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The agricultural sector has been intensifying production systems to increase yields. Olive cultivation is the most widespread permanent crop in Europe and the Mediterranean region and in many cases, it is under intensive farming practices with heavy use of agrochemicals, greatly affecting olive grove biodiversity. In this study we investigate the impact of different understorey management practices (undisturbed, cleared with mechanical means) on plant cover, ground beetle and bee richness and abundance, and on the abundance of ground arthropods and flying insects in olive groves on Lesvos Island, North Aegean, Greece. We found that undisturbed understorey had a positive impact on plant richness and abundance, ground beetle and bee richness and abundance, as well as ground arthropod and flying insect abundance. The results suggest that maintaining the plant cover undisturbed significantly improves the biodiversity of the olive groves and by extension the ecosystem services, such as pollination, pest control and soil health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among gastrointestinal nematodes, Haemonchus contortus (Rudolphi) Cobb (order Strongylidae; family Trichostrongylidae) is one of pathogenic and economic importance in domestic and wild ruminants, including the European bison, Bison bonasus Linnaeus (order Cetartiodactyla; family Bovidae); a species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Carabus granulatus Linnaeus (order Coleoptera; family Carabidae) is one of the most prevalent species of ground beetle, inhabiting a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems in Poland. Twenty‐six ground beetles of this species inhabiting the Białowieża Primeval Forest in eastern Poland were screened for the presence of DNA of pathogenic gastrointestinal nematodes of ruminants. Extracted DNA was sequenced and compared to reference sequences. In six insects, the presence of H. contortus DNA was detected. The obtained nucleotide sequences were homologous to each other and to the majority of the published DNA sequences of H. contortus isolates. The sequences were also identical to a sequence of H. contortus isolated from European bison in Poland. The study provides the first molecular evidence of the presence of H. contortus DNA in C. granulatus. The finding suggests that ground beetles may play a role in the transmission dynamics of this parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To successfully conserve and restore agrobiodiversity, it is essential to understand the impact of multiple drivers and interlinkages across multiple taxa that occur above, across, and below the soil interface. Based on data from six agricultural landscapes in Central Germany, with 16 sampling plots per landscape, we used structural equation models to disentangle the impacts of climate, land-use, and soil factors on the diversity of multiple taxonomic groups. We expected belowground communities (soil bacteria and fungi) to be more driven by soil variables, mobile aboveground groups (wild bees, ground beetles) to be more driven by climate and land use, and vascular plants, that have an above- and belowground component, to respond to a combination of all factors. According to our expectations, climate and land-use variables had an important role in shaping aboveground and plant communities. In contrast to our expectations, soil characteristics were of lesser importance for belowground organisms. Moreover, climatic factors had a strong impact on the soil microbiome, but this effect was indirect, modulated by soil pH. We also found indications for cascading effects of environmental factors via interlinkages within and among the above- and belowground communities. Our results highlight the importance of direct and indirect effects of multiple drivers on the diversity of multiple taxonomic groups and support recent calls for a multifunctional approach for sustainable landscape management and nature restoration, suggesting to focus on the promotion of semi-natural habitats but also considering the climatic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification and expansion are regarded as main drivers of biodiversity loss. This conclusion is mainly based on observed declines of local diversity (α-diversity), while effects on community composition homogenization (decrease of β-diversity) at a larger spatial scale are less well understood. Carabid beetles and spiders represent two widespread guilds and are important predators of pest species. Here we surveyed carabid beetles and spiders in 66 winter wheat fields in four northwestern European countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and UK) and analyzed how their community composition was related to geographic distance (separation distance between any pairwise fields) and three environmental variables: crop yield (proxy for land-use intensity), percentage cropland (proxy for landscape complexity) and soil organic carbon content (proxy for local soil conditions). We further analyzed whether the relationship between carabid beetle and spider community composition and geographic distance was influenced by environmental variables. We found that, 55 % and 75 % of all observed carabid and spider individuals, respectively, belonged to species that occurred in all four countries. However, individuals of species that were unique to a particular country only accounted for 3 % of all collected individuals for both taxa. Furthermore, we found a negative relationship between distance and similarity of spider communities but not for carabid beetle communities. None of the environmental variables were related to similarity of carabid beetle and spider communities, nor moderated the effects of distance. Our study indicates that across a great part of the European continent, arthropod communities (especially carabid beetles) in agricultural landscapes are composed of very similar species that are robust to current variations in environment and land-use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower strips are a prominent agri‐environmental scheme with the central objective to promote biodiversity and maintain associated ecosystem services. The promotion of natural enemies by increasing resource availability through flower strips is a promising approach for integrated pest management. In a 3‐year field study, two annual and two perennial flower strip mixtures, as well as a grass mixture, were tested regarding their attractiveness for natural enemies at three different study sites in Germany. Natural enemies were sampled annually in nine sampling rounds at a 10‐day rhythm using sweep netting and pitfall traps. To assess available floral resources, we estimated the species‐specific flower cover and classified species into flower types. Flower strip mixtures differed in their attractiveness to natural enemies. Treatment effects on arthropod activity density were most pronounced in the second and third year. Overall, perennial were more attractive than annual flower strip mixtures for most natural enemies, however, the response to flower strip mixtures varied significantly among taxa. For example, perennial flower strips showed a two‐ to fourfold increase of plant‐dwelling spider and parasitoid wasp activity density as well as higher numbers of juvenile stages of predatory bugs and rove beetles compared to annual flower strips. In contrast, annual flower strip mixtures showed the highest attractiveness for ground beetles. Moreover, different natural enemy taxa were associated with varying flower strip characteristics such as flower type proportion, herbivore availability and plant species richness. Synthesis and applications. We found taxon‐specific responses of natural enemies to different flower strips, which provide guidance for the floral composition of flower strips in order to maximize their effectiveness for natural pest control. We suggest the use of perennial mixtures with high proportion of flower heads (Asteraceae) and disk flowers (esp. Apiaceae, Rubiaceae, Brassicaceae) in particular, but also flag blossoms (Fabaceae) as these flower types were positively associated with several natural enemy groups. However, since we found mixed responses to flower types, specific flower strip composition will ultimately depends on its objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vast grassland areas disappear due to abandonment, conversion to arable fields or urban areas. Consequently, grassland species have declined dramatically during and since the last century. The majority of remaining European grasslands are managed, many of them by mowing, which, in general, decreases arthropods' abundance and species richness.Here, we aimed to study the effects of width and proportion of refuge areas on local abundance and richness of arthropods in hay meadows. Within a ca. 4000 ha semi‐natural grassland area of the Great Hungarian Plain, we established refuge strips of different widths (3 and 9 m) and proportion of total field area (10 and 25%) following a randomised block design with six replicates per treatment. We studied five arthropod groups (grasshoppers, true bugs, carabids and ground‐dwelling and vegetation‐dwelling spiders), which we sampled 2 weeks after mowing by sweep netting and pitfall traps.Uncut strips were warmer and moister than the mown areas. The effects of refuge strips and their arrangement were stronger on the vegetation‐dwelling than on ground‐dwelling arthropods, although all taxa were affected in some way. We found more true bugs in mown areas between narrow strips than between wide strips. The interaction effect of width and proportion of refuge strips on the abundance of grasshoppers, ground‐dwelling spiders and species richness of carabids showed that wider strips are more beneficial if their proportion is low and narrow strips are more beneficial with high proportion.Synthesis and applications: Our findings provide evidence that uncut refuge strips can harbour diverse and abundant arthropod assemblages in hay meadows and mitigate the adverse effects of uniformly executed mowing on arthropods. Modifying attributes and considering farming practices, wide strips with a low (10%) proportion of total field area seem optimal for both conservation and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization profoundly alters environmental conditions for organisms, particularly through the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which elevates temperatures in city centers. This study examines the influence of urban environmental variables on rove and ground beetle communities. We sampled 36 grasslands in Rennes (northwestern France), yielding 3317 and 505 staphylinid and carabid adult individuals, respectively, belonging to 121 and 60 species, respectively. Staphylinid and carabid communities are not primarily affected by temperature-related variables. Staphylinids, often overlooked in urban ecology, showed species composition variation to be influenced by habitat and temperature, whereas their functional diversity was positively correlated with herbaceous vegetation height only. In contrast, carabid communities exhibited no significant relationship with the tested environmental variables. This study underscores the taxon-dependent nature of ectotherm's responses to thermal environments. Although a further investigation into species-specific traits, and particularly dispersal capacities in staphylinids, is needed to advance our understanding of urbanization's impact, our results indicate that functional diversity in staphylinid assemblages can be favored by locally reducing the mowing frequency or increasing the cutting height within urban green spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Co–B/Chi, which is made up of highly distributed Co–B particles, was synthesized by impregnation and chemical reduction methods. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller adsorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses were used to describe the morphology and microstructure of Co–B/Chi. The synthesized catalyst showed high catalytic activity in the hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4. The unsupported Co–B samples were compared with the chitin-supported Co–B catalyst, and the result showed that higher catalytic activity and good cycling stability for NaBH4 hydrolysis were obtained with the chitin-supported catalyst. The reaction conditions were investigated to achieve high hydrogen production. The maximum rate of hydrogen production was obtained at 40 °C and 20 mg catalyst amount. At ideal conditions, the hydrolysis reaction's activation energy was determined to be 51.65 kJ mol−1. It is indicate that Co–B/Chi is a viable low-cost catalyst for the hydrolysis of NaBH4 for hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Carabid beetles are one of the several taxa useful as model organisms to study and monitor current ecosystems features, as well as environmental changes caused by global changes. Open data about these organisms are scarcely available. To fill this gap, a data table (Darwin Core formatted) was uploaded in GBIF database (). The dataset is the result of a pitfall trapping survey of carabid beetles living along an altitudinal bioclimatic gradient, in the Dolomites mountains within the protected area of the Regional Park "Paneveggio e Pale di S. Martino" (Trento, Italy). Investigated environments ranged from spruce forests to the extreme environments of high altitude, so to collect a dataset as complete as possible on carabid beetles harboured in this area. New information: The dataset included here is part of an initiative aimed at promoting the adoption of a formal structure for datasets on carabid beetles acquired by field surveys and to give open access to these data. This dataset gives the opportunity to test the effects of global change affecting the same area, within long-term surveys on carabid beetles. Furthermore, the availability of open data is intended to promote an ethical approach to ecological research under a social and scientific point of view, the first because it will avoid wasting public funds on repeating the same researches and the second because it will avoid recapturing new organisms in the same (or similar) environments by other researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energies are a major tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. Among renewables, solar parks are a key technology and their expansion will strongly increase in the future. Hence, there is a great need for research regarding their impact on biodiversity. In this study, we investigated the importance of three solar parks in northern Germany as habitat for carabid beetles. More specifically, we determined how habitat characteristics (temperature, vegetation structure), species richness, activity densities and carabid beetle assemblages vary between different locations within solar parks: areas under solar panels "UNDR", gaps between panel rows "BTW" and areas at the edge of solar parks "EDGE". We found that UNDR strongly differed from BTW/EDGE in terms of habitat conditions, species richness and activity densities of carabid beetles. UNDR mainly provided habitat for a species- and individual-poor subset of species already present in BTW/EDGE and made only a small contribution to the total species richness of the investigated solar parks. BTW and EDGE, on the other hand, differed only slightly. Thus, the narrow gaps between the panel rows were of similar importance as a habitat for carabid beetles as the edge areas. Overall, the investigated solar parks—and thus also the more species-rich areas EDGE and BTW—almost exclusively provided habitat for widespread and common non-threatened generalists, while species of conservation concern were extremely rare. Implications for insect conservation: The low importance of UNDR for carabid beetles should be considered when assessing the biodiversity value of solar parks, since a large proportion of these facilities is covered with solar panels. Between panel rows and at the edge of solar parks, larger areas should be kept free from construction with solar panels in order to provide habitats for carabid beetles and other species groups. More research should be conducted on how to further improve solar parks for carabid beetles and overall biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the methods aimed at assessing carabid beetle diversity, pitfall trapping (PFT) is currently much more widely used than hand searching (HS). However, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of these two methods based on the same sampling effort, none in mountain areas. Here, we compared PFT and HS in terms of accuracy of the species richness estimate, detection of threatened species and cost-effectiveness, based on equal time spent in the field. The study was conducted along an elevational gradient in the alpine zone of the French Pyrenees. Our results showed that recorded species richness was significantly greater when sampling was performed using HS, suggesting that PFT only detected a subset of the ground beetle assemblage existing at each sampling plot. HS was more effective at characterizing rare species, especially microendemic species threatened by climate change. HS also enabled better detection of small species and of winged species. Additionally, HS involves fewer logistical constraints in performing field work and prevents overkilling in fragile alpine populations. However, some of the benefits we have highlighted in favour of HS may be specific to the studied habitat type, calling for more studies in different mountain habitats. Implications for insect conservation: Our results show that PFT alone does not allow for an accurate assessment of the conservation status of highly specialised alpine species, if they are small in size. Moreover, HS has a lower lethal impact on local insect populations. HS should therefore be recommended, whenever it is practically feasible, in the most sensitive and threatened high-alpine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processes that influence community assembly, such as competition for resources and environmental filtering, are often scale dependent and vary across ecotones. Trait‐based ecology provides a useful framework for testing which ecological processes most strongly influence local community composition, especially across environmental gradients where species diversity varies. Where environmental filtering dominates, species distributions are expected to be defined by strong turnover along environmental gradients, with more similar species occupying more similar habitats. Where interspecific competition dominates, species are expected to diverge in relative abundance and resource utilization at sites, so species can co‐occur. Here, we integrate measurements of functional traits, microhabitat usage, isotopic composition (δ15N and δ13C), and abundance to test the importance of environmental filtering and resource/habitat partitioning in shaping a montane ground beetle species assemblage (Carabidae: Nebriini: Nebria) in the isolated, volcanic peaks of the northern Cascades Range, USA. Across species of Nebria, body size, pronotal shape, temperature preference, and isotopic enrichment varied across habitats ([gravel, rocks 10 cm–50 cm in diameter], large rocks [>50 cm in diameter], vegetation‐covered rocks, and alpine [snowfields and talus]), and habitat/microhabitat features were reliable predictors of species presence. Resource consumption among mid‐elevation species on Mt. Rainier—the peak with the greatest species diversity—is highly overlapping. Species turnover and nestedness varied significantly across habitat gradients and peaks throughout this region and varied nearly significantly across sites. Across habitat types and sites, more similar species are more likely to coexist. These results suggest that environmental filtering is the primary process structuring this species assemblage, although we find detailed evidence for microhabitat niche partitioning among species of Nebria at the site scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cali is the third most prominent, and one of the most crowed, Colombian cities. It still harbours some tropical dry forest patches that can mitigate the impacts of the urban transformation; however, there is an almost total absence of information on the biological importance of these sites and their potential for future ecological restoration processes. To assess if they serve as important refuges for insect bioindicator species, we sampled five urban patches of tropical dry forest in the city, plus one nearby rural patch, using specific trapping procedures for ants and carabid beetles. Patch areas were variable, from 1 to 50 ha. We found that the smallest patch presented the highest ant richness, with a tendency towards generalists and a few unique species. Meanwhile, some specialist species were found in the rural patch. A total of 109 ant and 13 carabid species were recorded, including four new records of ants for Colombia. Results suggest that environmental variables favour the presence of generalist and opportunistic ants. Despite this, the high ant richness demonstrates that. Urban forest patches are important refuges for biodiversity. The low richness observed for carabids could be a sign of the challenges that urban forests face considering the ecological importance of beetles. The possible dangers of intensive internal use of these forests is discussed to prevent local extinctions, since the biggest forests are not necessarily conserving a higher richness. This work represents an important contribution to urban ecology in the region, with possibilities of further restoration in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to quantify the concentration of heavy metals (Mg, Cu, Pb, Fe, Zn, Cd, and Ni), in the soil, plant (Zygophyllum decumben) and ground beetles (Anthia duodecimguttata) at two sampling sites. The selected sites located in the Eastern region, Saudi Arabia. The first site was around to the cement factory, in Al-Ahsa (cement site). While the second one was at 15 Km away (reference site). The obtained results showed that there were no differences in the heavy metals (MHs) concentration in soil collected from the two sites (p>0.05), except Fe that its concentration was significantly higher in the cement site. In addition, six mean differences of MHs out of seven were proven highly significant in plants and insects collected from the cement site. Mg level was the same in plants and insects collected from the two inspected sites. The concentrations of different MHs were higher in beetles than soil and plant. Only, the concentration of Zn in plant (163.59 μg/g) was higher than that recorded in soil (1.67 μg/g) and insect (80.99 μg/g). The concentration of Mg, Cu, Fe, Pb, Cd and Ni increased and accumulated by transferring from soil to plant to beetle whereas the accumulation of Zn decreased by transferring from plant to insect. The concentration of U238, Th232 and K40 (Bq/kg) in the soil collected from the cement site is significantly higher than that recorded in the soil collected from the reference site. Except Cs137 that showed insignificant difference between the two studied sites. The concentrations of all recorded HMs and radioactivity level in the soil collected from the cement site were less than the acceptable limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive use of pesticides is among the main drivers of biodiversity loss, especially of insects. Here, field concentrations of chemical synthetic pesticides were measured in soil and carabid beetles in a vineyard (VP) and olive grove (OP), in two consecutive years. The aim was to determine if active ingredients in pesticides applied in the field accumulate in carabids and how this correlates with treatment intensity. Carabids and soil samples were collected at a vineyard and olive grove in Zadar County in Croatia, soil in 2018 and 2019 and carabids in 2019. Both were under integrated pest management (IPM), with a total of 34 pesticides applied, between January and August in the two years of this study. Using LC-MS/MS, a broad range of pesticides, mainly fungicides, was detected in the soil and carabids. In soil samples, boscalid (0.047 mg/kg), mandipropamid (0.08 mg/kg), fluopyram (0.09 mg/kg), cyprodinil (0.09 mg/kg) and tebuconazole (0.13 mg/kg) were detected in the highest amounts. In addition, nine substances were detected in carabids, with valiphenalate (0.048 mg/kg), difenoconazole (0.051 mg/kg) and azoxystrobin (0.064 mg/kg) in the highest concentrations. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) indicated the accumulation of valiphenalate, metalaxyl-M, spiroxamine and difenoconazole in carabids. Data measured directly in the field revealed the accumulation of pesticides in carabids, which indicates they could be good bioindicators in IPM and contribute to a better understanding of the distribution of pesticides in Mediterranean agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During a comprehensive survey of heterostigmatic mites associated with ground beetles and soil samples in northern and northeastern Iran, several colonies of caroboacarid mites, including three species of the genus Caraboacarus Krczal, 1959, C. stammeri Krczal, 1959, C. karenae Nickel & Elzinga, 1969, and C. krczali Eidelberg, 1994 as well as Minicaraboacarus quadridiscalis Hajiqanbar & Khaustov, 2008 and Intercaraboacarus clivinus Katlav & Hajiqanbar, 2015, were extracted from soil samples and ground beetles of the genera Calosoma Weber, Harpalus Latreille, Amara Bonelli and Scarites Fabricius in the sampling area. The world distribution and host specificity are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floodplains along rivers and streams are characterised by a high habitat heterogeneity and a large biodiversity. However, floodplains are highly threatened by anthropogenic activities such as channelisation and bank enforcement of watercourses. While floodplains along rivers are well known for their importance for riparian biodiversity, the conservation value of floodplains along small streams is less understood. We studied carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and ground‐dwelling spiders (Arachnida: Aranea) along forested small streams (~ up to 5 m width) in Rhineland‐Palatinate (Germany). We investigated 16 pairs of floodplains (natural stream sites with shallow bank and regular flooding events) and controls (deeply cut stream sites without regular flooding), where we sampled carabid beetles and spiders at different distances to the stream bank (0, 5 and 10 m). We found that floodplains along small streams had contrasting value for carabid beetles and ground‐dwelling spiders. For carabid beetles, we observed several typical floodplain species and distinct species assemblages and 2.7 times more individuals across species of conservation concern in floodplain sites. Moreover, species richness and total number of individuals of carabid beetles were highest directly at the stream bank (0 m distance) of floodplains compared with the more distant locations, while the opposite was found for the control stream sites. The spider composition also differed between floodplains and control steam sites, but only one typical floodplain species was detected. Species richness and number of individuals in ground‐dwelling spiders were lower in floodplains than in control stream sites. We conclude that the conservation value of floodplains of small streams is taxa‐dependent and that they appear less relevant for ground‐dwelling spiders but provide important habitats for riparian carabid beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species recovery following anthropogenic disturbances will depend on adaptations in survivorship and fecundity. Life‐history theory predicts increased environmental stress will result in (1) shifts in resource allocation from fecundity to body growth/maintenance and (2) increased provisioning among offspring at the cost of reproductive output. For remnant populations that persist after forest harvesting, selection mediated through anthropogenic disturbances may affect resilience to additional stressors such as climate change. We tested how rapid changes in environmental conditions affected maternal investment strategies in two ground beetle species, Pterostichus pensylvanicus and Pterostichus coracinus, by comparing fecundity and survivorship in populations from recently clear‐cut and uncut habitats. Using parents drawn from clear‐cut or uncut stands, we reared progeny in both common garden and reciprocal transplant experiments. In P. pensylvanicus, we found that neither lineage nor rearing habitat affected the number of eggs laid per female or survivorship of offspring. However, eggs laid by females from clear‐cuts were more likely to hatch and offspring reached maturity more quickly, suggesting increased provisioning per offspring. In P. coracinus, females from clear‐cuts laid more eggs, and their eggs hatched more rapidly and had greater hatching success, suggesting increased investment in overall reproductive output and increased offspring provisioning. In the reciprocal transplant, we observed significant habitat by lineage interactions on survival in P. coracinus, with survivorship increasing when progeny were reared in novel habitats. In both species, increased maternal investment among offspring was not associated with a reduction in overall reproductive output, as anticipated. However, maternal investment among offspring declined with increasing female size, implying trade‐offs between increased metabolic demand and fecundity. Taken together, our work suggests that females from more stressful, clear‐cut habitats increased investment in fecundity, compared to females from uncut habitats, and may compensate for larval mortality. These changes were driven by smaller individuals, suggesting that increased environmental stress can influence the relationship between female size and maternal investment strategy. Additionally, reciprocal increases in offspring survivorship in habitats other than the parents suggest that adjacent areas between unharvested and clear‐cut habitat may be useful in maintaining biodiversity under future climate stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of patterns and mechanisms of wildfire effects on biodiversity is of significant conservation importance. The research was conducted in a zone of mixed and broad-leaved forests. Carabid beetles were studied in eight sample plots that varied in relation to the 2010 and 2021 fires through 2022 and 2023. A total of 8667 specimens of 108 species of carabid beetles were counted. In 2022, plots were clearly differentiated by the pyrogenic disturbance in terms of the carabid species structure. As the pyrogenic disturbance increases, the total abundance of brachypterous as well as herbivore species decreases sharply. The carabids that were the most prevalent in an undisturbed forest (Carabus arcensis, Carabus glabratus, Pterostichus oblongopunctatus, and Amara brunnea) demonstrated sensitivity to the 2010 fire. The pyrophilous species Pterostichus quadrifoveolatus and Sericoda quadripunctata were attracted to a moderately burned area. Poecilus lepidus is confined to areas burned in 2010 and not affected by the 2021 fire. A moderately burned area was characterized by increased abundance and number of species. In 2023, the degree of similarity of carabid populations between sample plots did not generally increase, but only the 2010 fire was identified as a significant factor in population differentiation. The abundance of carabids decreased in a moderately burned area and an unburned area near the fire edge. The abundance and number of species increased markedly in heavily burned areas due to open habitat species, while the abundance of Carabus arcensis and Amara brunnea decreased in unburned areas. Forest megafires threaten the biodiversity of carabid beetles in pine and secondary forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the spatial structure of spiders and beetles in 4 types of habitats in the Poloniny National Park. Between the years 2020 and 2021, we recorded 1,597 beetle specimens and 3,765 spider specimens using the pitfall trap method. The most represented beetles were Poecilus versicolor (53.4%), Nebria brevicollis (10.3%), Staphylinus caesareus (4.4%) and Amara familiaris (4.1%). Among the spiders, there were species Pardosa pullata (21.81%), Pachygnatha degeeri (14.21%), Xerolycosa nemoralis (10.28%), Pardosa palustris (7.86%), Trochosa ruricola (6.24%) and Alopecosa pulverulenta (4.38%). We confirmed the occurrence of two European important species of beetles (Carabus zawadzkii, Carabus variolosus) and 3 species of spiders belonging to the vulnerable species according to the IUCN threat status (Gongylidiellum vivum, Palliduphantes milleri and Xysticus lineatus). We also found the spider Micaria micans, which is new to the Slovak fauna and information about its distribution and habitat preferences in Slovakia is presented. Using multivariate analyzes (CCA, RDA) and classification species into bioindicative groups, we found a greater connection of adaptable and eurytopic species of ground beetles to the mesophilic meadow and of spiders to the habitat Nardetum pasture. Based on bioindicative groups of species (adaptable, eurytopic and relict), we found only a small difference in percentile points between spiders and beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pace of current climate change is expected to be problematic for alpine flora and fauna, as their adaptive capacity may be limited by small population size. Yet, despite substantial genetic drift following post-glacial recolonization of alpine habitats, alpine species are notable for their success surviving in highly heterogeneous environments. Population genomic analyses demonstrating how alpine species have adapted to novel environments with limited genetic diversity remain rare, yet are important in understanding the potential for species to respond to contemporary climate change. In this study, we explored the evolutionary history of alpine ground beetles in the Nebria ingens complex, including the demographic and adaptive changes that followed the last glacier retreat. We first tested alternative models of evolutionary divergence in the species complex. Using millions of genome-wide SNP markers from hundreds of beetles, we found evidence that the N. ingens complex has been formed by past admixture of lineages responding to glacial cycles. Recolonization of alpine sites involved a distributional range shift to higher elevation, which was accompanied by a reduction in suitable habitat and the emergence of complex spatial genetic structure. We tested several possible genetic pathways involved in adaptation to heterogeneous local environments using genome scan and genotype–environment association approaches. From the identified genes, we found enriched functions associated with abiotic stress responses, with strong evidence for adaptation to hypoxia-related pathways. The results demonstrate that despite rapid demographic change, alpine beetles in the N. ingens complex underwent rapid physiological evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aftermath of 2019' tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth, we assessed ground beetle communities of the Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. The influence of habitat shelters, namely the buffering role of closed microhabitat conditions on Alpha diversity and community trait values during a long period of drought, was evaluated across the main habitat types of the park: miombo forests, mixed forests, transitional forests, and grasslands (open savannas). These habitat types comprised a distance gradient in relation to lake Urema, in the center of GNP. Miombo forests were farther from the lake while grasslands and transitional forests were in the floodplain area. Ground beetle communities were sampled using pitfall traps set up at 25 sites of each habitat type along an environmental gradient of tree canopy cover during the last twenty days of the dry season. Higher species richness of ground beetles was found in closed habitat shelters along the distance gradient to lake Urema. A higher functional diversity was also found along the canopy gradient, with larger sized and wingless species being more abundant in closed habitats than in open areas. This result highlights the crucial role of habitat closedness in the protection of sensitive ground beetles. In particular, the buffer effect of tree canopy and the protection of the understory plants and the litter layer was critical for the survival of hygrophilous species and will be key in conservation strategies to face climate aridification and habitat fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulgarian ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) have been studied intensively by many native and foreign scientists. The various field observations presented here contain data on the distribution of 94 Bulgarian carabid species from 19 tribes, collected in nine zoogeographical regions and subregions, mostly in the mountains in Southwestern Bulgaria. These records expand the range of seven species to new zoogeographical (sub)regions. The polytypic high mountain bog dwelling species Agonum carbonarium Dejean is reported for the first time for the Bulgarian fauna, with the taxonomic status of the Bulgarian (and Balkan) populations remaining unclear. New altitude limits are given for eight species.

In the landscape of the Dolomites, within the protected area of the Paneveggio – Pale di S. Martino Park in the Eastern Alps of Italy, a study was conducted to explore the distribution of carabid beetles. To achieve this, pitfall traps were placed along a 1000-m elevation gradient, following the bioclimatic gradient from spruce forests to the resilient pioneer vegetation in the extreme high-altitude environments. The research revealed that both community diversity and biogeographic diversity exhibited a clear correlation with the bioclimatic gradient. As one ascended to higher altitudes, the composition and distribution of carabid beetle communities shifted, refl ecting the bioclimatic gradient. The chorological spectrum of the communities showed that Pleistocene paleoclimatic events provided the triggering factors aff ecting the postglacial recolonization of alpine ecosystems of the Dolomites region. Most of the sampled species displayed specifi c life strategies that enabled them to thrive in this harsh setting, responding to the selective pressures imposed by ecological factors. An extensive dataset encompassing the diversity of carabid beetles in these high-altitude domains was created. Given that the studied environments are widely distributed along the Italian Eastern Alps, the dataset serves a crucial purpose as it can be used as a reference for other research campaigns conducted in similar environments. Furthermore, it could act as a temporal benchmark for future researches on insects living in extreme environments, e.g. the Dolomites, or for comparing changes in climate that may be detected by future studies in the same geographic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta diversity patterns along environmental gradients and underlying mechanisms constitute key research inquiries in biogeography. However, ecological processes often also influence the functional traits of biological communities, making the assessment of functional β‐diversity crucial. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are one of the most species‐rich groups in the insect community, displaying strong habitat specificity and morphological differences. In this study, we explored the patterns of taxonomic and functional beta diversity in ground beetle communities along the altitudinal gradient of warm‐temperature forests. By partitioning beta diversity into turnover and nestedness components, we evaluated their relationship with spatial distance. Our findings indicate a decline in species and functional trait similarity with increasing elevation and geographic distance. Further analysis attributed both types of beta diversity in carabids to a combination of dispersal limitation and environmental filtering, with elevation and geographic distance emerging as significant factors. Interestingly, forest‐type variations were found to have no impact on the beta diversity of these communities. Our study reveals the impact of environmental filtering and dispersal limitation on both taxonomic and functional beta‐diversity, shedding light on carabid community assembly in localized warm‐temperature forest areas in eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-known phenomenon of attracting untypical animals to disturbed territories has been poorly investigated in the polar mountains. We studied arthropod diversity in self-healing industrial clear-cuts and burn areas in the Khibiny Mountains, Kola Polar region. Fieldworks were conducted at four sites, including a control mountain taiga forest and its three transformed variants: burnt forest, uncleared clear-cut, and twice-disturbed burnt clear-cut. Arthropods were collected using formalin traps 2–3, 5–6, and 8–9 years after industrial deforestation in 2012 and an extensive grass-roots fire in 2013. Out of 124 identified species (spiders—61; ground beetles—41; and rove beetles—22), 79 (or 64%) were collected in disturbed, primarily burned areas and were absent in control forest. We note ten species of rove beetles, nine species of ground beetles, and eight species of spiders for the first time in the well-studied arthropod fauna of the Khibiny Mts. We found that grass-root fires transform the soil vegetation covers in the polar mountain forests more powerfully in comparison with extensive deforestation and attract a greater diversity of arthropods with different preferences, enriching the fauna of the polar mountains and the Subarctic region as a whole. The attraction effect persists for, at least, a decade after the violations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carabid beetle Cnemalobus Guérin-Ménéville, 1838 inhabits high- and lowland grasslands of southern South America. The highest diversity is found in the Patagonian Steppe, where distribution patterns are associated with latitude and elevation. Northern Patagonia, a large volcanic region with a complex geoclimatic history, exhibits elevated grades of endemism. However, a great deal remains unknown regarding diversification and biogeographical patterns for most of the endemic groups. We describe new Cnemalobus species restricted to isolated volcanoes from these extra-Andean mountain systems. We assess the phylogenetic relationships by updating the phylogeny of the genus and conduct a Bayesian binary Markov chain-Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis on the resulting phylogenetic tree to discuss the biogeographical distribution patterns. We also provide a taxonomic key to all currently known species of Cnemalobus from the Patagonian Steppe. Our phylogenetic analysis supports the monophyly of the new species Cnemalobus tromen sp. nov., Cnemalobus silviae sp. nov., Cnemalobus aucamahuida sp. nov. and Cnemalobus domuyo sp. nov. grouped with C. diamante and C. nevado, referred to as the 'Extra-Andean' mountain lineage. Biogeographical analysis recognises vicariant events as the most plausible explanation for the allopatric distributions of the new species. We hypothesise that these vicariant events could be related to climatic barriers that likely promoted speciation processes by generating geographical isolation in ancestral populations. Our findings contribute significantly to the biogeographical understanding of the Patagonian volcanic region, prompting new inquiries to unravel the speciation processes of the endemic biota in extra-Andean mountain systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body shape and size diversity and their evolutionary rates correlate with species richness at the macroevolutionary scale. However, the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying the morphological diversification across related species are poorly understood. In beetles, which account for one-fourth of the known species, adaptation to different trophic niches through morphological diversification appears to have contributed to species radiation. Here, we explored the key genes for the morphological divergence of the slender to stout body shape related to divergent feeding methods on large to small snails within the genus Carabus. We show that the zinc-finger transcription factor encoded by odd-paired (opa) controls morphological variation in the snail-feeding ground beetle Carabus blaptoides. Specifically, opa was identified as the gene underlying the slender to stout morphological difference between subspecies through genetic mapping and functional analysis via gene knockdown. Further analyses revealed that changes in opa cis -regulatory sequences likely contributed to the differences in body shape and size between C. blaptoides subspecies. Among opa cis -regulatory sequences, single nucleotide polymorphisms on the transcription factor binding sites may be associated with the morphological differences between C. blaptoides subspecies. opa was highly conserved in a wide range of taxa, especially in beetles. Therefore, opa may play an important role in adaptive morphological divergence in beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ground beetle Synuchus nitidus (Motschulsky, 1861) (Carabidae: Harpalinae: Sphodrini) is one of the most common species in the forests of South Korea, which has the potential to be utilized as an environmental indicator. Here, we characterized the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of S. nitidus, which is the first in the harpaline tribe Sphodrini. Its genome is 16,392 bp in length and composed of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and an A + T rich region. In addition, we reconstructed a maximum likelihood tree to elucidate the phylogenetic position of Sphodrini among the seven harpaline tribes using nucleotide sequences of the 13 PCGs. The ML tree supported a monophyletic clade of the subfamily Harpalinae and showed a close relationship between Sphodrini and Lebinii with a low bootstrap value. The complete mitogenome of S. nitidus could be helpful for molecular species identification and exploring phylogenetic relationships among carabids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although urbanisation is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, its effect on particular invertebrate groups remains ambiguous on local and landscape scales. We aimed to analyse the effect of urban grassland management on spiders (Araneae) and carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae), as well as other local and landscape parameters. We investigated 27 grasslands of two different management intensities (‘extensive’: one to two late cuts with removal of biomass [n = 18]; ‘intensive’: three to five mulching cuts [n = 9]) in the city of Karlsruhe, Germany. Pitfall trapping and sweep netting were performed to sample carabids and spiders. Results indicate that urban grasslands in Karlsruhe are inhabited by species‐rich assemblages, including several species of conservation concern (cc). Latter remain mostly restricted to dry grassland. The number of total specimens and of those belonging to species of cc were negatively affected by intensive management. The number of specimens of species of cc further decreased with increasing humidity and in spiders, additionally, by vegetation height. Landscape factors had limited effects, and only isolation of meadows negatively influenced the species richness of carabids (total and of species of cc). Our results demonstrate that conservation of dry grasslands in urban areas is crucial for sustaining local arthropod communities. Dry urban grassland may also act as a refugium for species of cc and mitigate the global insect crisis on a local and regional scale. In conclusion, biodiversity‐friendly mowing regimes should be applied on a broader scale in urban areas and target especially dry grassland plots. In addition, increasing connectivity and permeability of the urban matrix assist the colonisation by species of cc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The niche variation hypothesis states that the population niche width expands with increasing interindividual differences in prey utilization (i.e., individual dietary specialization). The main ecological drivers forming this relationship include a) ecological opportunity, b) food limitation and exploitative competition, and c) intraguild interference. Only a limited number of empirical studies have tested the impact of these drivers on the niche variation–width relationship and focused only on vertebrates. Using molecular gut content analysis, we investigated how prey diversity (proxy for ecological opportunity), prey abundance (proxy for exploitative competition / food-limitation), and activity density of guild members (proxy for intraguild interference) affect the short-term individual dietary specialization and consequently the population niche width in local communities of 13 species of predatory beetles and spiders. The study took place in 10 spring barley fields in Sweden in 2011. We found that the niche variation and consequently the average population niche width of the species in the predator community decreased with prey abundance but increased with activity density of guild members. The results indicate that intraguild interference and exploitative competition / food limitation increased dietary variation. The increased diet variation led to the observed population diet expansion. Our results support the niche variation hypothesis and, in contrast to the traditional view, show that negative intraguild interactions may act as a diversifying force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how anthropogenic activities induce changes in the functional traits of arthropod communities is critical to assessing their ecological consequences. However, we largely lack comprehensive assessments of the long‐term impact of global‐change drivers on the trait composition of arthropod communities across a large number of species and sites. This knowledge gap critically hampers our ability to predict human‐driven impacts on communities and ecosystems.Here, we use a dataset of 1.73 million individuals from 877 species to study how four functionally important traits of carabid beetles and spiders (i.e. body size, duration of activity period, tolerance to drought, and dispersal capacity) have changed at the community level across ~40 years in different types of land use and as a consequence of land use changes (that is, urbanisation and loss of woody vegetation) at the landscape scale in Switzerland.The results show that the mean body size in carabid communities declined in all types of land use, with particularly stronger declines in croplands compared to forests. Furthermore, the length of the activity period and the tolerance to drought of spider communities decreased in most land use types. The average body size of carabid communities in landscapes with increased urbanisation in the last ~40 years tended to decrease. However, the length of the activity period, the tolerance to drought, and the dispersal capacity did not change significantly. Furthermore, urbanisation promoted increases in the average dispersal capacities of spider communities. Additionally, urbanisation favoured spider communities with larger body sizes and longer activity periods. The loss of woody areas at the landscape level was associated with trait shifts to carabid communities with larger body sizes, shorter activity periods, higher drought tolerances and strongly decreased dispersal capacities. Decreases in activity periods and dispersal capacities were also found in spider communities.Our study demonstrates that human‐induced changes in land use alter key functional traits of carabid and spider communities in the long term. The detected trait shifts in arthropod communities likely have important consequences for their functional roles in ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Border crops can increase beneficial insect biodiversity within agricultural fields by supplementing insects with food and nesting resources. However, the effectiveness of border crops relies on insect movement between adjacent habitats and some insects might consider habitat boundaries as barriers. Therefore, understanding insect movement between habitats is needed to determine the effectiveness of border crops for ecosystem services such as pest control within agricultural habitats. Our objective was to compare ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) movement across soybean plots that were bordered by corn and grassland habitat to determine whether habitat boundaries were considered barriers of movement to predatory beetles. Using a grid of pitfall traps within these habitats, we conducted a mark, release, and recapture experiment to track and evaluate ground beetle movement patterns. We found that ground beetles stayed in the habitat of their release and that movement between habitats, despite the type of bordering habitat or type of edge, was uncommon. We also found that long-distance movement was rare as most beetles moved less than 5 m (regardless of release or recaptured habitat) and movement was perpendicular to habitat edges. These results suggest that any edge habitat, including agricultural–agricultural boundaries and natural–agricultural boundaries, are likely barriers to ground beetle movement. Therefore, in order for border crops to be effective in pest management by ground beetles, making habitat edges more permeable, especially using techniques such as edge softening, could promote cross-habitat movement and ultimately contribute to natural pest control in agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carabid species richness and phylogenetic diversity were evaluated in the four biogeographic provinces present in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Using a list of species and incorporating records obtained from a review of the Coleoptera Collection of the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, 752 records were obtained, which included 138 species classified into six taxonomic categories. The provinces with the highest species richness are the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Chihuahuan Desert; those with the lowest species richness are the Transmexican Volcanic Belt and the Veracruzan province. The Chihuahuan Desert was the province with the greatest phylogenetic diversity, and the Sierra Madre Oriental the least diverse. This highlights the usefulness of complementary estimates in diversity analyses in regions with a variety of disparate biogeographical histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several components of predator functional diversity have been hypothesized to influence prey suppression through either niche complementarity or mass ratio effects. Nevertheless, most studies have used a functional group approach when assessing the role of these predators in ecosystem functioning. By adopting a trait‐based approach, we evaluated the relative contributions of carabid diversity components in predicting prey suppression. Our results highlight the importance of both taxonomic and functional diversity components of carabids as key drivers of prey suppression. Prey suppression was best predicted by carabid densities, with the dominance of Poecilus cupreus potentially driving the positive effect of community total abundance through the mass ratio effect. Prey suppression increased with increasing the density of large carabids. In addition, carabid eye diameter and antennal length were key functional traits for predicting prey suppression. Furthermore, prey suppression increased with increasing carabid functional richness following the niche complementarity effect. In contrast to functional richness, functional evenness and functional divergence of carabid communities were weakly correlated with prey suppression. By identifying which diversity components of carabid communities contribute the most to increase prey suppression, our results can guide efforts aiming to predict the relationship between diversity of these predators and ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic disturbance causes habitat destruction and thereby presents a serious threat to many forest species. Seasonal variation in diversity and community composition of carabid beetles was investigated in the Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve (USNFR). Carabid beetles were collected using three methods, namely pitfall traps, active day search and active night search. Sampling of ground beetles was carried out in three seasons: end of dry season, end of wet season and wet season. Results showed that the diversity of ground beetles was high during the wet season (Shannon-Wiener H' = 2.19) and low at the end of the dry season (H' = 1.83). The difference was statistically significant when comparing the end of dry season against the wet season, likewise wet against end of wet season (t = 5.85 and 4.88, respectively, p < 0.05). Species richness was high during the wet season and the difference was statistically significant among the three seasons (χ2 = 13.46, p < 0.05). Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that the difference in abundance among the three seasons was statistically significant (H = 128.3, p < 0.05). In all the seasons, Galeritiola procera was the most abundant species and it was overrepresented during the wet season. Bray-Curtis similarity index showed low similarity in community composition among all three seasons. We conclude that communities of carabid beetles in disturbed areas vary with season, and therefore, to have a comprehensive sampling of carabid beetles, sampling should cover at least one-year involving different months in all seasons of the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Anthropocene is characterised by urban and agricultural landscapes. Within these landscapes, natural to semi‐natural habitats are fragmented, isolated and disturbed to varying degrees. Species associated with these natural habitats have to content with the surrounding landscape, both in terms of level of isolation, and matrix type and quality. We investigated the community structure, trait distribution and individual traits of carabid beetles in boreal forest fragments within three matrices: urban, agricultural and freshwater lake. Location: City of Lahti and its surroundings, southern Finland. Taxon: Coleoptera, Carabidae. Methods: Using pitfall traps from June to October 2019, we collected carabid beetles from eight spruce‐dominated forest fragments in the urban matrix, 10 fragments in an agricultural matrix, seven fragments on lake islands and three large control forests at the outskirts of the city. Results: Compared to natural forests, carabid beetles in forest fragments in these matrices showed distinct assemblages, and with beetle diversity the highest in fragments in the agricultural landscape. Fragments in the urban and lake island landscapes were characterised by small‐sized species, and those capable of flight. We also found strong intraspecific trait responses in terms of body size, with some generalist species being significantly smaller in urban, agricultural or lake island fragments compared to the controls. Main Conclusions: The matrix has a clear effect on carabid beetle communities, both in terms of taxonomic and trait distribution, and filters for communities of smaller sized species and those capable of flight. Such overall community and intraspecific effects can have considerable effects on populations and community assemblages: As anthropogenic effects intensify in urban and agricultural landscapes, our findings may be the expression of further morphological and physiological responses, and eventually in the adaptation of those species that can cope with the Anthropocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence for widespread declines in arthropods is growing and climate change is one of the suspected drivers. Recent droughts in Europe were unprecedented in the previous centuries and we are only beginning to understand the impacts on ecosystems. We analysed a 24‐year dataset of carabid beetles from a temperate forest area in northeast Germany and investigated linear and non‐linear trends in carabid abundance, biomass, diversity and species traits. We were especially interested if and how these were linked to droughts at different temporal scales using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). We found significant linear declines in abundance and biomass with annual rates of −3.1% (0.95 CI [−5.3, −1]) and –4.9% (0.95 CI [−9.4, −1.6]), respectively. Non‐linear trends were closely related to the SPEI when considering the climatic water balance of the previous six years and showed severe declines between 2015 and 2022 (−71% abundance, 0.95 CI [−84, −61] / −89% biomass, 0.95 CI [−97, −59]). However, there remained a significant annual background‐decline of −2.1% (0.95 CI [−5.7, −0.2]) and −3.1% (0.95 CI [−6.5, −0.1]), respectively, which occurred independently of drought. We observed negative trends in standardized carabid diversity metrics and a shift in species assemblage that were less directly linked to droughts. Declining and drought‐sensitive species tended to be larger predators with low dispersal abilities. This study is among the very first to investigate the impacts of the current unprecedented drought on forest insects in central Europe. Our findings add to the concerning amount of evidence for widespread declines in arthropods while pointing towards weather anomalies and climate change as one important driver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring changes in species composition near active volcanoes is important to identify environmental factors that maintain biological diversity after major disturbances. We investigated the taxonomic composition of epigaeic beetles' assemblages in five mountains in north‐western Patagonia (Argentina) in the aftermath of the 2011 Puyehue Cordón‐Caulle Volcanic Complex eruption.The associations of beetle composition with the thermal environment, vegetation structure and soil characteristics were analysed using 10 m × 10 m plots with nine pitfall traps each, established 100 m apart in altitude on each mountain in 2005, 2006 (pre‐eruption) and 2012, 2015 and 2016 (post‐eruption).We found significant differences in beetle composition between forests and high‐Andean steppes before and after the eruption. The beetle composition of forests and high‐Andean steppes differed due to higher plant cover and lower pH and herb richness in forests. Six months after the eruption, the herbs almost disappeared and forests showed high ash accumulation and lower temperature than the high‐Andean steppes. In the medium term, plant cover, temperature and soil conditions—but not ash accumulation—remained as important correlates of beetle composition. Before the eruption, forest assemblages showed higher beetle diversity and Leiodidae indicator species, but Curculionidae predominated post‐eruption. Tenebrionidae and Carabidae were high Andean steppes indicators. Post‐eruption, the beetle composition in high‐Andean steppes did not change significantly except for an increase in Tenebrionidae indicator species.We concluded that the conservation of landscape diversity and environmental gradients maintaining the differentiation between ecoregions is essential to protect epigaeic beetle composition and for species survival after volcanic disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevation gradients provide a wealth of habitats for a wide variety of organisms. The southern Appalachian Mountains in eastern United States are known for their high biodiversity and rates of endemism in arthropods, including in high-elevation leaf-litter taxa that are often found nowhere else on earth. Trechus Clairville (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a genus of litter inhabitants with a near-global distribution and over 50 Appalachian species. These span two subgenera, Trechus s. str. and Microtrechus Jeannel, largely restricted to north and south of the Asheville basin, respectively. Understanding the diversification of these 3–5 mm flightless beetles through geological time can provide insights into how the litter-arthropod community has responded to historical environments, and how they may react to current and future climate change. We identified beetles morphologically and sequenced six genes to reconstruct a phylogeny of the Appalachian Trechus. We confirmed the Asheville Basin as a biogeographical barrier with a split between the north and south occurring towards the end of the Pliocene. Finer scale biogeography, including mountain-range occupancy, was not a reliable indication of relatedness, with group ranges overlapping and many instances of species-, species group-, and subgeneric sympatry. This may be because of the recent divergence between modern species and species groups. Extensive taxonomic revision of the group is required for Trechus to be useful as a bioindicator, but their high population density and speciose nature make them worth additional time and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overabundance of large herbivores can have detrimental effects on the local environment due to overgrazing. Culling is a common management practice implemented globally that can effectively control herbivore populations and allow vegetation communities to recover. However, the broader indirect effects of culling large herbivores remain relatively unknown, particularly on insect species such as ground-dwelling beetles that perform key ecosystem processes such as decomposition. Here we undertook a preliminary investigation to determine how culling sika deer on an island in North Japan impacted ground-beetle community dynamics. We conducted pitfall trapping in July and September in 2012 (before culling) and again in 2019 (after culling). We compared beetle abundance and community composition within 4 beetle families (Carabidae, Scarabaeidae, Geotrupidae, and Silphidae), across seasons and culling treatments. We found each family responded differently to deer culling. Scarabaeidae displayed the greatest decline in abundance after culling. Silphidae also had reduced abundance but to a lesser extent compared to Scarabaeidae. Carabidae had both higher and lower abundance after culling, depending on the season. We found beetle community composition differed between culling and season, but seasonal variability was reduced after culling. Overall, the culling of large herbivores resulted in a reduction of ground-dwelling beetle populations, particularly necrophagous species dependent on dung and carrion for survival. Our preliminary research highlights the need for long-term and large-scale experiments to understand the indirect ecological implications of culling programs on ecosystem processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Highlight discussing: Heinen, J.; Dominguez, V.; Aguilera, G.; Malsher, G.; Vesterinen, E.; Roslin, T.; Bommarco, R.; Bartomeus, I. (2024). Diversified cropping strengthens herbivore regulation by providing seasonal resource continuity to predators. Journal of Applied Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365‐2664.14674. Crop monocultures consist of homogenous agroecosystems highly dependent on pesticides for pest regulation and mineral fertilisation for maintaining plant nutrition, representing the least resilient system. Agricultural diversification practices can increase heterogeneity in agroecosystems, resulting in greater richness of arthropod predators and enhanced ecological services. Among natural enemies of pests, generalist predators are important for pest regulation as they prey on diverse arthropod pests and be present throughout the season. However, since they consume other predators (intraguild predation) and soil fauna, it is uncertain whether enhanced richness of generalist predators translates into improved pest regulation. The study by Heinen et al. examined how diversified crop rotation and organic fertilisation influenced predator–prey interactions throughout the cropping cycle in cereal fields. The predators' diet preference shifted over the growing season, indicating that soil fauna is an important resource for recruitment and maintenance of predators early in the season. Although intraguild predation was considerably high, it decreased across the season in fields with the greatest level of diversification, where predation of pests remained stable. This study demonstrated how diversified cropping is important for providing resource continuity with alternative prey (soil fauna and predators) over crop‐growing season, enhancing predator richness and herbivore regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harpalini (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is the largest tribe of carabid beetles. This tribe includes over 240 genera and subgenera and approximately 2000 species. In order to study Harpalini, ground beetles were collected by hand, pitfall trapping, turning logs and stones, sifting the leaf litter and sweeping the vegetation in five stations of Taleghan Watershed, Alborz Province during 2021–2022, by systematic random sampling technique. 22 species belonged to four tribes and seven genera were identified. Three species Dixus infans (Abeille, 1909), Harpalus laevipes Zetterstedt, 1828 and Harpalus punctatostriatus Dejean, 1829 are new records for Iran. Among 22 collected species, about 41% of the total species belonged to the genus Harpalus (with nine species) and 18% belonged to the genus Dixus (with four species). Each of the genera Ophonus and Stenolophus with three species included 14% of total species

The degeneration in flight ability in beetles has rarely been studied in detail with regard to the polymorphism of flight traits within species. However, intraspecific diversity in flight traits means that the flight ability of species is in the process of degenerating, which could provide important insights into how flight ability in beetles degenerates. In this study, the flight muscle and hind wings of the genus Synuchus in Japan were studied, which revealed the morphological status of flight traits in 21 species of Synuchus. Several species in this genus were found to show intraspecific polymorphisms in the states of the flight muscle and hind wings, and in particular, the very high diversity of different types of hind wings. These results indicate that this genus contains a mixture of species at various stages in the degeneration of the ability to fly.

The vast majority of species interactions in nature go unnoticed because they occur under circumstances unamenable to observation. This is unfortunate, as our understanding of trophic ecology is predicated on our ability to quantify the nature and magnitude of species interactions. Here, we use specimens from museums and private collections to estimate prey breadth and morphological patterns between predator and prey pairs of the malacophagous Cychrini beetles collected alongside their snail prey. We identified each pair, measured a series of morphological traits on each, and tested for relationships between the morphological characteristics of beetles and the snails they were found eating. Of 38 specimen pairs, we identified 12 species of Cychrini beetles from two genera (Scaphinotus and Cychrus) eating 22 species of snail prey from 12 genera and ranging from 1 to 9 species of snail prey per beetle species. We found 29 unique predator–prey species pairs. Irrespective of species identity, we found that female beetles were discovered eating larger snails compared to male beetles. We detected two trends in which larger beetles were found eating snails with relatively larger aperture openings, and beetles with more slender body shapes (longer, thinner mandibles, heads, and pronota) were found eating snails whose shells had relatively smaller aperture openings. This suggests that, even within the carabid tribe Cychrini, variation in the cychrine body form may influence prey availability. This study provides the most comprehensive list to date of predator–prey pairs in this understudied group of beetles and also demonstrates the utility of museum collections for documenting cryptic species interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabarcoding approaches are powerful tools to unravel trophic relationships between predators and prey. To apply metabarcoding analyses on invertebrate gut contents, specimens must be well preserved from DNA degradation, thus the trapping method should be selected accordingly. Dry pitfall traps are commonly assumed to provide a better DNA preservation than traps that use a killing agent. However, this assumption has never been specifically tested for gut content analyses. In our study, we compared how two types of pitfall trapping, dry vs. with brine, affect the conservation of prey DNA contained in the digestive tract of predators and subsequent metabarcoding analyses. We placed dry and 'classic' pitfall traps in oilseed rape fields within an intensive agricultural area in the French Nouvelle‐Aquitaine region. Traps were set up in autumn and compared for carabid trapping efficiency as well as our capacity to retrieve dietary information from the digestive tract of the main carabid species, Nebria salina (Fairmaire & Laboulbène) and Calathus fuscipes (Goeze) (both Coleoptera: Carabidae). The PCR success rate was higher in dry pitfall traps compared to classic ones for N. salina. We hypothesise that this was due to the presence of PCR inhibitors in the gut of this species. The ability to sequence prey DNA did not differ between specimens caught in both trap types. The list of preyed species was similar between both trap types. However, sequencing yielded more prey operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from specimens caught in dry pitfall traps, leading to differences in prey community composition and a greater ability to reconstruct prey community. Our analyses also shed light on the prey spectrum of C. fuscipes and N. salina in oilseed rape in autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]