Ground Beetle Assemblages Research Articles

Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Assemblages in Hazelnut Groves in Calabria (Southern Italy)

Carabidae, or carabids, commonly known as “ground beetles”, are found in numerous natural and cultivated habitats and are recognized for their beneficial role in controlling phytophagous pests in various temperate agroecosystems. However, the crop type and agricultural practices used in management areas significantly affect the structure of the carabid communities. The aim of this study was to investigate the abundance and diversity of ground beetles in hazelnut agroecosystems characterized by different agricultural methods in Calabria, Southern Italy. The carabids were collected from 2017 to 2018 in three hazelnut groves referred to in this study as AZ1, AZ2 and AZ3. Carabids were sampled using pitfall traps inspected every two weeks over a period of 24 months. A total of 4665 specimens belonging to 48 taxa were collected within the sampled sites. Many taxa were found to be widely distributed across the three selected hazelnut groves. Among these, Calathus spp., Harpalus dimidiatus (P. Rossi, 1790), Nebria spp., Platyderus neapolitanus jannonei (Binaghi in Magistretti, 1955), Poecilus cupreus (Linnaeus, 1758), Pterostichus melas italicus (Dejean, 1828), and Syntomus obscuroguttatus (Duftschmid, 1812) were the most abundant ones associated with all sampled areas. Concerning trophic preference, among the collected taxa, the most abundant ones were zoophagous and zoospermophagous. Additionally, taxa uncommon in agroecosystems but with ecological relevance, such as Carabus lefebvrei lefebvrei Dejean, 1826, Carabus preslii neumeyeri Schaum, 1856, and Carabus rossii Dejean, 1826, were also collected.

Response of Spider and Epigaeic Beetle Assemblages to Overwinter Planting Regimes and Surrounding Landscape Compositions.

The rotation patterns of summer rice-winter oil seed rape and summer rice-winter fallow are the main planting regimes in the rice ecosystem in southern China. However, the impact of local rotation patterns and landscape factors on the overwintering conservation of predators in spider and epigaeic beetle assemblages remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the diversity and density of spiders and beetles over two consecutive winters (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), focusing on the impact of two rotation patterns (rice-fallow and rice-oilseed rape) and surrounding landscape compositions on predator diversity. The main findings of our research were that spiders were more abundant and had a higher activity density in the fallow rice fields (FRs) compared to the oilseed rape fields (OSRs), whereas ground beetles exhibited the opposite pattern. Specifically, fallow rice fields supported small and ballooning spiders (e.g., dominant spider: Ummeliata insecticeps), while OSRs supported larger ground beetles (e.g., dominant beetles: Agonum chalcomus and Pterostichus liodactylus). Moreover, the composition of spider assemblages were impacted by semi-natural habitats (SNHs) during overwintering, while ground beetle assemblages were influenced by overwinter planting patterns. Overall, our results suggest that different planting regimes and preserving semi-natural habitats are a strategic way to enhance species diversity and functional diversity of ground predators. It is, therefore, recommended that to conserve and improve predator diversity during overwintering, land managers and farmers should aim to maintain diverse planting regimes and conserve local semi-natural habitats.

Ground beetle assemblages inhabiting various age classes of Norway spruce stands in north-eastern Poland.

Assemblages of epigeic ground beetles living in Norway spruce forests in north-eastern Poland in three age ranges: young: 20-30 years (A); middle-aged: 40-50 years (B); old: 70-80 years (C) were investigated. In each age category, 4 plots with 5 Barber traps were set up. Ground beetle assemblages were compared in terms of their abundance, species richness, and the Shannon H' index value. Quantitative ecological description of the carabids captured in the analysed age-classes of Norway spruce forests was performed, and the values of the mean individual biomass (MIB) were calculated. To determine the correlation between mean individual biomass and abundance of various ecological groups of carabid beetles, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient was calculated. The assemblages of ground beetles living in the Norway spruce forests in north-eastern Poland were characterised by quite large species richness (44 species in total). There were significant differences in species richness among the different ages of Norway spruce forests. The oldest Norway spruce stands (70-80 years old) had a smaller number of species and specimens of ground beetles as well as the highest MIB values in comparison with the younger spruce forests A and B. The results revealed that high MIB values were positively correlated with the presence of large ground beetle species with higher moisture requirements. Lower values of the MIB index were due to the presence of smaller open habitat macropterous species, with the spring type of breeding and associated with open areas.

The effects of heterogeneity created by treefall, landslide, and stream on ground beetle assemblages in a primary beech forest

Old-growth forests play essential roles in maintaining biodiversity and providing ecosystem services. While heterogeneity produced by various natural disturbances and micro-topography is an integral part of old-growth forest ecosystems, the effects of such natural disturbances and heterogeneity on arthropod diversity in old-growth forests are not fully understood. In this study, we evaluated how the heterogeneity produced by treefalls, landslides, and streams influences ground beetle diversity in an old-growth beech forest in the Tadami Biosphere Reserve, Japan. Fourteen plots composed of five forest interior, three treefall gaps, three landslides, and three along a stream were established, with 15 pitfall traps installed in each plot. Traps were opened for two days in each season. The results showed that canopy openness was the highest in landslide gaps, whereas litter depth was the lowest along the stream. Species richness was lowest along the stream but was similarly high in the other three habitat types. The activity density of beetles was also lowest along the stream, but highest in the landslide gaps. Landslide gaps and streams had distinct species compositions and several indicator species, respectively, indicating that soil disturbances involved in landslides and repeated overflow by snowmelt and heavy rain along the stream provide specific environmental conditions that differ from the forest interior and treefall gaps. This study demonstrates that heterogeneity derived from natural disturbances and streams enhances biodiversity in old-growth forests. These findings can be used to develop management measures that mimic natural disturbances in order to conserve biodiversity in managed forests.

Epigeic Carabids (Coleoptera, Carabidae) as Bioindicators in Different Variants of Scots Pine Regeneration: Implication for Forest Landscape Management

Maintaining biodiversity is one of the factors determining the proper functioning of ecosystems, especially those with high human impact. Ground beetles, as bioindicators, are particularly valuable in understanding ecosystem responses and sustainability in forest and landscape management. Focusing on the regeneration of pine forests, this study aimed to describe ground beetle assemblages on Scots pine natural and artificial regeneration in northeastern Poland. This study was conducted between 2016 and 2018. Pitfall traps were set up for catching epigeic carabids on previously prepared research plots designated for natural and artificial pine regeneration. The research areas included three variants: N—natural pine regeneration, plots without soil preparation; NP—natural pine regeneration with traditional soil preparation by ploughing; and A—artificial pine regeneration with ploughing. Four plots as replicants were selected in each experimental variant, with six pitfall traps in the transects running through the centre of each study plot. In each year of the study, 11 samples were collected from each plot; overall, 33 samples per plot were collected during the three years. As a result of this study, 26,654 ground beetle individuals belonging to 89 species were caught during the three-year observation. Natural regeneration without soil preparation (N) was the most favourable in terms of the occurrence of stabilised assemblages of ground beetles. However, the remaining methods of pine regeneration, on a multi-annual scale (2016–2018), contributed to the increase in the number of ground beetles but also provided high variability in assemblage composition, diversity indices, and life-history traits. Thus, in the early stage of pine regeneration, each of the examined variants of pine regeneration can be used without fear of causing damage to carabid populations. However, further studies are required to investigate the effect of different pine regeneration types on carabid beetle assemblages over a longer period.

Different soybean plant arrangements affect ground beetle assemblages

Different soybean plant arrangements affect ground beetle assemblages

Изменчивость биоразнообразия ассамблей жужелиц (Coleoptera, Carabidae) верхового болота при антропогенной трансформации их местообитаний

The presented research demonstrated the features of the variability of the biodiversity of the carabid assemblages in the peat bog with the different degrees of transformation in the Belarusian Lake District. The material was collected using pitfall traps in a peat bog, part of which was drained by a network of reclamation canals. The studies were carried out on an intact site (control) with specialized peat bog vegetation and on three sites of different degrees of transformation: a site with a partially disturbed sphagnum cover, peat fields with a removed sphagnum cover (open peat), and drained sites with a removed sphagnum mat covered with trees and shrubs. Differentiation of a- and в-diversity in areas of different degrees of anthropogenic transformation was revealed. The average number of species (x2 = 10.72, p = 0.01) and individuals (F = 57.54, p = 0.001) in the samples differed significantly. If the sphagnum cover was disturbed or completely removed, the number of species decreases as compared to the control biotopes. Whereas during the formation of tree and bush cover, on the contrary, species richness increases. The average number of individuals decreases, except for sites with partially disturbed sphagnum cover. With an increase in anthropogenic transformation, species diversity and evenness was higher compared to the control (H’ = 1.54 ± 0.05, J’ = 0.42 ± 0.03) and reach a maximum in sites with woody vegetation (H’ = 2.48 ± 0.38, J’ = 0.97 ± 0.11). The values of the Shannon diversity index (x2 = 14.57, p = 0.002) and the Pielou evenness index (F = 18.44, p = 0.001) differed significantly in all studied habitats. The analysis of в-diversity demonstrated significant differences in the species composition of ground beetle assemblages in sites with different degrees of transformation (ANOSIM; R = 0.90, p = 0.0001). The species composition and dominance structure of ground beetle assemblages undergo the greatest changes when the sphagnum cover is completely removed. At the same time, the composition of the group of dominants is significantly expanding. Specialized raised bog species Agonum ericeti (Panzer, 1809), Pterostichus diligens (Sturm, 1824) and P. rhaeticus Heer, 1838 were replaced by open space dwellers and eurytopic species such as Cicindela sylvatica Linnaeus, 1758, Poecilus cupreus (Linnaeus, 1758), P. versicolor (Sturm, 1824), Agonum sexpunctatum (Linnaeus, 1758), Harpalus latus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Effects of elevation and slope on the alpha and beta diversity of ground-dwelling beetles in Mt. Jirisan National Park, South Korea

• A total of 67 species and 12,304 individuals from Mt. Jirisan. • Higher species richness and abundance from the northern slope than the southern slope. • Species richness increased with elevation and the abundance showed hump-shaped. • Spatial turnover for the mountain and nestedness for slope level. • Ground beetle assemblages depended on elevation and soil. We examined the diversity of ground-dwelling (epigaeic) beetles at different elevations of the northern and southern slopes of Mt. Jirisan National Park, South Korea. We selected eight study sites from both slopes and collected the beetles 10 times from May 2018 to August 2019 using pitfall traps. We collected a total of 67 species and 12,304 individuals and found higher species richness and abundance among the beetles from the northern slope (54 species and 6,969 individuals) than the southern slope (46 species and 5,335 individuals). We observed that the proportion of species based on the biogeographic affinity (Palearctic or Oriental) did not depend on the elevation and slope. The species richness increased with elevation and the abundance showed hump-shaped with a peak at 800 m. While the overall beta diversity was similar at the mountain and slope levels, the underlying processes such as spatial turnover and nestedness differed at the mountain and slope levels, respectively. We found that the ground beetle assemblages depended on elevation and soil characteristics such as soil organic matter and pH but were unaffected by the vegetation type.

Impact of Water Retention Practices in Forests on the Biodiversity of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

This study was carried out in an area covered by the “Increasing retention capacity and prevention of floods and droughts in forest ecosystems in lowland areas” land drainage development project. The aim was to evaluate the impact of transformations in a habitat following the project’s implementation on the structure of assemblages of epigeic ground beetles, in the context of the overall trend of decreasing biodiversity. The entomological observations were commenced before launching the planned hydro-technical development at the study area and were repeated 11 years later. During the two years of observations (2008 and 2019), 3311 specimens of ground beetles, representing 89 species, were captured. Water regulation affected the composition of ground beetle assemblages. After the small water retention program had been completed, a quantitative and qualitative decrease in ground beetles was observed. The groundwork for the development caused some disturbances in the habitat, leading to, amongst other things, higher soil moisture, which was conducive to the establishment of ground beetle assemblages other than those observed before the water retention project. After the hydro-technical objects had been constructed, the share of large and small zoophages with higher moisture preferences (hygrophilous species) increased, while the contribution of xerophilous hemizoophages decreased.

Landscape Heterogeneity Determines the Diversity and Life History Traits of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Functional diversity is crucial to ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes. Intensive agriculture has led to habitat homogeneity and thus a decrease in biodiversity and the disappearance of useful epigeic fauna. This study investigated how local habitat types in an agricultural landscape affect the assemblage parameters (abundance, species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity index) and life history traits of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The study was conducted in four habitat types: Orchard, meadow, shrubs, and forest. In each type, 12 sampling transects were selected, in which individuals were caught in pitfall traps. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed significant differences in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblage composition between habitats. The generalized linear model showed that the habitat type influenced the beetles’ assemblage parameters and life history traits. Abundance, number of species, and species diversity were highest in the orchard. The occurrence of large brachypterous predators was also strongly dependent on habitat heterogeneity. Their presence in the orchard depended on their distance from semi-natural habitats (shrubs or forest). The results underscore the importance of habitat heterogeneity for populations of predatory Carabidae in intensively used agricultural landscapes and demonstrate the role of functional parameters, providing detailed information on agroecosystem condition and functioning.

Ground beetle assemblages respond to motorway proximity through changes in functional rather than taxonomic diversity in a grassland ecosystem

Despite being among the best-studied insect groups in road ecology, assemblage-level effects of major roads on ground beetles have rarely been investigated from the functional perspective. In this study we adopted both species-based and trait-based approaches to investigate spatial dynamics of ground beetle assemblages with respect to motorway proximity and identify main environmental drivers of the observed changes. In 2018, ground beetles were sampled by pitfall traps within homogeneous portions of a grassland habitat in Lika region, Croatia, in eight locations at five distances from a motorway: 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 m. While no significant spatial patterns were found in taxonomic assemblage metrics, confirming that road-related effects are less prominent in open compared to closed habitat types, functional diversity of ground beetles increased with motorway proximity, possibly owing to an edge effect. Our findings show that, in grassland ecosystems, motorways are likely to affect ground beetle assemblages primarily through changes in vegetation height, with highly vegetated roadsides potentially acting as habitat corridors or supplementary habitats for generalist and mesophilous species.

Body size and the urban heat island effect modulate the temperature–size relationship in ground beetles

AbstractAimBody size is a key trait linked to other life history traits and influences several individual‐, community‐ and ecosystem‐level characteristics, processes, functions and services. Ecological and evolutionary body size responses at the intra‐ and inter‐specific level to thermal geographic gradients (e.g. latitudinal or altitudinal ones) are widely studied. Whether this temperature‐size relationship remains true for community‐wide body size is still largely unknown.LocationNorthern temperate region.TaxonGround beetles (Carabidae).MethodsWe assessed the temperature‐size relationships using data from 11 northern temperate locations, spanning 25 latitudinal degrees. Furthermore, we quantified the effects of potential competing factors, such as body size and habitat preference of carabid assemblages and sub‐assemblages along urbanisation gradients, as well as the urban heat island (UHI) effect on this relationship.ResultsWe found significant negative relationship between the community‐wide mean body size and the geographical latitude (converse Bergmann cline) for the whole ground beetle assemblage and the sub‐assemblages of large‐bodied species. This relationship was stronger in the urban localities than in rural ones. For the sub‐assemblages of small‐sized species, the relationship was not significant. We found significant negative relationship between the community‐wide mean body size and the latitude for the sub‐assemblages of both the non‐forest and the forest species, and these became stronger in the urban habitats.Main ConclusionsOur results highlight the leading role of the individual body size and the UHI effect in determining the community‐wide body size–latitude relationship in ground beetles.

Assemblages of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the wheat and corn fields of the West Siberian forest-steppe zone

Assemblages of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the wheat and corn fields of the West Siberian forest-steppe zone

Conservation value of semi-open habitats for ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Cicindelidae) in Central Europe

Reintroduction of grazing to counteract insect decline will lead to an increase of semi-open habitats. Semi-open habitats are highly heterogeneous, consisting of a mosaic of patches of trees or shrubs embedded in a matrix dominated by dwarf shrubs or grasses. Despite a lack of evidence, structural heterogeneity is expected to allow many species to co-occur, making semi-open habitats appear highly valuable for invertebrate conservation. We studied ground beetles in eight sites in two landscapes of Central Europe each encompassing semi-open, open, and forest habitats. Rapid response to environmental change and limited dispersal abilities make ground beetles an excellent model taxon to evaluate the effectiveness of such conservations measures. In both studied landscapes, ground beetle assemblages in semi-open habitats tended to be distinct and intermediate between those from the forest and open habitats. Species richness and functional diversity in semi-open habitats were similar to open habitats at site level. The majority of species entered the semi-open habitats, except for most threatened species, yet, few species were exclusively associated with semi-open habitats. We conclude that the continuous presence of many species in semi-open habitats likely results from mass effects rather than habitat heterogeneity per se. Our findings underline the conservation value of the existing forest, heathland, and grassland habitats over semi-open habitats which can, however, function as dispersal habitats and increase landscape connectivity. Strategies aiming at promoting semi-open habitats to counteract insect decline should target enhancing connectivity rather than the creation of habitats only.

Ground beetle assemblages and distribution of functional traits in olive orchards and vineyards depend on the agricultural management practice

Ground beetle assemblages and distribution of functional traits in olive orchards and vineyards depend on the agricultural management practice

Functional plasticity of carabids can presume better the changes in community composition than taxon-based descriptors.

Although the functional trait approach can facilitate the understanding of mechanisms that underline community responses to habitat alteration, only a few studies used this way on exploring the structure of insect assemblages compared to taxon-based analyses. We compared the descriptive power of medium-term effects (2014-2018) of forestry treatments in a temperate managed oak-dominated forest on taxon- vs. trait-based descriptors of ground beetle assemblages. The treatments included rotation forestry (partial preparation cutting, clear-cutting, retention-tree group, and mature closed forest as control) and continuous cover forestry (gap cutting) operations. The species composition was only slightly influenced by the treatments; on the ordination biplot, the control, retention tree group, and clear-cutting treatments formed relatively homogeneous groups, well separated from each other, while the others were scattered randomly in the ordination space. Over time, the species richness decreased in all treatments, but it was higher in the retention tree group treatment than in others in 2016 and 2017. The activity density also declined between years, but an immediate mass effect was revealed after the implementation of treatment types especially in the control, gap, and preparation cuts. We found that assemblages in the clear-cutting and retention-tree group had similar characteristics: high functional diversity; more open-habitat, generalist, and omnivore species and fewer carnivore species; while those in the control, gap, and preparation cutting groups had the opposite: lower functional diversity, more forest species, and more carnivorous species. Our findings will demonstrate that the simultaneous use of the two approaches will allow the most articulate understanding of the status of ground beetles assemblages in managed forests.

Grazing impacts on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) abundance and diversity on semi‐natural grassland

Abstract Semi‐natural grasslands are commonly managed as a grazing resource for domestic livestock but, due to their unique biodiversity, they are also of conservation interest. Numerous drivers have impacted on the status of these grasslands in recent decades, most importantly changing grazing management strategies. These changes have the potential to affect the biodiversity associated with these habitats, including on some rich invertebrate assemblages. Responses, however, are often dissimilar between different invertebrate taxa. We investigated the responses of ground beetles to different grazing regimes within a replicated, controlled, long‐term grazing experiment on upland semi‐natural grassland in Scotland. Although there was substantial overlap of species composition of ground beetle assemblages in different grazing treatments, species richness, abundance and Shannon diversity of ground beetles were significantly lower in ungrazed plots than in plots subject to high‐ or low‐intensity sheep grazing. Ground beetle abundance (but not species richness or diversity) was lower in ungrazed plots compared to those with low‐intensity mixed grazing by sheep and cattle. However, no differences were identified in abundance, species richness or diversity between the three grazed treatments. Our results suggest that ground beetles may show different responses to grazing compared to responses of some other invertebrate groups and demonstrate the difficulty of attempting to manage grazing to optimise conditions for a wide range of invertebrates.

Distribution of ground beetles of the genus Bembidion (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the agricultural landscape in Northwestern Russia

We have observed seven species of predator beetles of the genus Bembidion in the agricultural landscape of the Leningrad Region (Northwestern Russia) between the years 2008 and 2018. These species reach their highest abundance in sun-exposed areas, especially mesophilic B. quadrimaculatum Linnaeus, 1761, B. properans (Stephens, 1828), B. lampros (Herbst, 1784), and B. femoratum Sturm, 1825. A few mesohygrophilic B. guttula (Fabricius, 1792) and B. gilvipes (Sturm, 1825) live primarily in areas of dense vegetation. Finally, the hygrophilic B. bruxellense (Wesmael, 1835) was only observed on the most humid soils. Assemblages of Bembidion ground beetles were separated in the fields, field boundaries, and adjacent habitats.

What shapes ground beetle assemblages in a tree species-rich subtropical forest?

As woody plants provide much of the trophic basis for food webs in forests their species richness, but also stand age and numerous further variables such as vegetation structure, soil properties and elevation can shape assemblages of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). However, the combined impact of these numerous variables on ground beetle diversity and community structure has rarely been studied simultaneously. Therefore, ground beetles were studied in 27 plots in a highly diverse and structurally heterogeneous subtropical forest ecosystem, the Gutianshan National Park (southeast China) using pitfall traps and flight interception traps. Both trapping methods collected partly overlapping species spectra. The arboreal fauna was dominated by lebiines and to a smaller extent by tiger beetles and platynines; the epigeic fauna comprised mostly representatives of the genus Carabus and numerous tribes, especially anisodactylines, pterostichines, and sphodrines. Ground beetle species richness, abundance, and biomass of the pitfall trap catches were analyzed with generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), fitted with seven environmental variables. Four of these variables influenced the ground beetle assemblages: Canopy cover, herb cover, pH-value of the topsoil and elevation. Contrary to our expectations, woody plant species richness and stand age did not significantly affect ground beetle assemblages. Thus, ground beetles seem to respond differently to environmental variables than ants and spiders, two other predominantly predatory arthropod groups that were studied on the same plots in our study area and which showed distinct relationships with woody plant richness. Our results highlight the need to study a wider range of taxa to achieve a better understanding of how environmental changes affect species assemblages and their functioning in forest ecosystems.

Responses of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages to stand characteristics and landscape structure in riparian poplar forests

Abstract Many carabid beetles are among the most important biocontrol agents and are biological indicators of environmental change, although relatively little is known about how local and landscape factors affect forest ground beetle assemblages. Understanding such effects of multi‐scale environmental drivers on ground beetles can promote carabid diversity and conservation. Ground beetles were sampled by pitfall trapping in 40 poplar forest stands (sampling plots) along the Irtysh River in Northwestern China. We investigated responses of carabid activity density, species diversity and functional diversity (FD) to stand characteristics and surrounding landscape structure (the overall diversity and percentage cover of vegetation productivity classes in the surrounding area of each sampling plot based on normalised difference vegetation index). While carabid activity density only responded positively to the overall diversity of vegetation productivity classes, carabid species diversity was positively associated with this landscape factor as well as vegetation cover but negatively associated with the nearest distance from sampling plot to the river. Only carabid FD responded significantly to percentage cover of vegetation productivity classes, showing a positive correlation with the proportion of medium vegetation productivity. Furthermore, overall carabid FD declined with increasing tree canopy cover. Our results can help predicting spatial patterns of ground beetles according to landscape diversity and proportions of surrounding vegetation types and improve the design of conservation strategies (such as altering canopy cover) of carabids, especially forest specialist species. Any forest management strategies for promoting carabid diversity should consider the pervasive effects of landscape composition and configuration besides local stand characteristics.