Carabidae Research Articles

The Effects of Vegetation Structure and Timber Harvesting on Ground Beetle (Col.: Carabidae) and Arachnid Communities (Arach.: Araneae, Opiliones) in Short-Rotation Coppices

Landscape complexity is a crucial factor for insect diversity in agricultural landscapes. Short-rotation coppices (SRCs) are characterised by high habitat heterogeneity. The impact of vegetation structure on the composition and diversity of ground beetle and arachnid communities was therefore investigated in four SRCs and six reference plots. The study site was located in Hesse, Germany. The invertebrates were surveyed from 2011 to 2014 using pitfall traps, and the vegetation structure was quantified by estimating the percentage cover of 10 structural variables. The impact of the selected structural variables on community composition was analysed during grove growth as well as after a timber harvest. We found correlations between the cover percentages of structural variables and the quantitative and qualitative species composition in both animal groups (p ≤ 0.05). The share of individuals of forest species increased with rising shading and litter cover, while those of open land decreased. The opposite trends were found the year after the timber harvest. The SRCs showed a higher structural diversity compared to the reference biotopes (p ≤ 0.05). This was positively correlated (p ≤ 0.001) with species diversity and the variety of habitat preference groups in both animal groups. The high diversity within the habitat preference groups indicated a functional redundancy among species for both animal groups and, consequently, a high level of resilience within these communities. Little is known about the functional aspects of ground beetles and spiders in ecosystems, and detailed studies are urgently needed. We conclude that SRCs can contribute to the diversification of agricultural landscapes as an alternative to traditional crop cultivation.

Additional information regarding the ground beetle species of the Asia-Pacific genus Mimocolliuris Liebke, 1933 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lebiinae)

Ground beetles of the Genus Mimocolliuris Liebke, 1933 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lebiinae) are represented by 17 species globally within the three subgenera (Essora Liebke 1933, Paramimocolliuris Habu 1979, and Mimocolliuris s.str) with an exclusive distribution in the Asia-Pacific region (India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, China, Taiwan, and Japan). This study provides additional information regarding the Asia-Pacific genus Mimocolliuris by offering a supplementary note for the genus and a revised identification key to the species of the genus Mimocolliuris by including subgenera Essora Liebke, 1933, and Paramimocolliuris Habu, 1979. Additionally, this study provides the first report of the species Mimocolliuris bicoloripes Baehr, 2016 from the Oriental region (India) and also presents a modified description of the species Mimocolliuris pilifera (Nietner, 1858).

Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer

The ongoing transition within forest management towards more biodiversity-oriented practices, such as close-to-nature forestry and retention forestry, may benefit forest fauna such as forest-specialized ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). However, it remains unclear how forest carabids are jointly affected by these practices in Central European montane forests, which host particularly sensitive, range-restricted carabid species, and where biodiversity-oriented forestry is widely applied. Moreover, roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the most common large herbivore in these forests, is intensively managed to reduce browsing pressure, but it is yet unknown how this may affect carabids, alongside the effect of silviculture. On 66 1-ha plots in the Black Forest region of Germany, we sampled carabids with pitfall traps, measured roe deer abundances using camera trapping, and measured several structural variables directly related to close-to-nature and retention practices, as well as variables describing microclimate and landscape-level forest cover. We found that the carabid assemblage was dominated by forest specialists, with little influence from fragmentation of the surrounding forest. Higher broadleaf share (and canopy cover for montane specialists) was correlated with higher carabid activity-density. Increasing stand maturity (and lying deadwood volume for montane specialists), was correlated with higher species richness. Plots with higher roe deer abundances showed higher carabid richness and activity-density. Assemblage composition changed along the altitudinal gradient, and both richness and activity-density increased with elevation. Thus, carabid communities, including montane specialists and several species of conservation interest, stand to benefit from close-to-nature and retention practices, if applied throughout the altitude range of montane forests. Forest carabids may additionally profit from maintaining higher roe deer abundances, but further research is needed to understand this causal link, as well as to weigh the costs and benefits of deer culling for forest biodiversity.

Urbanization reduces gut bacterial microbiome diversity in a specialist ground beetle, Carabus convexus.

Urbanization is rapidly shaping and transforming natural environments, creating networks of modified land types. These urbanization-driven modifications lead to local extinctions of several species, but the surviving ones also face numerous novel selection pressures, including exposure to pollutants, habitat alteration, and shifts in food availability and diversity. Based on the assumption that the environmental pool of microorganisms is reduced in urban habitats due to habitat alteration, biodiversity loss, and pollution, we hypothesized that the diversity of bacterial microbiome in digestive tracts of arthropods would be lower in urban than rural habitats. Investigating the gut bacterial communities of a specialist ground beetle, Carabus convexus, in forested rural versus urban habitats by next generation high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, we identified 3839 bacterial amplicon sequence variants. The composition of gut bacterial samples did not significantly differ by habitat (rural vs. urban), sex (female vs. male), sampling date (early vs. late spring), or their interaction. The microbiome diversity (evaluated by the Rényi diversity function), however, was higher in rural than urban adults. Our findings demonstrate that urbanization significantly reduced the diversity of the gut bacterial microbiome in C. convexus.

Taxonomy, Distribution and Habitat of the Giant Trechus Beetles Endemic to Mt. Choke, Ethiopia (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The Holarctic ground beetle genus Trechus Clairville, 1806, is highly diverse in the Ethiopian highlands, both in terms of species numbers and morphology. Particularly noteworthy are the extraordinarily large species of the subgenus Abyssinotus Quéinnec and Ollivier, 2021, with a body length up to 8.5 mm, that occur on Mt. Choke in northern Ethiopia. Recent, intensive field work on Mt. Choke resulted in a significantly large number of specimens that are the basis for our taxonomic revision of the species related to the giant species, T. dimorphicus Pawłowski, 2001 and T. gigas Pawłowski, 2001. We describe three new species and one new subspecies and discuss a likely interspecific hybrid that combines morphological character states of representatives of the dimorphicus and gigas subgroups of Abyssinotus. An iconography of males and females as well as photographs of the aedeagi of all the considered species are presented. The distributions of the species are detailed and knowledge of the species-specific habitat preferences is summarized. Based on the distributions and habitat specificity, a threat assessment based on the current land use pattern at Mt. Choke is provided.

Drift drives the evolution of chromosome number I: The impact of trait transitions on genome evolution in Coleoptera.

Chromosomal mutations such as fusions and fissions are often thought to be deleterious, especially in heterozygotes (underdominant), and consequently are unlikely to become fixed. Yet, many models of chromosomal speciation ascribe an important role to chromosomal mutations. When the effective population size (Ne) is small, the efficacy of selection is weakened, and the likelihood of fixing underdominant mutations by genetic drift is greater. Thus, it is possible that ecological and phenotypic transitions that modulate Ne facilitate the fixation of chromosome changes, increasing the rate of karyotype evolution. We synthesize all available chromosome number data in Coleoptera and estimate the impact of traits expected to change Ne on the rate of karyotype evolution in the family Carabidae and 12 disparate clades from across Coleoptera. Our analysis indicates that in Carabidae, wingless clades have faster rates of chromosome number increase. Additionally, our analysis indicates clades exhibiting multiple traits expected to reduce Ne, including strict inbreeding, oligophagy, winglessness, and island endemism, have high rates of karyotype evolution. Our results suggest that chromosome number changes are likely fixed by genetic drift despite an initial fitness cost and that chromosomal speciation models may be important to consider in clades with very small Ne.

BEETLES IDENTIFIED IN THE SCORNICESTI ORCHARD ECOSYSTEM, OLT COUNTY

The work is a general classification of insects, starting from the large systematic units, the orders and suborders, and further treating the main families and subfamilies. Following the experiments carried out in 2023, in the North-Eastern area of Olt County, Scornicești locality, the coleoptera species collected in the analyzed fruit-growing ecosystem were classified into 4 families: Scarabeidae, Carabidae, Staphilinidae, Coccinellidae.Thus, in 2023, out of a total of 1214 beetles, the Scarabidae family was present in a proportion of 21.17%, the Carabidae family represented 22.16%, the Staphilinidae family was 7.58%, and the Coccinelidae family represented 49, 09%.

Ground beetles of the tribes Chlaeniini Brull, 1834 and Rhopalomelini Alluaud, 1930 (Carabidae: Licininae) of Guinea-Bissau: description of two new species and faunistic notes.

Two new species of ground beetles of the genus Chlaenius Bonelli, 1810 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from Guinea-Bissau are described: C. (Chlaeniostenus) kirschenhoferi n. sp. and C. (Chlaeniostenus) silvai n. sp., together with illustrations of their habitus and aedeagus. An annotated checklist of 20 species and subspecies of the tribes Chlaeniini and Rhopalomelini is provided, including data on general distribution, new country and new distribution records at country level. The list includes novel information from two entomological missions to that country carried out in 2006 and 2009 and also corrigenda data on previous published species. A new synonymy is established: Chlaenius (Paracallistoides) opisthographus Alluaud, 1934 is proposed as a junior synonym of Chlaenius (Chlaenius) zygogrammus LaFert-Snectre, 1851. Further, a dichotomic key is made available for the identification of the Guinea-Bissau species of Chlaenius (Chlaeniostenus) Kuntzen, 1919 subgenus. A historical review, as well as some considerations on the distribution and conservation status of these beetles in Guinea-Bissau is also presented.

Evergreen gymnosperm tree abundance drives ground beetle density and community composition in eastern US temperate forests

PurposeSoil invertebrates are abundant and diverse members of forest ecosystems, contributing in large parts to ecosystem functioning. Understanding drivers of soil invertebrate diversity, density, and community composition is critical to inform management practices as forests face rapid changes in land use and climate. Tree community metrics may help predict invertebrate communities due to their large role in shaping microhabitat and soil conditions. Ground beetles are a large family of soil-dwelling invertebrates comprised of multiple functional groups ideal for tying tree communities to invertebrate communities broadly. Methods Here, we evaluated the effects of tree diversity, density, and functional groups on ground beetle (Carabidae) diversity, density, and community composition in four eastern US temperate forest sites in the National Ecological Observatory Network. Results We found little evidence to support our hypothesis that higher tree diversity and density would, respectively, lead to higher diversity and density ground beetle communities. Instead, evergreen tree abundance strongly shaped ground beetle density and community composition. Specifically, evergreen stands contained a lower density of ground beetles than deciduous stands. Similarly, the relative abundance of predatory ground beetles increased as the relative abundance of evergreen trees increased. Conclusions Our results show that the resource environments created by trees with varying leaf habits are a dominant force driving ground beetle community diversity and density patterns and suggest that future research exploring mechanisms driving this pattern could improve our understanding of plant-soil interactions.

Survey of ground beetles inhabiting agricultural crops in south-east Kazakhstan.

Ground beetles (Carabid beetles) may be found in virtually all of the world's habitats. They are one of the three most diverse families of extant beetles, with 34,275 species documented, and they serve as vital ecological markers in all environments. Edaphic living beetles catch and eat a wide variety of arthropods that live in the soil. In the case of weeds, most of the ground beetles eat their seeds and help regulate their populations. The findings of a field study in agrocenoses in South-East Kazakhstan from 2019 to 2020 are presented in this article. Twenty-seven ground beetle species from 9 genera were discovered as a consequence of the study. 670 soil traps yielded a total of 1012 beetles. Polytopic mesophilic beetles provide the foundation of the agrocenoses fauna. Hygrophils, mesophiles, and eurybionts are among the beetles found in irrigated areas, as are mixed and herbivorous species. The Carabidae family of beetles is the most numerous in fields and steppe settings. As a result, mixed-diet beetles can be found depending on the habitat and air temperature. The species of beetles in all fields in the investigation area are in accordance with the insects' complex. During the growth season, the diet of beetles shifts: predatory beetles take precedence initially, followed by mixed-diet beetles.

Эколого-географический анализ жужелиц интразональных биотопов Юго-Восточного Предкавказья

In the steppe zone of the Southeastern Pre-Caucasus, mainly on light chestnut soils, salt marshes are widespread. They are inhabited by a very characteristic and peculiar fauna of ground beetles, associated in their development with saline soils. However, to date, there are very few special scientific studies devoted to ground beetles of saline biotopes of the studied territory of the Eastern Caucasus, the study of their ecology and biology, which determined the purpose of research aimed at solving the above problems. Registration of the population composition of halophilic herpetobiont ground beetles, population dynamics, ecological structure and geographical analysis were studied. In the course of the study, an analysis of the ecological and zoogeographic characteristics of ground beetles was carried out, the ratio of different species of ground beetles of the Southeastern Caucasus was revealed. It has been specified that some species can serve as an indicator of the presence of salt marshes. Halophilic complexes of ground beetles of the steppe zone (the studied region) are currently under constant threat of human destruction. The floodplains in the lower reaches of the Kuma, the Sulak and other steppe rivers are actively exterminated, which naturally leads to the depletion of the salt marsh fauna of ground beetles, the original representatives of halophytic stations disappear – Scarites angustus Chaud., Clivina laevifrons Chaud., Dyschirius pusillus Dej., Bembidion quadriplagiatum Motsch., B. normannum Dej., Pogonus reticulatus Schaum., P. cumanus Lutschn and other.

Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Akimiski Island, Nunavut, Canada

Abstract In many regions of Canada, knowledge of the distribution of insect species is far from complete. This knowledge gap, known as the Wallacean Shortfall, is often manifest by species records separated by large, often remote areas with no records. Paradoxically, these difficult-to-access areas offer the best opportunity to study unaltered native community assemblages. Such gaps in knowledge are exemplified by ground beetles, a well-known group, yet with record gaps in many unstudied areas of Canada, including Akimiski Island, Nunavut. This postglacial rebound island, located in James Bay, has no permanently occupied human dwellings and almost no human-altered habitat. Using a combination of pitfall-malaise traps, pitfall traps, and hand captures during 2008–2014, we collected 1368 ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as part of a larger biodiversity survey. We identified 31 species, 29 of which were first territorial records for Nunavut. Our results almost double the number of Carabidae known from Nunavut and extend the known range of eight other species. Seventeen of the species that we caught cannot fly, evidence for colonists arriving on Akimiski on floating debris. Our study fills substantial range gaps and serves as baseline information to detect future change.

Effects of herbal wet compresses on pain intensity, inflammatory factor levels, and quality of life in patients with pain.

To investigate the pharmacological mechanisms and clinical effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) wet compresses on pain, inflammation, and quality of life in patients with soft tissue injuries. First, the network pharmacology of the active ingredients from TCM wet compresses were identified using the TCMSP (Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform) database (Common monkshood mother root, Two-toothed achyranthes root, Sour orange, Garden balsam stem, Safflower, Ground beetle, Zingiber, Haichow elsholtzia herb). Relevant targets for soft tissue injuries were obtained from GeneCards, revealing 20 key therapeutic targets. Pathway clustering highlighted inflammation-related pathways. Then we conducted clinical investigation by retrospectively analyzing the data of 80 patients with soft tissue injury treated in our hospital from January 2023 to December 2023. The data from healthy subjects who had physical examination in our hospital during the same period served as the control group (n=40). According to the treatment plan, the patients were divided into study group A (n=40, external treatment with Voltaalin ointment), and study group B (n=40, treatment with TCM wet compress). Pain intensity, inflammatory factor levels, and quality of life of the patients between the two groups were compared. Analysis of TCM wet compresses revealed 86 active ingredients and 259 intersecting targets, with key ingredients including sitogluside, beta-sitosterol, and quercetin. Key targets included IL-6, IL-1B, TNF, CXCL8, and IL10. Clinically, both patient groups showed significant reductions in pain and inflammatory markers, with greater improvements in study group B. In addition, quality of life improved notably post-treatment in study group B. TCM wet compress patches are effective in reducing pain, modulating inflammation, and improving the quality of life in patients with soft tissue injury. These findings support TCM wet compresses as a promising alternative treatment.

Natural cycles in the Northern Baikal region

The authors of the article present the results of an analysis of the cyclicity of long-term numerical series of meteorological parameters (average annual air temperature, total annual precipitation) and six longterm numerical series of short-lived animal species from different taxonomic groups: ground beetles, small rodents and passerine birds living in similar biotopes of the low-mountain part of Barguzinsky ridge (territory of the Barguzin State Natural Biosphere Reserve). The cyclic components of long-term observation series lasting 33-67 years were studied by Fourier spectral analysis. Periodograms and cyclic sequences of model species coincide in most cases. In all species, high-frequency 2-3 year cycles predominate, while mid-frequency 4-8 year and low-frequency 9-19 year cycles are of secondary importance. Statistically significant correlations between cyclicity in the long-term abundance series of model animal species and the cyclicity of annual precipitation and average annual temperature have been identified. Reliable correlations between the cyclicity of Wolf numbers and the cyclicality of meteorological parameters are shown. Solar activity has an indirect effect on the cyclicity of natural processes in the Northern Baikal region.

Use of semiochemical-baited traps to monitor the range expansion of the invasive Sitona lineatus (Curculionidae: Coleoptera) and the presence of associated ground beetles

Use of semiochemical-baited traps to monitor the range expansion of the invasive <i>Sitona lineatus</i> (Curculionidae: Coleoptera) and the presence of associated ground beetles

The sperm structure of Clinidium canaliculatum (Costa): A contribution to the systematic position of Rhysodidae (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The systematic position and the phylogenetic relationship of Rhysodidae members is still debated, with some authors considering the group as a separate family of Adephaga, while for others they could be a subfamily of Carabidae. The group have morphological traits quite different from Carabidae and an aberrant behaviour compared to ground beetles being not predaceous. The sperm ultrastructure of C. canaliculatum was studied comparatively with other species of beetles, Carabidae in particular. The results indicate that the sperm structure of this species is similar to that of the Carabinae species. As in these species, C. canaliculatum has sperm conjugates with an apical conical cap protecting the heads and the initial region of flagella. This sperm appearance is also shared by another species of Rhysodidae, Omoglymmius hamatus. The material of the apical cap consists of an electron-dense material with a peculiar outer net configuration. Many species of Carabidae, however, can present a different type of sperm conjugation, the spermatostyle: a long rod-like structure where the individual sperms have only the most apical part inserted in the cortical area and the flagella are completely free. C. canaliculatum sperm are endowed with a mono-layered acrosome, a nucleus of variable shape along its length, a flagellum consisting of a typical axoneme 9 + 9+2, provided with 16 protofilaments in the tubular wall of accessory tubules, two asymmetric mitochondrial derivatives with the left one larger than the opposite one, and the right accessory body elongated and larger than the opposite one. These sperm characteristics, which are shared also by another member of the group, suggest the demotion of the family Rhysodidae to the subfamily Rhysodinae within Carabidae, a result also supported by recent molecular data.

Impact of Different Methods of Wheat Cultivation on the Occurrence of Carabidae Family Representatives (Carabidae, Coleoptera)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different methods of wheat cultivation on the occurrence of Carabidae (Coleoptera, Carabidae). The collection was carried out during a three-year period from 2016 to 2018, on research areas in Borovce, which belong to the Research Institute of Plant Production (VÚRV) in Piešťany. The collection of epigeic material was done in five variants: V1: mulching technique; V2: conventional technique; V3: minimization technique; V4: no-till technique; and ECO: ecological technique. During the three-year period, we obtained 11,362 specimens from eight epigeic groups. Out of all the epigeic groups, the dominant order was Coleoptera with the number of individuals 7593. We addressed the Coleoptera order in more detail. It was represented by six families, of which the Carabidae family was dominant. We recorded 6656 specimens from the mentioned family, of which we determined 20 species. The eudominant species were Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger, 1798) and Pseudoophonus rufipes (DeGeer, 1774) throughout the whole period on all types of variants. Based on the specimens obtained, we calculated the values of dominance, frequency, species similarity of communities, diversity of communities and statistically evaluated the correlation of the impact of meteorological factors and the occurrence of Carabidae.

LONG-TERM (2005-2020) WINTER WHEAT PEST POPULATION DYNAMICS IN UKRAINE IN RESPONSE TO EFFECTS OF ACREAGE TREATED WITH INSECTICIDES AND CLIMATE CHANGE

We studied the long-term population dynamic`s (2005-2020) of six main insect pests of winter wheat (late wheat shoot fly, hessian fly, frit flies, cereal beetles, corn ground beetle and sun pest) in three climatic zones of Ukraine under conditions of increasing areas of application pesticides and global warming. The aim of the research was to investigate how these factors influence pest population dynamics. Comparison of sums of effective temperatures (SET) with standard values for different zones indicates significant climate warming over the past 15 years. Correlation analysis with two variables showed a general decrease in the numbers of most populations, especially in the steppe and forest-steppe zones.

Krešiči (Coleoptera: Carabidae) zgornjega toka reke Neretve v Bosni in Hercegovini

During a four-day collection period, 89 ground beetle species were found in the upper course of the Neretva valley near Ulog. Many of them are classified as riparian floodplain specialists. A large proportion of these species, such as Bembidion conforme, have their main distribution in Central Europe, but are very rare in the Balkans. Consequently, these findings form important arguments revealing the upper Neretva to be of high importance in terms of nature conservation.

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.