Habitat choice of some field‐inhabiting carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) studied by recapture of marked individuals

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Habitat choice of some field‐inhabiting carabid beetles was studied in the field, and included the adult‐overwintering Bembidion lampros Herbst, Pterostichus cupreus L. and Agonum dorsale Pontoppidan, and the larval‐overwintering Trechus secalis Paykull, Pterostichus melanarius Illiger, P.niger Schaller and Harpalus rufipes De Geer. These were compared to the forest‐inhabiting and adult‐overwintering species, Carabus nemoralis Müller. Marked beetles were released in the centre of a circular enclosure which was placed on the edge between a cereal field and a wood. The direction of movement in this circle was compared with that in a control circle placed entirely in the cereal field. In the field/wood circle, adult‐overwinterers and the larval‐overwin‐terer H.rufipes choose to move into the cereal field. The majority of T.secalis. P.melanarius and C.nemoralis, however, moved into the wood, while P.niger exhibited no preference. In the field circle, adult‐overwinterers moved towards the more sun‐exposed parts of the circle, whereas the movements of larval‐overwin‐terers were random. Some species‐specific characteristics considered important for habitat choice by these carabid beetles, and the relevance of these characteristics for their dispersal behaviour are discussed.