Eur. J. Entomol. 117: 76-82, 2020 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2020.008

Barrier pitfall traps increase captures of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) on exposed riverine sedimentsOriginal article

Scott HORN
USDA Forest Service, Southern Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA; e-mail: scott.horn@usda.gov

Exposed riverine sediments are unique riparian environments that exhibit high biodiversity and harbor many specialist species. Ground beetles are the most well studied inhabitants within these environments where they are often sampled using pitfall traps. In order to develop conservation measures for species occupying these habitats a logical first step is to refine sampling methods so that proper biodiversity assessments can be carried out. To that end, the effectiveness of two pitfall trap designs (standard trap vs. barrier trap) was evaluated. Over three sampling periods we collected 5,186 individuals represented by 43 species. Barrier traps proved to be superior, yielding significantly greater numbers of individuals (n = 3,456 vs. 1,730) than standard traps. Additionally, we collected more ground beetle species (37 vs. 30) in barrier traps than in standard pitfall traps. This study supports the rationale for deployment of more than one trap design to avoid deficiencies exhibited by a single type.

Keywords: Coleoptera, Carabidae, exposed riverine sediments, pitfall trap, sandbar, efficiency, psammophilous, riparian

Received: September 19, 2019; Accepted: January 28, 2020; Published online: February 10, 2020  Show citation

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HORN, S. (2020). Barrier pitfall traps increase captures of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) on exposed riverine sediments. EJE, 117, Article 76-82. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2020.008
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