Elizabeth T. Arias
Associate Specialist
201 Wellman Hall
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-3112
etarias@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Website: http://www.coleopterosdechile.cl/
Research Interests
The focus of my research is to study canopy beetle fauna from the Southern Temperate forests of Chile, particularly Elateridae (click beetles). I am studying the systematic relationships with the Subfamily Elaterinae. My main interest is to study female genitalia characters that can use to construct the evolutionary history of this subfamily.
Our current NSF project (to ET Arias & KW Will) main objective is to conduct a survey of endemic taxa of Chile that developed from ancient Gondwanian elements, resulting in a native fauna unlike anywhere else on Earth. Faunal inventories must be done before we lose our chance to understand the historical factors that shaped the Chilean biota and are interconnected with the origins of life on Earth.
Southern Chile region remained unallocated during the most recent glacial advance and so have a remarkable number of precinctive and presumed ancient lineages. Understanding their distribution and diversity is fundamental to building the context of biotic change in the southern continents. Additionally, it is widely recognized that this region is under-protected and rapidly succumbing anthropic activities, namely fragmentation and land conversion.
Coleoptera, which exemplify biodiversity, are a logical and effectual as focal taxa. This project will result in specimens from many arthropod groups that will be used by numerous researchers for systematic, biogeographic and conservation studies.
Selected Publications
Arias, E. T. 2008. A new click beetle genus from Southern Chile: Llanquihue
(Coleoptera, Elateridae, Elaterinae). Journal of Insect Science, in
press 2008.
Arias, E. T. 2008. La Fauna coleopterologica de los bosques del sur de Chile. M
Elgueta, ET Arias, y KW Will. Sociedad Entomologica Aragonesa, in
press, 2008.
Arias, E. T. 2007. The canopy beetle faunas of Gondwanan element trees in Chilean
temperate forests. Arias, E. T., B. Richardson, and M. Elgueta.
Journal of Biogeography, Available online 2007.
Arias, E. T. 2007. Rehabilitation of a Chilean Click beetle genus Mecothorax. Pan- Pacific Entomologist. 80-200-221.
Arias, E. T. 2006. A new click beetle genus from the Chilean Central Andes:
Bohartina (Coleoptera, Elateridae, Elaterinae). 10pp. Journal of
Insect Science 6:31, available online: insectscience.org/6.31
Arias, E. T. 2005. A replacement name for a Chilean Click beetle genus from Chile
Sofia (Coleoptera Elateridae). Coleopterists Bulletin, 59(1):22.
Arias, E. T. 2004. Alyma, a new genus for southern Chilean forest. Coleopterists
Bulletin, 58(3):413-427.
Elgueta M. D., and E. Arias T. 2004. Especies del género Aegorhinus
(Clase Insecta, Orden Coleoptera, Familia Curculionidae). Noticiario
del Museo Nacionald e Historia Natural, Santiago Chile.
Arias, E. T. 2001.. Gabryella, a new genus of click beetles from temperate South
American Forests (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Contributions on Entomology,
International, 4(5) 381-397.
Arias, E. T. 2001. Lynnyella, a new genus of click beetles from Chile (Coleoptera
Elateridae). Gayana 65(2):137-148.
Arias, T. E., K. A. Copren, T. A. Morisawa, J. A. Lattke, and
A. C. Rehn. 2001. Should type specimens of insects indigenous to one
country but housed in another be returned to their country of origin?
In: International issues, Proposition, Ed: L. Alle. American
Entomologist, 46:166-167.
