Victor Moctezuma

• Doctor of Science
• Posdoc at Autonomous University of Tlaxcala

We describe three new species: Canthon mezcalis Moctezuma, Sánchez-Huerta, and Halffter sp. nov. from the Valles Centrales region in Oaxaca, Mexico; Canthon hondurensis Moctezuma and Sánchez-Huerta sp. nov. from Honduras; and Canthon woodruffi Moctezuma and Sánchez-Huerta sp. nov. from Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Through the examination of external and...

In this work I treat and revise some taxonomic and nomenclatural issues that arose in recent years. The current phylogenetic hypothesis considers Canthon Hoffmannsegg, 1817, Boreocanthon Halffter, 1958 stat. rev. and Pseudocanthon Bates, 1887 stat. nov. forming a monophyletic group, with the two latter taxa monophyletic and nested within the former...

The effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) for conservation is under debate because many of them were decreed without considering biological criteria. Efforts have been made to increase their numbers and to promote ecological connectivity among the existing PAs. In this study, we identify new priority conservation areas (PCAs) through a multi-taxa...

1. Ecological niche models and species distribution models (SDMs) are tools used to define a species’ niche based on presence records and to identify areas where appropriate ecological conditions converge, indicating zones of potential distribution for the species. SDMs help optimize conservation efforts, which is particularly important in countrie...

The Megalopolis of Central Mexico is among the most densely populated urban areas in the World, but this area has some Natural Protected Areas, such as the Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatepetl and La Malinche National Parks. The aim of this work is to study the biodiversity patterns of photophilic scarab beetles (Scarabaeoidea) in the aforementioned national...

The extinct dung beetle Onthophagus pilauco Tello, Verdú, Rossini & Zunino represents the southernmost paleorecord of the onthophagine dung beetle fauna in the New World. Here, we report new fore-, mid-, and posterior leg fossil remains of this extinct beetle and present a morphological comparison of the leg phenotypes observed in the fossil record...

La anacahuita (Cordia boissieri) es un arbusto nativo de Norte América de la familia Boraginaceae dentro del orden Boraginales. Presenta flores blancas con forma de trompeta y de cuatro a nueve lóbulos, con una guía de néctar amarilla; sus frutos son drupas ovoides de 1.5 a 3 cm de largo, amarillos a ligeramente café brillantes. El escarabajo Eupho...

This study constitutes the first report of Cordia boissieri serving as a host plant (feeding resource: flowers and fruits) for the scarab flower beetle Euphoria sepulcralis. To our knowledge, these results are the first to document the interaction of members of the genus Euphoria with plants in the order Boraginales. These findings are important be...

Insects are the most diverse group of organisms, but their large number of species and the lack of specialists to study them have made this group particularly vulnerable to the main limitations in biological diversity, such as the Wallacean deficit. This study will contribute to the geographical knowledge of an insect trophic guild that has been wi...

Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the environmental gradients-biotic structuring relationship. Nevertheless, several inconsistencies have arisen when only one hypothesis is chosen to explain the biological diversity patterns. Our aim is to test a multiple hypotheses approach to explain the structure of a coprophilic scarab local gu...

Being areas of biotic overlap located between biogeographic regions, transition zones function as natural laboratories. The present study explores the phylogenetic history of the dung beetle subfamily Scarabaeinae, in order to present an evolutionary scenario that allows inference of the biogeographic history of the Mexican Transition Zone (MTZ) an...

The status of Eucanthus Westwood, 1848 stat. rev. is corrected. According to the Principle of Priority, Eucanthus is given genus rank, while Bolbelasmus Boucomont, 1911 stat. rev. and Kolbeus Boucomont, 1911 stat. rev. are subordinated as subgenera within Eucanthus. A corrected list for species-group names and new combinations is provided for Eucan...

Beetles, despite their remarkable biodiversity and a long history of research, remain lacking in reference genomes annotated with structural variations in loci of adaptive significance. We sequenced and assembled high‐quality chromosome‐level genomes of four Hercules beetles which exhibit divergence in male horn size and shape and body colouration....

Onthophagus zoquecornis, new species of the O. mirabilis species complex is described and illustrated. Keys to separate adult males, and females of the O. mirabilis species complex are updated. An updated distribution map of the O. mirabilis species complex is presented. A brief discussion on species richness of the New World Onthophagus, and distr...

An introduction is presented on the importance of insects (particularly dung beetles), and the origin and importance of two major limitations for the studies on diversity: the Linnaean and Wallacean shortfalls. Afterwards, the most recent progress in the taxonomic and geographic knowledge of the genera Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 and Phanaeus MacLe...

Summary. A new species of Bolboceratidae from Mexico, Bolbelasmus (Bolbelasmus) quinquestriatus n. sp., is described and illustrated. The elytra of the new species present five striae between the humeral callus and the elytral suture, a character that is considered diagnostic for the genus Eucanthus. Based in this condition, Eucanthus is proposed a...

Two new species of Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 from the Pacific Slope of Mexico are described and illustrated: Onthophagus gonzaloi Moctezuma, Hernández & Sánchez-Huerta, sp. nov., and Onthophagus yescaensis Moctezuma, Hernández & Sánchez-Huerta, sp. nov. New records for Onthophagus browni Howden & Cartwright, 1963 from the Mexican states of Jalisc...

The genus Phanaeus is a well-known group whose taxonomy has been described multiple times. Its distribution was previously classified into 11 ecogeographic groups that are equivalent to areas of endemism. Here we use Species Distribution Models to describe species richness patterns. We measured beta-diversity and regionalized its distribution into...

The first record of the presence of the keratinophagous beetle Trox plicatus Robinson with the feces of the bobcat Lynx rufus Schreber is presented herein. The environmental conditions under which the Trox specimens were collected are mentioned. In addition, the known aspects on the natural history and distribution of T. plicatus in Mexico are summ...

Los Parques Nacionales La Malinche e Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl son dos áreas protegidas que resguardan ecosistemas de las montañas templadas del centro de México. Estos ecosistemas se caracterizan por ser un centro de diversificación y endemismo para distintos grupos de organismos, como los coleópteros. Sin embargo, estos parques nacionales se encu...

Los déficits Linneano (deficiencia del conocimiento taxonómico de los taxones) y Wallaceano (carencia del conocimiento de la distribución geográfica de las especies) representan algunas de las limitaciones principales para el estudio de la diversidad biológica. En consecuencia, es importante que se realicen estudios que ayuden a llenar los vacíos d...

The evolutionary dynamics and phylogenetic utility of mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have been of particular interest to systematists and evolutionary biologists. However, certain mitochondrial features, such as the molecular evolution of the control region in insects, remain poorly explored due to technological constraints. Using a combinatio...

Phanaeus violae Halffter, Moctezuma, and Nogueira, new species is described, illustrated, and compared to the related species Phanaeus damocles Harold and Phanaeus palliatus Sturm. Locality data are provided for the three species. A modification to a previously published key to species of the Phanaeus quadridens species-group is given.

La Guía de escarabajos estercoleros de Chiapas y el centro-sur de Veracruz que tienes en tus manos forma parte del proyecto “La ganadería como herramienta para la conservación de la biodiversidad”, mejor conocido como GANARE. Esta novedosa iniciativa ha generado conocimientos técnicos que confirman que, de manera simultánea, podemos lograr una prod...

A new record for Dynastes maya from Puebla State is provided.

The Phanaeus tridens species group is revised and found to consist of twelve species: P. tridens Castelnau, 1840, P. moroni Arnaud, 2001 stat. rev., P. balthasari Arnaud, 2001 stat. rev., P. daphnis Harold, 1863, P. coeruleus Bates, 1887 stat. rev., P. herbeus Bates, 1887 stat. rev., P. substriolatus Balthasar, 1939 stat. rev., P. furiosus Bates, 1...

Onthophagus manantlanensis Sánchez-Huerta, Moctezuma & Hernández, a new species is described from Jalisco, Mexico. Onthophagus manantlanensis is similar in morphology to O. villanuevai. Consequently, the new species is preliminarily included within the O. clypeatus species group. The new O. manantlanensis, along with O. villanuevai, O. nasutus Guér...

The Onthophagus chevrolati Harold, 1869 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini) species complex was recently studied, and a majority of its species were newly described or redescribed (see Moctezuma & Halffter 2020). Onthophagus viridichevrolati Moctezuma & Halffter, 2020 was the only species within the O. chevrolati species complex...

ABSTRACT Data from literature was gathered to compile the checklist of the fauna of Onthophagus of Mexico. A total amount of 120 species was found, with 85 endemics to Mexico. The distributional pattern as originally proposed by Halffter (1964) and commentaries of the majority of the species are provided. Records of species were found for all the...

Abstract. Deltochilum burmeisteri Harold, 1867 has been considered as a junior subjective synonym of D. mexicanum Burmeister, 1848 for almost 8 decades. Nevertheless, D. burmeisteri is resurrected herein from previous synonymy based on the revision of the external and genital morphology. The lectotype for D. burmeisteri, a female specimen, is desig...

The Onthophagus mexicanus species group includes at least 18 species: O. anewtoni Howden and Génier, O. arnetti Howden and Cartwright, O. browni Howden, O. cartwrighti Howden, O. championi Bates, O. concinnus Castelnau, O. cynomysi Brown, O. eulophus Bates, O. guatemalensis Bates, O. hecate (Panzer), O. macclevei Howden and Génier, O. medorensis Br...

The Phanaeus endymion species group is defined as a lineage of dung beetles distributed from Mexico to Ecuador. The current arrangement of the P. endymion species group includes 18 species (five newly described and three revalidated herein): P. arletteae Arnaud, 2018; P. bravoensis Moctezuma, Sánchez-Huerta & Halffter, 2017; P. chiapanecus sp. nov....

Spatial autocorrelation is a general property of ecological variables. Since many of the statistical methods used in ecology often assume sample independence, spatial clustering is considered a source of noise in studies related to the estimation and monitoring of biological diversity. Spatial autocorrelation was assessed herein in a Mexican Scarab...

The Onthophagus cyanellus species complex now includes two species. In addition to the nominotypical species, Onthophagus sancristobalensis Moctezuma and Halffter, new species is described from Chiapas, Mexico. A key to the two species and three closely related species is provided.

Two new species of Onthophagus from Oaxaca, Mexico, are described and illustrated: Onthophagus istmenus new species, and Onthophagus santamariensis new species. Keys for separating major males of the new and allied species are presented. Taxonomic remarks are commented for the new and closely related species.

The Onthophagus chevrolati species complex is a putative lineage of dung beetles, which is typically found in the mountains of the Mexican Transition Zone. This species complex currently includes 13 species: O. chevrolati Harold, 1869; O. coahuilae Zunino & Halffter, 1988; O. cochisus Brown, 1927; O. hidalgus Zunino & Halffter, 1988; O. ixtepecorum...

Three new species of the Onthophagus chevrolati species group are described from Mexico: O. civitasorum Moctezuma and Halffter, sp. n. (Durango); O. neofuscus Moctezuma and Halffter, sp. n. (Jalisco); and O. inecolorum Moctezuma and Halffter, sp. n. (Puebla). The dorsal habitus and genital structures of the new species are figured. The aedeagus and...

The morphology of the dung beetle populations previously known as Phanaeus quadridens (Say, 1835) is studied. As a consequence, Phanaeus arnaudi Nogueira, Moctezuma and Halffter, sp. nov. is described from Mexico, and Phanaeus borealis Olsoufieff, 1924, stat. rev. is resurrected from previous synonymy to full species status, due the lack of evidenc...

We describe herein Onthophagus chinantecus sp. nov. from Oaxaca, Mexico. The new species belongs to the O. dicranius species complex. The genital morphology of females of O. asperodorsatus and O. petenensis is illustrated and compared for the very first time. The external and genital morphology of the female confirms the need of recognizing O. chin...

The dung beetles of the Onthophagus chevrolati species group are preponderantly associated to montane habitats and high plains in the Mexican Transition Zone. Herein, we describe O. bajacalifornianus new species, the first of this species group from the southern Baja California Peninsula, which inhabits xeric shrublands near the sea level from the...

Distribution of Phanaeus furiosus Bates, 1887 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Phanaeini) and first record in Zacatecas, Mexico

Two new species of Canthidium Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from Mexico are described: Canthidium nebularum Moctezuma, Sánchez-Huerta, and Halffter, new species; and C. chimalapense Moctezuma and Halffter, new species. An updated key for the North American species is included, with a brief discussion on taxonomic and bioge...

In this study, we take the Onthophagus chevrolati species group, likely a monophyletic species group as an example to analyze the processes that led to the biogeographic integration of the Holarctic fauna in the mountains of the Mexican Transition Zone to test our biogeographic hypotheses. We propose a change from the status of subspecies to specie...

Resumen. Reportamos la presencia de Canthon angustatus en Veracruz. Este nuevo registro incrementa en aproximadamente 200 km su límite de distribución septentrional. El nuevo registro fue colectado en un bosque tropical en la localidad de Las Choapas. Incluimos un listado con 16 especies de Scarabaeinae de la misma localidad. Abstract. The occurren...

Phanaeus edmondsi n. sp. is described from the tropical forest of La Sierra Madre del Sur, estado de Oaxaca, Mexico. The new species belongs to the P. endymion species group. Distributional and ecological information of the new and allied species is included. A modification to update the identification key for related species is presented. Phanae...

The Onthophagus fuscus Boucomont, 1932 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini) species complex has a total of eight species, one of which is a new species (Onthophagus orizabensis new species) and three are elevated from the subspecies level (O. canescens Zunino & Halffter, 1988 new rank; O. mycetorum Zunino & Halffter, 1988 new rank...

Vindex chimalapensis Ariza-Marín, Reyes-Castillo, Moctezuma & Sánchez-Huerta, a new species, is described from the cloud forest in Oaxaca, México. Vindex chimalapensis is like V. sculptilis Bates in the form of lateral elytral punctures and glabrous epipleura, but has dorsal punctures in the pronotum and the form of the aedeagus differs on the basa...

Beta diversity is often a dominant characteristic in mountain systems and naturally fragmented ecosystems. However, natural protected areas are traditionally designed to protect ecosystems with high alpha and low beta diversity. Recent information about dung beetles of the Transmexican Volcanic Belt was used to identify the most suitable strategy f...

Onthophagus Latreille is a hyperdiverse genus of dung beetles that has ≈2200 described species. Onthophagus in the Americas has been divided into seven species groups: chevrolati, clypeatus, gazellinus, hircus, landolti, mexicanus and dicranius. The chevrolati species group is characteristic of the mountains of the Mexican Transition Zone and is di...

Beta diversity is often a dominant characteristic in mountain systems and naturally fragmented ecosystems. However, the dominant models of natural protected areas were traditionally designed without considering beta diversity and complementarity. We used recent information about dung beetles of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt to identify the divers...

Two new species of the genus Ateuchus Weber are described from the region of Los Chimalapas, Oaxaca, Mex-ico: A. benitojuarezi sp. n. and A. colossus sp. n. A diagnosis for distinguishing these new species from the other species of this genus in North America is included. This paper is illustrated with pictures of the dorsal habitus and the male ge...

Phanaeus bravoensis sp. n. is described from the coniferous-oak forests in the state of Guerrero, and P. huichol sp. n. from coniferous-oak forests and cloud forests in Jalisco and Nayarit. The new species are closely related to P. halffterorum and P. zoque respectively. Morphological trait combination, geographic distribution, and trophic habits s...

Phanaeus (Notiophanaeus) zoque Moctezuma and Halffter, new species, of the endymion species-group, is described from the temperate forests of Los Chimalapas in Oaxaca, Mexico. The new species is illustrated and compared with the closely related Phanaeus endymion Harold. A diagnosis to separate it from related species is given, and its ecological as...

We analyze the inluence of historical and ecological factors on the diversity and composition of communities of copronecrophagous beetles associated with conserved and disturbed habitats on two mountains of the Mexican Transition Zone: one mountain of xeric (Las Derrumbadas) and the other of temperate (El Pinal) climate. We collected a total of 111...

Se reporta por primera vez la presencia del género Rutelisca Bates, 1888 en el estado de Puebla, México. Se discute el área de distribución geográfica del género, con énfasis en R. flohri, y se incluye información ecológica.

La región de Los Chimalapas posee la mayor biodiversidad de México. Sin embargo, su biodiversidad está amenazada por el cambio de uso de suelo, que es promovido por políticas gubernamentales. Una de las mayores amenazas para la biodiversidad del mundo es la ganadería, que es una actividad de gran importancia en Los Chimalapas. Como consecuencia, de...

Recent intensive samplings carried out across the mountainous regions of El Pinal (Puebla, Mexico) have provided new insights into the main environmental factors that affect the geographic distribution of the scarabaeinae beetles of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt above 2500 m a.s.l. This study is part of an ongoing project investigating the divers...

A new American Onthophagus of the chevrolati species-group is described (Onthophagus bolivari sp. nov.), providing also identification keys to the aztecus complex. Dorsal habitus and genital structures of the new species are illustrated. The relationships and geographical distribution of the aztecus complex are discussed, giving particular attentio...

El Sistema Volcánico Transversal (SVT) se ubica en la Zona de Transición Mexicana (ZTM), y se caracteriza por sus altos niveles de diversidad y endemismo. Los escarabajos copronecrófagos son un grupo focal de gran valor para análisis ecológicos y biogeográficos, que han sido escasamente estudiados en el SVT. Como consecuencia, el presente trabajo a...

La Sierra Norte de Puebla, es una de las regiones más importantes del estado en su mastofauna (contiene aproximadamente un 85% de las especies de Puebla). Distintas condiciones como su amplia extensión, el gradiente altitudinal que muestra, su accidentada topografía, la amplia variedad de climas y tipos de vegetación permiten observar una important...

El municipio de Ixtacamaxtitlán es importante por su amplia extensión y por sus variados tipos de vegetación: bosques de pino-encino, pino, oyamel, encino y bosque de táscate, así como también matorral desértico rosetófilo. Sin embargo, se tiene muy poca información sobre su mastofauna, por lo que el propósito de este trabajo es conocer a los mamíf...

El análisis de los cromosomas es una herramienta útil en el estudio genético y sistemático de mamíferos, pues proporciona información significativa sobre su evolución y taxonomía. Los estudios cromosómicos nos permiten conocer y clasificar mejor a aquellos organismos de los cuales se tiene escasa información, así como construir árboles filogenético...