Carabidae Research Articles

Catalogue of specimens of Rhysodes sulcatus (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera, Carabidae) deposited in the State Museum of Natural History NASU, Lviv, Ukraine

Rhysodinae is a subfamily in the family Carabidae with 19 genera and at least 380 described species. Genus Rhysodes native to the Palearctic (including Europe) and the Near East. Rhysodes sulcatus (Fabricius, 1787) distributed in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe (Spain (Pyrenees), France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, countries of the former Yugoslavia, mountain part of Greece, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia), Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Western Siberia (Крыжановский, 1983; Sienkiewicz, 2004, 2012). The wrinkled bark beetle Rhysodes sulcatus (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera, Carabidae) is an endangered saproxylic beetle listed in the European Habitats Directive (annex II of Council Directive 92/43/EEC), in the Bern Convention (Annex II) and is also listed in the IUCN red list of Threatened species (Nieto, Alexander, 2010; Méndez, Dodelin, Petrakis, Schlaghamersky, Nardi, 2010), classified as EN (Endangered) in the EU 27 and as DD (Data Deficient) for the whole continent. It is considered a relict of primeval forests and belongs among the most threatened saproxylic beetles in Europe (Мателешко, 2003, 2005; Kostanjsek, Sebek, Baranova, Jalaska, Riedl, Cizek, 2018; Mazzei, Audisio, Vigna Taglianti, Brandmayr, 2019). Included in the Red Data Book of Poland (Sienkiewicz, 2004). In the Red Data Book of Ukraine the species were listed in 2021 with vulnerable status (Наказ…, 2021). Before that the species were included in the Red Data Book of the Ukrainian Carpathians (Мателешко, 2011). At the regional level Rhysodes sulcatus (Fabricius, 1787) is protected in the Kharkiv oblast (province) (Різун, 2010). In Ukraine Rhysodes sulcatus (Fabricius, 1787) occurs in the Ukrainian Carpathians, in Polissia region, in the Kharkivska oblast (province) and in the Crimean Mountains. The analysis shows that the presence of the beetle is affected mainly by the diameter of dead wood as well as its humidity, as Rhysodes sulcatus (Fabricius, 1787) was almost exclusively found in large, moist and well rotten fallen logs with a diameter greater than 60 cm. The collection of the State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences in Lviv contains 12 specimens of this species. Five of them are collected in South-Eastern part of Poland, six in Western part of Ukraine and one has an undefined location. Ten specimens were collected in the period from the second half of the 19th century to 1939, and two beetles in 1987 (Poland) and 2016 in Lviv oblast (province) (Ukraine). Identified collectors were I. Verkhratskyi, ?M. Łomnicki, T. Trella, A. Stöckl, D. Kubisz, V. Rizun.

Catalogue of specimens of Odacantha melanura (Linnaeus, 1767) (Coleoptera, Carabidae) deposited in the State Museum of Natural History NASU, Lviv, Ukraine

Tribe Odacanthini is a tribe of ground beetles in the family Carabidae subfamily Lebiinae, there are more than 43 genera and 680 described species in Odacanthini (Lorenz, 2021). Genus Odacantha includs 15 extant species known so far. European-Asian genus Odacantha, in Ukraine is represented by single species Odacantha melanura (Linnaeus, 1767). Species distributed in Western Palearctic from medle parts of Spain, Italy and Balkan Peninsula till to southern provinces of Fennoscandia, to East reached Amur River, recorded in Caucasus and Iran (Burakowski et al., 1974). Odacantha melanura (Linnaeus, 1767) is a winged, spring breeder and occurs in the Scirpus, Typha and Phragmites thicketon the banks of reservoirs and bogs (Hůrka, 1996). In Ukraine Odacantha melanura (Linnaeus, 1767) recorded in Podillia (Tovtry ridge, Pantalykhy steppe, Butsyky) (Nowicki, 1864), Horodok vicinity (Malkovychi) (Łomnicki, 1868), Butsyky (Łomnicki, 1870), banks of the Dnipro River near Kyiv (Hochhuth, 1871), Podillia (Nowicki, 1873), Ivano-Frankove (Zalissia) (Król, 1877), Lviv (Vulka near Sobka pond), Ivano-Frankove (Zalissia) (Łomnicki, 1890), Ternopil (Rybiński, 1903), up to Kharkiv and Kherson gubernias (provinces) (Якобсон, 1905), Kamianets-Podilskyi (Якубовский, 1914), Uzhhorod and all Transcarpathians lowland (Roubal, 1930), Crimea (Эйдельберг, Мальцев, Перваков, 1988), Forest (Novgorod-Siverske Polissia) and Forest-steppe zones of Left-Bank Ukraine (Kirichenko, Babko, 2004 (2005)), Mezynskyi National Nature Park (Шешурак, Назаров, 2021). In the collection of the State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Scienses of Ukraine (SMNH) are stored 19 specimens collected in western part of Ukraine, Poland and Austria. Collection material represents the following physiographic regions: Temprate broad-leaf forests zone: Roztotsko-Opilska Upland oblast (Roztochchia district (9 specimens), Opillia district (1)), West Podillia Upland oblast (3), Ukrainian Carpathians: Ciscarpathians Upland oblast (1). The findings are collected by the following collectors M. Łomnicki, J. Mazurek, dr. Łuczakowski , A. Stöckl, H. Eder, Yu. Polianskyi, A. Winkler, V. Zanko in the period of ~1868 – first half of XX century.

Species composition and ecological structure of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) communities as biological indicators of the agro-environmental sustainability

Intensification of crop cultivation can have detrimental environmental consequences that however can be prevented by monitoring of the specific biological indicators sensitive to changes in the ambient environment. In this study the impact of crop type (spring wheat and corn) and cultivation intensity on the community of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia was investigated. A total of 39 species from 15 genera were collected. Ground beetles' community was characterized by a high evenness of species distribution across the agroecosystems. The average Jaccard's similarity index for species presence/absence was 65%, and for abundance it was 54%. The significant difference in the distribution of predatory and mixophytophages ground beetles in wheat crops (U test, P < 0.05) can be justified by the constant suppression of the weed component and the use of insecticides that lead to the dominance of the predators. Fauna of wheat crops was more diverse than that in corn (Margalef index, U test, P < 0.05). No significant differences in biological diversity indexes, except for the Simpson dominance index (U test, P < 0.05, wheat), were found in ground beetle communities in crops at different levels of intensification. A certain differentiation of predatory species was caused by the selective occurrence of the litter-soil species, especially abundant in the row-crop. The specificity of the ground beetle community of corn crops may have been caused by repeated inter-row tillage, which influenced the increase in porosity and topsoil relief and contributed to the creation of favorable microclimatic conditions. In general, the applied level of agrotechnological intensification had no significant effect on the species composition and ecological structure of beetle communities in agrolandscapes. The use of bioindicators made it possible to assess the environmental sustainability of the agricultural environment and also creates the prerequisites for the development of ecologically directed correction of agrotechnological operations in agroecosystem management.

Large-scale correlations between gamebird release and management and animal biodiversity metrics in lowland Great Britain.

The ecological effects on populations of non-game species driven by the annual release and management of tens of millions of gamebirds for recreational shooting are complex and relatively poorly understood. We investigated these effects at a national scale, considering multiple taxa simultaneously. We used records from the UK National Biodiversity Network Atlas to compare animal species and diversity metrics previously suggested to be affected by behaviors of the released birds, or because resources or habitats are influenced by game management or both processes. We contrasted records from 1 km grid squares where gamebirds were reported released in Great Britain, and control squares with similar land cover but where no releases were reported. There were more records overall reported from release grid squares (RGS) compared with controls (CGS), perhaps due to greater reporting effort or greater biological richness. We found fewer foxes in RGS and fewest in grid squares with largest releases, but more carrion crows in RGS. We found no consistent effects for buzzards, ravens, jays, or magpies. There were more rodents and gray squirrels reported from RGS but no differences for reptiles. There were more butterflies but fewer beetles reported from RGS but no consistent patterns for Orthoptera or ground beetles considered common gamebird prey. Farmland and woodland birds exhibited higher abundance, richness, and diversity in RGS when considering absolute records, but woodland bird abundance and richness were lower when correcting for the relative number of records. These nationwide results, despite crude data resolution, reveal diverse effects of gamebird release and management at a national scale and across trophic levels, increasing some non-game animal populations while decreasing others. This should alert practitioners, opponents, and legislators that a focus on single taxa effects, either positive or negative, may obscure the simultaneous changes in other taxa.

New or Little Known Species of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from Sakhalin Island

New or Little Known Species of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from Sakhalin Island

Random year intercepts in mixed models help to assess uncertainties in insect population trends

Abstract An increasing number of studies is investigating insect population trends based on time series data. However, the available data is often subject to temporal pseudoreplication. Inter‐annual variability of environmental conditions and strong fluctuations in insect abundances can impede reliable trend estimation. Temporal random effect structures in regression models have been proposed as solution for this issue, but remain controversial. We investigated trends in ground beetle abundance across 24 years using generalised linear mixed models. We fitted four models: A base model, a model featuring a random year intercept, a model featuring basic weather parameters, and a model featuring both random year intercept and weather parameters. We then performed a simple sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of the four models with respect to influential years, also testing for possible spurious baseline and snapshot effects. The model structure had a significant impact on the overall magnitude of the estimated trends. However, we found almost no difference among the models in how the removal of single years (sensitivity analysis) relatively affected trend coefficients. The two models with a random year intercept yielded significantly larger confidence intervals and their p‐values were more sensitive during sensitivity analysis. Significant differences of the model with random year intercept and weather parameters to all other models suggest that the random year effects and specific weather effects are rather additive than interchangeable. We conclude that random year intercepts help to produce more reliable and cautious uncertainty measures for insect population trends. Moreover, they might help to identify influential years in sensitivity analyses more easily. We recommend random year intercepts in addition to any variables representing temporally variable environmental conditions, such as weather variables.

Transfer of elements from soil to earthworms and ground beetles in boreal forest

Data on the transfer of elements (such as heavy metals) and their radionuclides into organisms is needed for assessing environmental risks. The current data on many elements, species and environments is limited, but more information can be obtained both from field studies and experimental laboratory studies. However, it is essential to evaluate whether experimental studies adequately predict transfer in natural conditions. Moreover, because of the sparsity of species-specific empirical data, it is a common practice in current radioecological modelling to use data available for related species under the assumption that transfer into organisms is similar within broader taxonomic groups. Earthworms and ground beetles are examples of important invertebrates living near soil surface in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, the transfer of 34 elements from soil to these organisms was studied in a field study conducted in boreal forest. The earthworm concentrations were compared to the values obtained in an experimental mesocosm study using soil from the field site and were found to be highly correlated. This indicates that the results of mesocosm studies can be used for predicting the transfer of elements from soil to fauna in natural conditions. Furthermore, concentrations in individual earthworm and beetle species were found to be similar to those observed in broader groups of related species, indicating that the generic approach used in current radioecological models may be useful for predicting uptake of elements into single species.

Activity and habitat use of a dune gecko and its spatial and temporal correlation with other animals on dunes

AbstractCompared with other desert habitats, desert dunes are relatively rich in species, some of which are unique to such habitats. To better understand the interspecific interactions among species in the dunes, their ecology, and their behavior, we studied the habitat use ofStenodactylus petrii. This species is common in desert dunes in Israel and North Africa, and it is a mesopredator, interacting with both its predators and prey, thus affecting populations of both higher and lower trophic levels. We performed an experiment to see whether these animals spend more time in vegetated or open habitats. Our experiment demonstrated thatS. petriiindividuals moved twice faster out of open dune areas than out of microhabitats simulating desert vegetation. Yet, observations of the gecko's tracks suggest that it is similarly present in open areas and around bushes, necessitating further studies. We also reveal that this nocturnal species is more active earlier in the night than later, and more active in late summer (August) than earlier (June–July). We examined which other co‐occurring animals are active together with the studied gecko in time or space. The spatial and temporal activity patterns ofS. petriiare negatively correlated with the activity patterns of gerbils, suggesting that their activity time and microhabitat preference differ. The spatial activity pattern ofS. petriiis positively correlated with Tenebrionid ground beetles, suggesting a shared microhabitat preference. However, neither the temporal nor the spatial activity of the gecko is correlated with that of vipers, which are its potential predators. Future studies ofS. petrii's natural history are important to understand how expected habitat change (e.g. dune stabilization) should affect it.

New identifications of natural history images on the “Bodleian Plate”, an early eighteenth-century engraved copperplate

The “Bodleian Plate”, an early eighteenth-century engraved copper printing plate, bears a series of images of buildings erected in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, as well as depictions of plants and animals. Four of these natural history images portray fragments of marine algae here identified as Sargassum spp. (Sargassaceae) and Ascophyllum nodosum (Fucaceae). A fifth botanical subject is identified as fragments of the inflorescences of Tilia sp. (Malvaceae). Two of the Sargassum fragments show commensal marine organisms, a bryozoan (probably Jellyella tuberculata (Membraniporidae)) and goose barnacles ( Lepas sp. (Crustacea; Cirripedia)). A seahorse ( Hippocampus sp. (Syngnathidae)), a ground beetle and a spider are also depicted. These new identifications contradict the hypothesis that the illustrations portray agricultural or other commodities of financial importance in Virginia during the early 1700s. A putative link with William Byrd II of Westover, Virginia, is not supported by the natural history images.

New species of Ceratoderus and Melanospilus from Southeast Asia (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Paussinae)

Ceratoderus Westwood, 1841 and Melanospilus Westwood, 1847 are highly modified Paussinae ground beetles placed in close relationships with Paussus Linnaeus, 1775 in the latest studies. Four new species are described from Southeast Asia: Ceratoderus anthicoides sp. nov. (Philippines), C. kalamensis sp. nov. (Sulawesi), Melanospilus pilosus sp. nov. (Malay Peninsula), and M. spectabilis sp. nov. (Thailand). The present findings show how diversity is incompletely known, even in areas where many entomologists conducted field research.

Biotopic Features Change the Size of Carabus Odoratus Shil

Body size variation attracts attention of many researchers in different fields because of its importance in organisms functioning. We sampled ground beetles of mountain species Carabus odoratus in different biotopes of Barguzinskiy Ridge (northeast part of Baikal Lake; N 54° 20’; E 109° 30’; Russia). Nine biotopes at different elevation were under the study. We measured sampled beetles for six morphometric traits (elytra, pronotum, head lengths and width). In total 984 specimens were measured individually. Length parameters varied to greater extent in C. odoratus. Elytra length and pronotum and head length as well were significantly shorter in beetles dwelling in aspen, fir, tundra, health and park birch if compared with ones in forestry habitats. Wherein width parameters were, roughly speaking, similar in beetles of all studied biotopes. Undoubtedly observed effect of biotope impact on beetles’ size variation was connected with differing environmental factors at the certain elevations.&#x0D;

Book review of ecology and conservation of the dutch ground beetle fauna – lessons from 66 years of pitfall trapping

Book review of ecology and conservation of the dutch ground beetle fauna – lessons from 66 years of pitfall trapping

GROUND BEETLES (CARABIDAE) IN INUNDATION AREA OF THE RIVER DANUBE

Changes in the structure of ground beetle communities indicate environmental stability or instability influenced by e.g., urbanization, agriculture, and forestry. Over the course of the year 2021, we used pitfall traps to record 504 individuals (185 ♂; 319 ♀) belonging to 26 species at ten localities. The predominance of macropterous species indicating the higher anthropogenic intervention was recorded in the habitats of meadows and pastures. We found an even representation of apterous, brachypterous and macropterous species in the habitat of forest stands, wetland reed communities, restored poplar forest with continued succession.

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).

Characteristics of Fragments of Woodland and Their Influence on the Distribution of Soil Fauna in Agricultural Landscape

Fragments of woodland represent important natural and semi-natural elements that contribute to ecological stability and biodiversity in a landscape. In the Czech Republic, they are part of the Territorial System of Ecological Stability (TSES), which consists of bio-centers, bio-corridors, and interaction elements. The presence of fragments of woodland is of growing importance in the agricultural landscape, where they provide effective protection against soil erosion and serve as a refuge for many animals, whose presence is crucial in maintaining essential ecosystem functions. A functioning ecosystem is especially important in intensively farmed landscapes, which are exposed to frequent and heavy disturbance. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of certain habitat characteristics of fragments of woodland on the activity-density and species richness of selected groups of soil invertebrates (ground beetles, spiders, harvestmen, centipedes, millipedes, and isopods). The research was conducted in the agricultural landscape of South Moravia (Czech Republic) in the summers of 2016–2017, for which we used pitfall traps to collect soil invertebrates on preselected fragments of woodland. The results highlight a wide range of habitat preferences of individual groups of invertebrates, wherein it is not possible to clearly determine the most favorable environmental conditions for all organisms. Consequently, the priority should be to maintain the highest possible degree of heterogeneity among natural and semi-natural features, including with respect to their surrounding landscape. In addition, we found that due to their small size and width, fragments of woodland that are not included in the concept of bio-centers and bio-corridors can similarly support the activity-density and diversity of soil fauna.

Habitat–trait interactions that control response to climate change: North American ground beetles (Carabidae)

AbstractAimAs one of the most diverse and economically important families on Earth, ground beetles (Carabidae) are viewed as a key barometer of climate change. Recent meta‐analyses provide equivocal evidence on abundance changes of terrestrial insects. Generalizations from traits (e.g., body size, diets, flights) provide insights into understanding community responses, but syntheses for the diverse Carabidae have not yet emerged. We aim to determine how habitat and trait syndromes mediate risks from contemporary and future climate change on the Carabidae community.LocationNorth America.Time period2012–2100.Major taxa studiedGround beetles (Carabidae).MethodsWe synthesized the abundance and trait data for 136 species from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and additional raw data from studies across North America with remotely sensed habitat characteristics in a generalized joint attribute model. Combined Light Detection and RAnging (LiDAR) and hyperspectral imagery were used to derive habitat at a continental scale. We evaluated climate risks on the joint response of species and traits by expanding climate velocity to response velocity given habitat change.ResultsHabitat contributes more variations in species abundance and community‐weighted mean traits compared to climate. Across North America, grassland fliers benefit from open habitats in hot, dry climates. By contrast, large‐bodied, burrowing omnivores prefer warm‐wet climates beneath closed canopies. Species‐specific abundance changes predicted by the fitted model under future shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) scenarios are controlled by climate interactions with habitat heterogeneity. For example, the mid‐size, non‐flier is projected to decline across much of the continent, but the magnitudes of declines are reduced or even reversed where canopies are open. Conversely, temperature dominates the response of the small, frequent flier Agonoleptus conjunctus, causing projected change to be more closely linked to regional temperature changes.Main conclusionsCarabidae community reorganization under climate change is being governed by climate–habitat interactions (CHI). Species‐specific responses to CHI are explained by trait syndromes. The fact that habitat mediates warming impacts has immediate application to critical habitat designation for carabid conservation.

Trophic Structure of the Soil-Dwelling Arthropod Communities at the Border of the Forest and the Steppe in the South of Western Siberia: Isotopic Data

Epigeic generalist predators play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems, connecting aboveground and belowground food webs. Using stable isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N values), we assessed the trophic niches of the two main groups of generalist predators (ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and spiders (Arachnida: Aranei)), as well as their potential prey (phytophagous and saprophagous insects), plants, and soils in the forest, steppe, and transitional ecosystems located in the forest–steppe of southwestern Siberia. We hypothesized that (1) the trophic niche of carabids is wider than that of spiders, because some ground beetles are omnivorous, and (2) the contribution of invertebrates from the detrital food web (saprophages) to the diet of generalist predators is higher in the “detrital” forest ecosystem than in the steppe, which should be reflected in increased δ13C and δ15N values of the predators in the forest. In total, 16 species of carabid and 17 species of spider were analyzed. The δ15N values of ground beetles suggested a wide range of trophic niches corresponding to two or three trophic levels. Omnivorous carabids of the genera Amara and Harpalus had the minimum δ15N values. The carbon isotope compositions of the ground beetles suggests that most predatory species were predominantly involved in grazing food chains. Spiders had on average increased δ15N values compared to ground beetles, and a relatively narrow range of δ15N values. The isotopic niche occupied by spiders hardly overlapped with the isotopic niche of carabids, which may indicate a significant difference in the range of consumed resources. Thus, our data suggest a significant difference in the trophic niches of the key generalist predators, ground beetles and spiders, which was observed both in the forest and the steppe habitats. Spiders appear to be more closely associated with detrital food webs than ground beetles. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find higher δ13C and δ15N values in ground-dwelling generalist predators in the forest compared to the steppe ecosystem.

Afrotropical ground beetles of Macrocheilus Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera, Carabidae): description of four new species and faunistic notes

Four new species of Afrotropical ground beetles of the genus Macrocheilus Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) are described: M. assmanni n. sp. from Tanzania, M. kudrnai n. sp. from Benin and Burkina Faso, M. philippeorum n. sp. from Benin, Burkina Faso and Senegal and M. schuelei n. sp. from Central African Republic. An annotated checklist of 19 Afrotropical species and subspecies is provided, including data on general distribution and new distribution records at country level. Further, a dichotomic key is made available for the identification of the Afrotropical (excluding Madagascar) Macrocheilus species and subspecies and diagnosing morphological characters of both males and females are illustrated.

The chemical composition of the secretions, their antibacterial activity, and the pygidial gland morphology of selected European Carabini ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The pygidial glands of carabids produce strong-smelling vapours. In this study, we examined the chemical composition of the gland secretions and the structure of the glands in five species of Carabini ground beetles (one species from the subtribe Calosomatina and four species from the subtribe Carabina): Calosoma (Calosoma) maderae (Fabricius, 1775), Carabus (Carabus) granulatus Linnaeus, 1758, C. (Limnocarabus) clathratus Linnaeus, 1760, C. (Carabus) ulrichii Germar, 1823, and C. (Procerus) gigas Creutzer, 1799. Additionally, we tested the antibacterial potential of the pygidial gland secretions of the two latter species against 11 bacterial strains. In order to detect the chemical content of the secretions, we used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The secretion extracts were applied against selected strains of medically important bacteria. We used bright-field microscopy to examine the morphology of the glands. We discovered a total of 11 chemical compounds in the pygidial gland extracts of the ground beetles we analysed. Ten of these compounds were identified as seven carboxylic acids, two hydrocarbons, and one aromatic aldehyde, while one chemical remained unidentified. Most of the components were isolated from the secretion of C. (L.) clathratus (nine), while the lowest number of compounds was found in C. (P.) gigas (two). Methacrylic acid was the most dominant compound by percentage in all five species, while angelic acid was also detected in all samples. As expected, salicylaldehyde was exclusively found in the species of the genus Calosoma Weber, 1801. The secretion of C. (P.) gigas was shown to achieve the highest level of antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, and S. typhimurium (even the same level as the positive control streptomycin), while the secretion of C. (C.) ulrichii achieved the highest antimicrobial potential against Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus. The most noticeable difference in the structure of the glands between the two genera is that the reservoir in Calosoma is more significantly narrowed as it leads into the efferent duct, compared to that of Carabus.

Composition and structure of the fauna of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the Zerafshan Range

Composition and structure of the fauna of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the Zerafshan Range