Species Composition Of Beetles Research Articles

Dytiscidae or Predaceous Diving Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) of Plummers Island, Maryland

Based on historical records in the collection of National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 18 species of Dytiscidae have been collected on Plummers Island, Maryland. This represents 21.4% of the known Maryland dytiscid fauna. From 1903–1932 to 1960–1970, collection records show a turnover of 50% in the species composition of dytiscid beetles of the site. Agabetes acuductus (Harris), a species of special concern, has been collected twice on the Island.

Non-native plantation forests as alternative habitat for native forest beetles in a heavily modified landscape

The once extensive native forests of New Zealand’s central North Island are heavily fragmented, and the scattered remnants are now surrounded by a matrix of exotic pastoral grasslands and Pinus radiata plantation forests. The importance of these exotic habitats for native biodiversity is poorly understood. This study examines the utilisation of exotic plantation forests by native beetles in a heavily modified landscape. The diversity of selected beetle taxa was compared at multiple distances across edge gradients between each of the six possible combinations of adjacent pastoral, plantation, clearfell and native forest land-use types. Estimated species richness (Michaelis–Menten) was greater in production habitats than native forest; however this was largely due to the absence of exotic species in native forest. Beetle relative abundance was highest in clearfell-harvested areas, mainly due to colonisation by open-habitat, disturbance-adapted species. More importantly, though, of all the non-native habitats sampled, beetle species composition in mature P. radiata was most similar to native forest. Understanding the influence of key environmental factors and stand level management is important for enhancing biodiversity values within the landscape. Native habitat proximity was the most significant environmental correlate of beetle community composition, highlighting the importance of retaining native remnants within plantation landscapes. The proportion of exotic beetles was consistently low in mature plantation stands, however it increased in pasture sites at increasing distances from native forest. These results suggest that exotic plantation forests may provide important alternative habitat for native forest beetles in landscapes with a low proportion of native forest cover.

Effects of forest fragmentation on species richness and composition of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Brachinidae) in urban landscapes

AbstractTo clarify the effects of forest fragmentation in urban landscapes on the abundance, species richness, dominance, and species composition of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Brachinidae), we compared the beetles collected in 12 pitfall traps from April to July and from September to November between three continuous suburban forests and eight isolated urban forests (0.06–1.02 ha), most of which were in the precincts of shrines and temples in Hanshin District, Honshu, Japan. A total of 28 species and 4178 individuals of ground beetles were collected. Segregation of urban forests from continuous suburban forests has changed the species composition and resulted in the loss of some large‐sized forest species and the addition of some non‐forest species. Simpson's index of dominance (λ) also increased in the urban forests. The richness of forest species markedly decreased with the reduction in forest area but not with the distance from continuous forests, although the species richness of non‐forest species did not change with them. Also, species composition changed only with forest area. These findings indicate that continuous forests do not necessary serve as a “mainland” for urban forest species and that every urban habitat, however small in size, acts as a temporary reservoir of species. In comparison with populations of small‐sized species, populations of large‐sized forest species appeared to decline more readily during forest fragmentation.

Species composition of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Brachinidae) in an agricultural landscape consisting of a mosaic of vegetations types

Species composition of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Brachinidae) in an agricultural landscape consisting of a mosaic of vegetations types

Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Wheat Agrocenosis in Latvia

Species composition and zoogeographical peculiarities of ground beetles were studied in agrocenosis of a wheat field in the Jēkabpils district, Dignāja parish (eastern Latvia). A total of 8,683 specimens of carabids representing 41 species and 14 genera were recorded. Poecilus cupreus L. (36.08%), P. versicolor Strum. (23.93%) and Harpalus rufipes Deg. (18.27%) were eudominants. The group of dominants consisted of Pterostichus melanarius Ill. (5.81%) and Carabus cancellatus Ill. (5.01%). The prevailing forms were open area species (53.66%), mesophilous species (46.34%) and small zoophages (46.34%). Palaearctic species (36.58%) were the dominant zoogeographical element. The trappability peaked in June. Rare carabid species were recorded: Poecilus punctulatus Schall. (1 specimen) and Pterostichus macer (Marsham, 1802) (1 specimen).

Species composition and community structure of the rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in an experimental vineyard under different vineyard management systems

Community structure (species richness, dominance, similarity, diversity and seasonal dynamics) of the rove beetles (Staphylinidae) was examined in an abandoned, a conventional and an organic vineyard management plot of an experimental vineyard in Hungary.During the survey, a total number of 493 specimens belonging to 33 species were collected by pitfall traps. The dominant species were Sphenoma togata, Xantholinus linearis and Pseudocypus penetrans that presented 76.66% of all staphylinids collected in the vineyard. All of the most common staphylinid species had only one generation per year and overwintered as adults.There were significant differences in species richness and abundance; both were the highest in the abandoned plot. The dissimilarity in species composition between the differently treated plots was also high. The diversity was the highest in organic, and the lowest in conventionally treated plot, while the abandoned one showed an intermediate value.

The role of isolated old oak trees in maintaining beetle diversity within larch plantations in the central mountainous region of Japan

Old oak trees ( Quercus crispula Blume) that are remnants of former old-growth forests have been isolated singly or as small patches within a matrix of conifer plantations in the central mountainous region of Japan. Fifty-six aerial Malaise traps were deployed around seven isolated oak trees within larch [ Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carrière] plantations and at seven larch plots within larch plantations. The species richness and composition of beetles (Cerambycidae, Curculionidae, Elateridae, Chrysomelidae, and Lycidae) around the oak trees were compared to those in the larch plantations. Species richness was higher around the oak trees than in the larch plantations, and the species composition differed. A number of saproxylic beetles were characteristic of isolated old oak trees. These results emphasize the importance of isolated old oak trees for maintaining beetle diversity in larch plantations and raise the possibility that further losses of these isolated oak trees could eliminate many individuals and reduce beetle diversity in larch plantations.

The contribution of cacao agroforests to the conservation of lower canopy ant and beetle diversity in Indonesia

The ongoing destruction of tropical rainforests has increased the interest in the potential value of tropical agroforests for the conservation of biodiversity. Traditional, shaded agroforests may support high levels of biodiversity, for some groups even approaching that of undisturbed tropical forests. However, it is unclear to what extent forest fauna is represented in this diversity and how management affects forest fauna in agroforests. We studied lower canopy ant and beetle fauna in cacao agroforests and forests in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, a region dominated by cacao agroforestry. We compared ant and beetle species richness and composition in forests and cacao agroforests and studied the impact of two aspects of management intensification (the decrease in shade tree diversity and in shade canopy cover) on ant and beetle diversity. The agroforests had three types of shade that represented a decrease in tree diversity (high, intermediate and low diversity). Species richness of ants and beetles in the canopies of the cacao trees was similar to that found in lower canopy forest trees. However, the composition of ant and beetle communities differed greatly between the agroforest and forest sites. Forest beetles suffered profoundly from the conversion to agroforests: only 12.5% of the beetle species recorded in the forest sites were also found in the agroforests and those species made up only 5% of all beetles collected from cacao. In contrast, forest ants were well represented in agroforests, with 75% of all species encountered in the forest sites also occurring on cacao. The reduction of shade tree diversity had no negative effect on ants and beetles on cacao trees. Beetle abundances and non-forest ant species richness even increased with decreasing shade tree diversity. Thinning of the shade canopy was related to a decrease in richness of forest ant species on cacao trees but not of beetles. The contrasting responses of ants and beetles to shade tree management emphasize that conservation plans that focus on one taxonomic group may not work for others. Overall ant and beetle diversity can remain high in shaded agroforests but the conservation of forest ants and beetles in particular depends primarily on the protection of natural forests, which for forest ants can be complemented by the conservation of adjacent shaded cacao agroforests.

Estimating edge effects on ground-dwelling beetles at clearfelled non-riparian stand edges in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forest

Edge effects potentially have negative consequences for biodiversity in logging areas. In Tasmanian wet eucalypt forest, ground-dwelling beetle assemblages responded to habitat edges between mature unlogged forest and young regeneration following clearfelling. Transects of pitfall traps extended 100 m into unlogged forest and 10 m into the felled area firebreaks at four study sites (4 sites × 3 transects × 8 traps/transect = 96 traps). The depth of edge influence extended between 10 m and 25 m into mature forest, and the beetle assemblage was estimated to be 95% similar to interior forest at approximately 22 m from the edge. The species composition of beetles changed gradually with distance from the edge, but for practical purposes we distinguished three zones of edge response: mature forest interior extending ≥22 m into unlogged forest, firebreak habitat at the edge of the coupe that extends 1 m into unlogged forest, and an edge-affected mature forest zone in between. Individual species known to be characteristic of mature and young forest were of greatest indicator value in mature forest interior and firebreak habitat, respectively. Choleva TFIC sp 01 (Leiodidae), Decilaus nigronotatus, D. lateralis and D. striatus (all Curculionidae) were identified as indicator species characteristic of mature forest interior. No species were found to be characteristic of the habitat edges. These results are relevant to current management practices in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forest, in particular to the efficacy of linear reserve networks. One hundred metre wide wildlife habitat strips, when bounded by recently harvested forest, are estimated to contain a little over 50% of interior habitat not compromised by edge effects. Small patches of forest (<1 ha) retained in variable retention harvesting are predicted to contain little or no uncompromised interior habitat for ground-dwelling beetles.

Disproportionate Relative Importance of a Terrestrial Beetle Family (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) as a Prey Source for Central Appalachian Brook Trout

AbstractBrook trout Salvelinus fontinalis and other salmonids in Appalachia typically inhabit headwater watersheds, where food resources may limit growth. We monitored the feeding trends of a brook trout population in central Appalachia over the course of 2 years to determine variation in feeding intensity and important prey items. One terrestrial beetle family, Scarabaeidae, provided a disproportionate amount of energy during the only time of year when brook trout were feeding substantially above maintenance ration. Scarab beetles contributed 39.6% of all energy consumed during May and June of both years, though the number of fish with one or more scarabaeids present in the stomach varied by month (22.2–51.7%). The species composition of scarab beetles consumed suggested that four species are of particular importance. Our findings imply that scarabaeids represent a considerably important prey taxon for brook trout in the region. Considering the foraging habits of the scarabaeid species in question, the phenomenon we witnessed probably occurs throughout Appalachia.

Species composition and seasonal abundance of carabid beetles by three sampling methods on the campus of the faculty of agriculture ， Shinshu University

Species composition and seasonal abundance of carabid beetles by three sampling methods on the campus of the faculty of agriculture ， Shinshu University

How much do site age, habitat structure and spatial isolation influence the restoration of rainforest beetle species assemblages?

Reforestation has been suggested as a way to mitigate the effects of tropical rain forest loss. However, factors influencing the successful colonisation of biota into newly created rainforest are poorly understood. We assessed beetle species assemblages with flight interception traps, in sites undergoing rainforest restoration across the largely cleared landscape of the Atherton Tablelands in north-eastern Queensland, Australia. There were two levels of site age (2–4 years and 6–17 years) and two distances from intact rainforest (adjacent and >0.9 km), with six sites in each treatment, together with six reference sites in each of pasture and small rainforest remnants ( n = 36 sites). Multivariate metrics were used to assess the restored sites’ relative similarity to pasture and rainforest, in terms of both physical habitat structure and beetle species composition within ten family groups. Older restoration sites were structurally most similar to rainforest. Older sites and those adjacent to rainforest had a more rainforest-like beetle species composition (without significant interaction). However, even the closer and older sites had a substantially lower abundance and richness of rainforest-associated beetles than did rainforest. Age effects were generally stronger than distance effects, with the latter appearing to be entirely driven by rare rainforest species. Beetle assemblage similarity to rainforest was more strongly correlated with structural similarity to rainforest than with age, except within older sites. The use of revegetation techniques which lead to more rainforest-like structural conditions appears to be of over-riding importance in catalysing the rapid acquisition of volant rainforest beetle assemblages in the initial stages of restoration.

Beetle species’ responses suggest that microclimate mediates fragmentation effects in tropical Australian rainforest

Abstract Despite the enormous contribution of invertebrates to global biodiversity and ecosystem function, the patterns and causes of insect responses to tropical rainforest destruction and fragmentation remain poorly understood. We studied the responses of beetles to these factors in a fragmented upland rainforest landscape in north‐east Queensland, Australia. Beetles were sampled using flight interception traps from six replicate sites in rainforest interior, rainforest edge, small rainforest remnants and pasture, interspersed across about 600 km2. Beetles from 10 family/subfamily groups were sorted to species. There were three major findings. First, converting rainforest into pasture has a very strong negative effect on beetle diversity and species composition. Very few beetle species were present in pasture and none of the most abundant species was more abundant in pasture than rainforest. Second, beetle assemblages appeared to respond to climate. Beetle species composition in drier rainforest habitats was different from that of moister rainforest and there were species unique to each rainforest type. Third, beetle species composition differed between small remnants and interior rainforest: drier‐associated species were more abundant in small remnants, whereas wetter‐associated species were more abundant in interiors. Edges tended to be intermediate. We argue that this pattern can be attributed to a fragmentation effect mediated by differences in microclimate rather than by floristic, structural, or area and isolation effects.

Fire Frequency and Mosaic Burning Effects on a Tallgrass Prairie Ground Beetle Assemblage

Fire frequency has significant effects on the biota of tallgrass prairie, including mammals, vascular plants and birds. Recent concern has been expressed that widespread annual burning, sometimes in combination with heavy livestock grazing, negatively impacts the biota of remaining prairie remnants. A common management recommendation, intended to address this problem, is to create a landscape with a mosaic of different burn regimes. Pitfall trapping was used to investigate the impacts of fire pattern on the diversity and species composition of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) at Konza Prairie Biological Station in eastern Kansas, USA. Trapping was conducted over three seasons in landscape units burned on average every 1, 4, or 20 years, and in a fourth season across the available range of vegetative structure to assess the variability of the community within the study system. In the fifth season communities were also followed immediately after two fire events to detect within-season effects of fire and to study short-term patterns of post-disturbance community assembly. Fire frequency had comparatively minimal effects on ground beetle diversity measures, and most numerically common species were observed widely across habitat and management types. Fire frequency effects were manifested primarily in changes in abundance of common species. Colonization of burned areas apparently did not occur from juxtaposed non-burned areas, but from underground or from long distances. While these results suggest that widespread annual burning of tallgrass prairie remnants may not have dramatic effects on prairie ground beetles, we urge caution regarding the application of these results to other taxa within tallgrass prairie.

Dung Beetle and Terrestrial Mammal Diversity in Forests, Indigenous Agroforestry Systems and Plantain Monocultures in Talamanca, Costa Rica

In order to explore the importance of indigenous agroforestry systems for biodiversity conservation, we compared the abundance, species richness and diversity of dung beetles and terrestrial mammals across a gradient of different land use types from agricultural monocultures (plantains) to agroforestry systems (cocoa and banana) and forests in the BriBri and Cabecar indigenous reserves in Talamanca, Costa Rica. A total of 132,460 dung beetles of 52 species and 913 tracks of 27 terrestrial mammal species were registered. Dung beetle species richness and diversity were greatest in the forests, intermediate in the agroforestry systems and lowest in the plantain monocultures, while dung beetle abundance was greatest in the plantain monocultures. The number of mammal tracks per plot was significantly higher in forests than in plantain monocultures, whereas mammal species richness was higher in forests than in either cocoa agroforestry systems or plantain monocultures. Species composition of both terrestrial mammals and dung beetles also varied across the different land use types. Our study indicates that indigenous cocoa and banana agroforestry systems maintain an intermediate level of biodiversity (which is less than that of the original forest but significantly greater than that of plantain monocultures) and provide suitable habitat for a number of forest-dependent species. Although the agroforestry systems appear to serve as favorable habitats for many terrestrial mammal species, their potential positive contribution to mammal conservation is being offset by heavy hunting pressure in the reserves. As in other agricultural landscapes, the conservation of biodiversity in Talamanca will depend not only on maintaining the existing forest patches and reducing the conversion of traditional agroforestry systems to monocultures, but also on reducing hunting pressure.

Effect of fire on ground beetles and ant assemblages along an environmental gradient in NW Patagonia: Does habitat type matter?

xx7:The response of beetle and ant assemblages to fire (2–5 y old) and the dependence of that response on habitat type were analyzed. Using pitfall traps, beetles (Coleoptera) and ants (Formicidae) were sampled in replicated forest, scrub, and steppe areas including paired unburnt and burnt plots. A total of 176 species of beetles (8245 individuals) and 22 species of ants (115,056 individuals) were captured. Most beetle families (65%) were captured in the forest, while most ant species were most frequently captured in the steppe (45%). Beetle abundance was the same in unburnt and burnt plots in the three habitats, but ant abundance was higher in burnt than in unburnt plots. Fire usually decreased species richness of both taxa, but the strength of this effect depended on the habitat type. Coleoptera richness was lower in burnt than in unburnt plots in the forest and steppe but was the same in unburnt and burnt scrub plots. Ant richness was lower in burnt forest and scrub plots and was similar between burnt and unburnt steppe plots. For both taxa, species composition of the forest assemblages was different between unburnt and burnt forest plots (difference almost significant for ants) but not between unburnt and burnt steppe plots. Beetle species composition in the scrub was different between unburnt and burnt plots, but ant species composition was the same. Our results support the idea that the consequences of fire on native beetle and ant assemblages depend on the habitat type but also on the taxonomic group under analysis. Beetles and ants showed differences in their habitat preference and in the way that they use the habitats (e.g., preference for vegetated or bare soil patches) along the environmental gradient. These differences explain why beetles were in general more severely affected than ants, and why fire differentially affected both taxa in the scrub (habitat of intermediate complexity). A good knowledge of the habitat utilization by different groups at the local scale and a regional perspective (e.g., habitat preference along an environmental gradient) are necessary to fully understand the effect of disturbances on native arthropod assemblages.

Responses of Syrphids, Elaterids and Bees to Single-tree Selection Harvesting in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

The species composition of hoverflies (Syrphidae), click beetles (Elateridae), and bees (Apoidea) was studied to determine whether there was a positive response in these flower-seeking insect groups to gaps in the canopy created through single-tree selection harvesting of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) in hardwood forests of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region of Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. There were significantly more hoverflies and bees collected in forest stands harvested within the previous five years than in wilderness zone (unharvested at least for 40 years) stands or stands harvested 15-20 years previously (old logged stands). Click beetles, especially Selatosomus pulcher (LeConte), were collected most often in old logged stands. Bees and click beetles were collected significantly later in the season in logged than in wilderness zone stands. Malaise traps resulted in higher capture rates for syrphids than pan traps, and only with these higher capture rates did we detect a significant increase in species richness in recently logged stands over that in wilderness stands. Changes in the numbers and phenology of flower-visiting insects may impact on reproductive success of flowering plants of the forest understory and deserves further study.

Diversity of carabids (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the desalinized agricultural landscape of Quzhou county, China

Abstract Diversity and species composition of carabid beetles were investigated at Quzhou county in the North China Plain. The study area was originally affected by high salinity and desalinized in three stages in 1973, 1978 and 1982. At sites desalinized in 1982, carabids were sampled at field margins as well as inside fields to investigate the role of field margins as refuge habitats. Furthermore, samples were taken from field margins desalinized in 1973 and 1978, respectively, to explore long-term developments of carabid assemblages following desalinization. At margins, soil salinity, N contents and the number of plant species as well as the height of dominant plants were recorded and their correlation with the species composition of carabids explored. Overall carabid diversity at Quzhou was low compared to areas not affected by high salinity. Field margins yielded significantly higher numbers of both species and individuals, whereas assemblages within the field had a low diversity and a homogeneous species composition. Carabid diversity slightly increased in relation to decreased soil salt contents and time elapsed since desalinization. These results may be explained by field margins serving as refuge to many carabid species and by an overall low species pool of carabids in Quzhou due to former high salinity, current high levels of fertilizer and pesticide applications, and by a comparatively low colonization rate of carabids to the area. As different carabid species varied strongly in their reaction to environmental parameters, the preservation of a diverse set of habitats will best protect the current diversity of these beetles in the agricultural landscape of Quzhou.

Habitat selection determines abundance, richness and species composition of beetles in aquatic communities

Distribution and abundance patterns at the community and metacommunity scale can result from two distinct mechanisms. Random dispersal followed by non-random, site-specific mortality (species sorting) is the dominant paradigm in community ecology, while habitat selection provides an alternative, largely unexplored, mechanism with different demographic consequences. Rather than differential mortality, habitat selection involves redistribution of individuals among habitat patches based on perceived rather than realized fitness, with perceptions driven by past selection. In particular, habitat preferences based on species composition can create distinct patterns of positive and negative covariance among species, generating more complex linkages among communities than with random dispersal models. In our experiments, the mere presence of predatory fishes, in the absence of any mortality, reduced abundance and species richness of aquatic beetles by up to 80% in comparison with the results from fishless controls. Beetle species' shared habitat preferences generated distinct patterns of species richness, species composition and total abundance, matching large-scale field patterns previously ascribed to random dispersal and differential mortality. Our results indicate that landscape-level patterns of distribution and species diversity can be driven to a large extent by habitat selection behaviour, a critical, but largely overlooked, mechanism of community and metacommunity assembly.

Seasonal Activity and Species Composition of Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) Inhabiting Cattle Pastures in North Carolina

Species composition and seasonal distribution of dung beetles were studied on dairy and beef cattle pastures in North Carolina. Study sites included a dairy located in the piedmont region (North Carolina Department of Agriculture Piedmont Research Station, Salisbury, NC) and a combined dairy/beef facility in the coastal plain (North Carolina Department of Agriculture Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Goldsboro, NC). Dung beetles were trapped in cattle pastures from March 2002 through September 2003 by using dung-baited pitfall traps. Trapping yielded 4,111 beetles representing 14 species from the piedmont dairy, including Aphodius prodromus Brahm, a new record for North Carolina. Totals of 57,026 beetles representing 28 species and 28,857 beetles representing 26 species were trapped from the dairy unit and beef unit in the coastal plain site, respectively. Onthophagus gazella (F.), a second new record for North Carolina, was collected from the coastal plain. Beetles common to all collection sites include Aphodius erraticus (L.), Aphodius fimetarius (L.), Aphodius granarius (L.), Aphodius pseudolividus Balthasar, Onthophagus taurus Schreber, Onthophagus hecate hecate Panzer, and Onthophagus pennsylvanicus Harold. The introduced beetle O. taurus dominated the dung beetle population, accounting for >50% of the total beetles caught at either site. Beetle activity was greatest from March until November, with activity declining during the winter. Nine exotic species in the genera Onthophagus and Aphodius represented nearly 95% of the beetles trapped.