directly in our lab
# '''Analysis''' – DNA barcodes are used to delimit species, match larvae with adults, and map where species occur.

== Get involved ==
Our preliminary identifications need proper taxonomic work, so '''we are looking for collaborators!''' If you work on the taxonomy of any beetle group occurring in Taiwan, please get in touch.

* Contact: Martin Fikáček – mfikacek@gmail.com

== Participating institutions ==
<div style="display:flex; flex-wrap:wrap; align-items:flex-start;">
<div style="width:220px; margin:0.5em 2em 0.5em 0; text-align:center;">
<div style="height:90px; display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:center;">[[File:Logo_NSYSU.png|220x80px|link=https://www.nsysu.edu.tw/|alt=National Sun Yat-sen University]]</div>
<small>National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan)</small>
</div>
<div style="width:220px; margin:0.5em 2em 0.5em 0; text-align:center;">
<div style="height:90px; display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:center;">[[File:Logo_NMNS.jpg|220x80px|link=https://www.nmns.edu.tw/|alt=National Museum of Natural Science]]</div>
<small>National Museum of Natural Science (Taiwan)</small>
</div>
<div style="width:180px; margin:0.5em 2em 0.5em 0; text-align:center;">
<div style="height:90px; display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:center;">[[File:Logo_Prague.png|180x80px|link=https://www.nm.cz/en|alt=National Museum Prague]]</div>
<small>National Museum Prague (Czech Republic)</small>
</div>
<div style="width:180px; margin:0.5em 2em 0.5em 0; text-align:center;">
<div style="height:90px; display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:center;">[[File:Logo_Copenhagen.png|180x80px|link=https://www.ku.dk/|alt=University of Copenhagen]]</div>
<small>University of Copenhagen (Denmark)</small>
</div>
<div style="width:180px; margin:0.5em 2em 0.5em 0; text-align:center;">
<div style="height:90px; display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:center;">[[File:Logo_BiologyCentre.png|180x80px|link=https://www.bc.cas.cz/|alt=Biology Centre CAS]]</div>
<small>Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic)</small>
</div>
</div>
== Funding ==
<div style="display:flex; flex-wrap:wrap; align-items:flex-start;">
<div style="width:220px; margin:0.5em 2em 0.5em 0; text-align:center;">
<div style="height:90px; display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:center;">[[File:Logo_NSTC.png|220x80px|link=https://www.nstc.gov.tw/|alt=National Science and Technology Council]]</div>
<small>National Science and Technology Council (Taiwan)</small>
</div>
<div style="width:280px; margin:0.5em 2em 0.5em 0; text-align:center;">
<div style="height:90px; display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:center;">[[File:Logo_GACR.png|220x80px|link=https://gacr.cz/en/|alt=Czech Science Foundation]]</div>
<small>Czech Science Foundation (Czech Republic)</small>
</div>

The project is supported by the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan (113-2621-B-110-005-MY3) and by the Czech Science Foundation (25-15506S).

File:Logo NSTC.png

2026-09-23T05:13:12Z

Admin:

Main Page

2026-09-23T04:17:37Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
[[File:Sampled_localities.png|thumb|right|250px|Sampled localities across Taiwan (last update: September 2026)]]
{| style="float:right; clear:right; width:260px; margin:0 0 1em 1em; border:1px solid #C9B49A; background:#FBF8F3; border-collapse:collapse;"
|+ style="background:#7B4A1E; color:#FFFFFF; padding:0.4em;" | '''Project in numbers'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Specimens sorted || style="text-align:right;" | '''39,730'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Samples sorted and sequenced || style="text-align:right;" | '''157'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Individuals with high-quality sequences || style="text-align:right;" | '''5,466'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Potential beetle species (OTUs) || style="text-align:right;" | '''1,543'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| Papers published (2021–2026) || style="text-align:right;" | '''11'''
|- style="border-top:1px solid #E3D6C4;"
| New species described / in progress || style="text-align:right;" | '''45'''
|}

<div style="text-align:left; font-size:250%; font-weight:bold; margin:0.5em 0; color:#7B4A1E;">
Taiwan Leaf litter Beetles Project
</div>
<div style="text-align:left; font-size:170%; margin-bottom:1.5em;">
Exploring the hidden diversity of beetles in Taiwanese forests
</div>

== Why forest leaf litter? ==

The forest floor is home to an enormous diversity of insects that are keeping the forest alive - they are decomposers, predators, fungivores or parasitoids. Often, they are very tiny, some of them can be very common. The combination of tiny size, high diversity and high number of specimens makes them difficult to study - one sample of leaf litter often includes so many species and individuals that it may need weeks of work to get their basic identifications. Yet, without knowing who they are, we cannot study their biodiversity and ecology, and to understand whether and how are they involved in the life of the forest.

Many of these tiny leaf litter insects are '''beetles''': one sample of leaf litter in Taiwan may contain up to 900 individuals of beetles belonging to 100 species. Beetles are also diverse in their diets and life styles, making them a good proxy group to understand how forest floor invertebrate community works. And they are more popular than other groups, and hence more easy in finding students to work with them and researchers to help with their identifications.

Our project aims to accumulate the basic data about diversity and distribution of leaf litter beetles in Taiwan. We sample leaf litter across Taiwan, sort out the beetles, and use '''DNA barcoding''' to find out which species live where, how they live, and how diverse and unique Taiwan's forest-floor fauna is.

<div style="border:2px solid #E02020; background:#FDECEA; color:#E02020; padding:0.6em 1em; margin:1em 0; font-size:105%; overflow:hidden;">
⚠️ This wiki was just started: lots of information will be added soon!
</div>

== Project goals ==
* '''Sample the forest floor across Taiwan''': we aim at collecting at least 300 samples across Taiwan, from lowlands to high mountains, from pristine forest to plantations and city forests.
* '''Catalogue all beetle species''' found in the samples by providing:
** ''cox1'' DNA barcodes
** species identification, ideally done by taxonomic experts
** distribution
* '''Build up open-access DNA barcode library''' that will allow for a quick identification and make leaf litter beetles in Taiwan accessible for ecological or forestry studies.
* '''Collect basic biology data''', such as larval morphology, altitudinal distribution, types of forests inhabited, etc.
* '''Map diversity and endemism in Taiwan''' by combining the data of all species.

== How we work ==
[[File:Workflow.png|thumb|right|400px|Sampled localities across Taiwan (last update: September 2026)]]
Our workflow goes from a bag of leaf litter to DNA barcodes for every beetle morphospecies:

# '''Collecting''' – sifting forest leaf litter in the field (at least 4 litres of leaf litter per sample).
# '''Extracting insects''' – using Winkler extractors.
# '''Sorting''' – picking out all beetles from each sample.
# '''DNA extraction''' using the HotShot protocol (one specimen of each morphospecies in each sample)
# '''PCR amplification''' of the ''cox1'' gene – two reactions per specimen to increase success rate.
# '''Sequencing''' – pooled PCR products are sequenced directly in our lab
# '''Analysis''' – DNA barcodes are used to delimit species, match larvae with adults, and map where species occur.

== Get involved ==
Our preliminary identifications need proper taxonomic work, so '''we are looking for collaborators!''' If you work on the taxonomy of any beetle group occurring in Taiwan, please get in touch.

* Contact: Martin Fikáček – mfikacek@gmail.com

'''Institutions:''' National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan); National Museum of Natural Science (Taiwan); University of Copenhagen (Denmark); Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic); World Biodiversity Association (Italy)

== Funding ==
The project is supported by the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan (113-2621-B-110-005-MY3) and by the Czech Science Foundation (25-15506S).

2026-09-07T15:35:25Z

Admin:

File:Trichophya habitus.jpg

2026-09-07T15:32:58Z

Admin:

Trichophyinae

2026-09-07T15:32:09Z

Admin: Created page with "Trichophyinae is a small staphylinid subfamily with only 21 described species, all classified in a single genus ''Trichophya''. They can be easily recognized from other Taiwanese Staphylinidae by unusually thin antennae. Habitus of Taiwanese ''Trichophya'', showing the differences between ''T. thor'' and the remaining species. Four species of the genus are known from Taiwan, all endemic for the island: * ''T. keris'' H..."

Trichophyinae is a small staphylinid subfamily with only 21 described species, all classified in a single genus ''Trichophya''. They can be easily recognized from other Taiwanese Staphylinidae by unusually thin antennae.

[[File:Trichophya_habitus.jpg|thumb|center|500px|Habitus of Taiwanese ''Trichophya'', showing the differences between ''T. thor'' and the remaining species.]]

Four species of the genus are known from Taiwan, all endemic for the island:
* ''T. keris'' Hu, Ho & Fikáček, 2026<sup>[[#ref1|[1]]]</sup>
* ''T. kurosawai'' Shibata, 2001<sup>[[#ref2|[2]]]</sup>
* ''T. maui'' Hu, Ho & Fikáček, 2026<sup>[[#ref1|[1]]]</sup>
* ''T. thor'' Hu, Ho & Fikáček, 2026<sup>[[#ref1|[1]]]</sup>

All four species have been collected in leaf litter of montane forests at elevations of 1300–2200 m, and seem to be Palaearctic elements of the Taiwanese fauna.

Morphologically, Taiwanese species form two groups: ''T. kurosawai'' + ''T. keris'' + ''T. maui'' have a broader body, relatively longer elytra, and head and pronotum with scale-like microsculpture. In contrast, ''T. thor'' is more elongated, has shorter elytra, and the head and pronotum are smooth among the punctures. All four species can be easily recognized by the male genitalia.

[[File:Trichophya_male_genitalia.jpg|thumb|center|500px|Male genitalia of Taiwanese ''Trichophya'' species.]]

<div style="clear:both;"></div>

== References ==
<div id="ref1"><sup><span style="color:brown">[1]</span></sup> Hu F.-S., Ho B.-H. & Fikáček M. (2026): Revision of the genus ''Trichophya'' from Taiwan, with description of three new species (Staphylinidae: Trichophyinae). ''Taiwania'' 71(4): 667–674. [https://doi.org/10.6165/tai.2026.71.667 DOI]</div>
<div id="ref2"><sup><span style="color:brown">[2]</span></sup> Shibata Y. (2001): A new species of the genus ''Trichophya'' (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Taiwan. ''Elytra'' 29: 352–357.</div>