Staphylinid Species Research Articles

Flight activity of predatory Staphylinidae in agriculture in central Germany

The flight activity of predatory staphylinids was studied at two sites of Bad Vilbel near Frankfurt/M. (Germany) by window traps on the borders between fields of sugar beet and cereals, in 1989–1991, and by one light trap in 1989. Although Paederus litoralis and Paederus riparius were not observed flying, 84 other staphylinid species were, of which 26 were also observed on the soil of the fields. The flight intensity was very high in Oxytelus and Tachyporus spp., with the flight showing a peak early in the season and sometimes an additional one in the autumn. The flight activity was compared with the average population density. No correlation was found between population density in the fields and flight activity for the 26 agricultural species.

Long‐term developments in the carabid and staphylinid (Col., CArabidae and Staphylinidae) fauna during conversion from conventional to bilogivcal farming

In two field experiments over periods of 6 and 8 years the activity density and diversity of carabids and staphylids were measured in pitfalls traps during the conversiion fron conventional to biological farming. Positive effects of the conversion were observed for many carabid species; among them Harpalus rufipes and several Amara, Bembidion and Pterostichus species, and the staphylinid fly parasitoid Aleochara bipistulata. The increased number of weed species present could at least partly explain the rise. Negative effects of the conversion were observed for several staphylinid species, among them Philonthus cognatus and Tachyporus species, and the carabid Trechus quadristriatus. It is hypothesized that the reduction in stapjylinids could partly be due to competition from the rising numbers of carabids.

The effect of different farming systems on epigeic arthropods: a five-year study on the rove beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of winter wheat

The susceptibility of rove beetles to extensification practices in agriculture was studied in four farming systems on the same farm for a period of five years. The systems differed in application of fertilizer and pesticides in methods of soil cultivation and in crop rotation. The most common staphylinid species ( Tachyporus hypnorum, Oxytelus inustus, Lesteva longelytrata, Philonthus fuscipennis) were the same in all farming systems, but total faunal composition was different. Species richness and diversity were highest with reduced tillage and fewer pesticide applications. This was the result of an increased (but still tolerable) weed density which probably caused more favourable microclimatic conditions. Moreover, some species were negatively affected by the use of a plough and the abundance and biomass of potential prey is considered to be higher on unploughed plots. A reduction in the use of insecticides alone led to an increase of the abundance of a few of the most common species, but had no positive effect on species richness. The treatment “no fertilization” led to sparse crops with unfavourable microclimate. In this case, population density and the number of species of the rove beetle fauna decreased even when no pesticides were applied.

Species composition, abundance, and activity of predatory arthropods in carrot fields, Canterbury, New Zealand

Pitfall trapping (November 1993 to April 1994) and Malaise trapping (January to June 1995) were carried out to study the predatory arthropod fauna in carrot fields at four sites in Canterbury, New Zealand. Staphylinidae (rove beetles), Linyphiidae (money spiders), Lycosidae (wolf spiders), Phalangiidae (harvestmen), and Carabidae (ground beetles) were the most abundant predators. At Lincoln, spiders, staphylinids, harvestmen, and carabids comprised 68, 13, 11, and 2.6 percent, respectively, of all total predaceous arthropods in pitfall traps. At Killinchy (30 km from Lincoln) these four taxa constituted 77, 8.5, 0.7, and 6.5 percent of the pitfall trap catches. Overall, a total of 33 staphylinid species was recorded, including one, Ocypus ater (Gravenhorst), which was new to New Zealand. The total number of predators caught in pitfall traps declined in March and April. In pitfall traps the abundant species were the staphylinids Amischa analis (Grav.), A. nigrofusca (Step.), Atheta fungi (Grav.), A. amicula (Step.), and Xantholinus linearis (Oliver); the carabids Meta‐glymma monilifer Bates and Holcaspis angustula Chaudoir; the spiders Lepthyphantes tenuis (Blackwall), Erigone spp. and ’Lycosa’ hilaris Koch; and the harvestman Phalangium opilio L. In Malaise traps, abundant staphylinid species were Tachyporus nitidulus (Fab.), Amischa decipiens (Sharp), and Atheta fungi (Grav.). The seasonal activity and abundance of the dominant species are described, and their potential importance in control of carrot rust fly (Psila rosae F.) and pests in other crops is discussed.

The effects of conifer forest design and management on abundance and diversity of rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): implications for conservation

The effects of coniferous afforestation on rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) was investigated in Kielder Forest in 1988 by pitfall and turf sampling in plantations of various age and in unplanted sites. Tree planting decreased habitat availability for most beetles, but provided new habitat for forest species. The greatest abundance, species richness and diversity occurred in non-afforested sites. Site ordination demonstrated an upland group on acid soils and a lowland group on mineral soils, with wet and dry components; species ordination was similar. A central forest group was due to both forest species and original species being maintained. Similarly, classification separated closed-canopy forest sites with little ground vegetation from the remainder. Afforestation had increased habitat diversity by adding trees, rides and roads to the original habitats, but diversity per unit area had decreased. Forest managers should aim to increase staphylinid diversity ‘by design’, particularly by varying tree species and age class so as to develop greater biological and structural diversity. Habitat diversity could further beenhanced by conserving representative areas of former land use, such as farm fields, river banks and open moorland; active management might be necessary to sustain these. Staphylinid species are favoured by forest edge habitats, so would gain from the integration of small habitat units within plantations, resulting in a beneficial ‘knock-on’ effect by being food for birds and small mammals.

The Effect of Cereal and Grass Management on Staphylinid (Coleoptera) Assemblages in South-West Ireland

(1) The effects of different cereal and grass management regimes on summer staphylinid assemblages were examined in hay meadows, lightly grazed pastures, silage fields, spring cereals, and winter cereals with routine pesticide application in south-west Ireland. (2) Forty-nine sites were sampled for adult Staphylinidae using pitfall traps and a D-vac suction sampler in June and July 1986. Comparisons between sites using species composition data were carried out using detrended correspondence analysis. (3) Large differences in staphylinid assemblages occurred between undisturbed meadows and pastures (without cultivation, cutting, heavy grazing and fertilizer use), and disturbed silage fields and cereals. The latter were rapidly recolonized after physical disturbance such as cutting and cultivation, once a vegetation layer was re-established. The assemblages of second-cut silage fields, spring cereals with a welldeveloped canopy, and of winter cereals, were very similar. (4) Dimethoate application resulted in a reduction in species richness in cereals, and there were more species in small fields, although the latter was due to the occurrence of species which were rare overall in cereals. No effect of propiconazole, the most frequently used fungicide, was detected. (5) Rapid recolonization in heterogeneous landscapes, as in this study, may lessen the perceived impact of disturbance factors, which may have a much greater impact in more homogeneous landscapes. Nonetheless, the results indicate that, with careful site selection, multivariate analysis of staphylinid species composition data can be a useful supplementary technique to experimental plot studies.

Field manipulation of populations of individual staphylinid species in cereals and their impact on aphid populations

Abstract. Four species of staphylinids were caged separately on wheat and their effect on the population development of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.), was investigated over two seasons. A novel field cage design was used to exclude all but the staphylinid species under investigation. Predator effects were compared with total‐exclusion cages in which all predators and parasitoids were kept out. During a high‐density phase of aphid population development only Philonthus cognutus (Stephens) significantly influenced aphid population numbers. At low aphid densities, Tachyporus obtusus (L.), T.chrysomelinus (L.) and P.cognatus reduced aphid population levels. The experiments showed that Tachyporus spp. can reduce the numbers of cereal aphids prior to the exponential phase of aphid population increase and that P.cognatus causes some reduction at both the stages of aphid population growth investigated.

Adaptations of Coleoptera to the marine environment. II. Observations on rove beetles (Staphylinidae) from rocky shores

Two common rove beetles inhabit the intertidal rocky shores of British Columbia: Liparocephalus cordicollis Le Conte and Diaulota densissima Casey. Liparocephalus cordicollis, the more abundant of the two, is a predator that feeds preferentially on small chironomid larvae. Adults and larvae of this species can withstand submergence in seawater at 10 °C for more than 2 weeks. Thus they are able to survive continuous inundation from one spring tide to the next, just above lowest tide levels. Adults of L. cordicollis are osmotic regulators and can stabilize their body weight at salinities varying from 2 to 45‰. Both of these staphylinid species respire above and below water. Oxygen consumption of L. cordicollis in air at 10 °C was 376 ± 59 μL O2∙g−1∙h−1, but when the beetles were immersed in seawater at the same temperature the respiration rate was reduced to 45 ± 8 μL O2∙g−1∙h−1. During submersion, temperature-dependent reactions were observed (Q10 = 2). Respiration was constant within the salinity range of 2–30‰, but at higher levels (45‰) oxygen consumption increased to 55 ± 5 μL∙g−1∙h−1. When L. cordicollis was exposed to warm, dry conditions (simulating low tide on a warm summer day) the rate of evaporation from the cuticle was very high, calculated at 175 μg H2O loss per cm2 body surface per hour per mm Hg saturation deficit. The LT50 (mean lethal time) for a laboratory population was 2.5 h at a vapor pressure deficit of 7 mm Hg. In the larvae of beetles of the two species, asynchrony of growth in the population occurs because submerged larvae stop feeding and growing. Consequently, the development of individuals living near the low tide line is protracted compared with that of individuals living in the midlittoral zone.

Studies on the effect of deltamethrin sprays on the numbers of epigeal predatory arthropods occurring in arable fields

AbstractThe effect of spraying winter rape and winter wheat with deltamethrin on the numbers of epigeal Carabidae, Staphylinidae and Linyphiidae caught in pitfall traps was studied in Northern Germany in 1980 and 1981. Two experiments were performed with each crop, deltamethrin being sprayed at 7.5 g a.i. ha−1 in 300 litres of water in springtime on rape, and in midsummer on wheat. Sprayed plots were rectangles of 2 and 3 ha; unsprayed plots were squares of 0.5 ha each (two replicates). Ten pitfall traps were placed per replicate at least 3 weeks before spraying and were left for at least 3 weeks after spraying, the traps being emptied weekly. Beneficial Carabid species which have been shown already to have an economic significance, were rare during this study, but four other species (three of them were autumn breeders) were not affected by deltamethrin. At the spraying dates the autumn breeders were hidden in the soil as pupae. Three Staphylinid species, studied in only one experiment each, appeared to be strongly reduced in numbers by deltamethrin. The Linyphiid spiders were affected most heavily by deltamethrin sprayed in spring or in midsummer; the initial mortality of more than 92% lasted longer than 4 weeks, and an adverse effect was still significant in winter wheat 6 weeks after spraying. Overall, deltamethrin appears to have a broad spectrum effect concerning the epigeal predatory arthropods.

Zur staphylinidenfauna der Umgebung von Waren/MüRitz (Mecklenburg)

AbstractFrom Waren/Müritz (GDR, Mecklenburg) and surroundings, 556 staphylinid species are recorded. 4 species (Philonthus coprophilus JARR., Heterothops stiglundbergi ISRAELSON, Gyrophaena williamsi STRAND and Aloconota pfefferi (ROUBAL)) are new for the GDR and 72 species new for Mecklenburg. The paper presents data on phenology, occurence in different habitats and distribution in the area investigated. The nature reservations “Ostufer der Müritz” (406 species), “Ostufer des Feisnecksees” (58 species) and “Wienpietschseen” (99 species) have been investigated particularly thoroughly. After a revision of the HAINMÜLLER collection 13 species previously recorded have to be deleted from the species list of Mecklenburg and further 10 species from the species list of Waren.

Seasonal Abundance of Nine Staphylinid Species Caught by Light Trap in Giza (Egypt) [Coleoptera

RésuméPendant deux ans (1972/74 et 1974), les auteurs ont étudié en Égypte les fluctuations saisonnières des populations de neuf espèces de Staphylinidae, au moyen d'un piège lumineux modifié.Toutes ces espèces sont très rares pendant l'hiver et leur nombre s'accroît progressivement au printemps, les pics surviennent entre juin et octobre selon les espèces.Dans l'ensemble, on trouve une corrélation positive, significative entre la température moyenne et le nombre moyen d'insectes piégés. Par contre, en ce qui concerne l'humidité relative, on trouve une corrélation négative pour une espèce, en 1974.

The alkaloid actinidine and plausible precursors in defensive secretions of rove beetles

Actinidine, iridodial, citronellal, and iso-valeraldehyde have been identified as major components of the defensive secretions of various staphylinid species. Smaller quantities of hydrocarbons (tridecane and pentadecane) and probably geranial were also detected. The terpenoids are presumably derived from different stages in the same biosynthetic pathway.