EJE - 20th European Carabidologists Meeting
Small canopy gaps do not affect the predation pressure on large ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a managed forest
Jana RŮŽIČKOVÁ, Andrea HARNOS, Zoltán ELEK
Eur. J. Entomol. 121: 369-373, 2024 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2024.039 
Continuous cover forestry is a silvicultural system designed to mimic natural forest dynamics and maintain the structure of uneven-aged semi-natural forests. One of the key steps in this approach is to create small gaps in the canopy by logging small groups of trees or individual trees. In gap-cutting, the main goal is to determine the optimal shape and size of these gaps in order to ensure spontaneous natural regeneration of the major tree species in the canopy. Yet, it remains relatively unknown how various arthropods respond to such forestry practices. Carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) play an important role as predators of various small invertebrates...
Bioaccumulation of pesticides in carabid beetles in a vineyard and olive grove under integrated pest management
Lucija ŠERIĆ JELASKA, Mišel JELIĆ, Barbara ANĐELIĆ DMITROVIĆ, Tomislav KOS
Eur. J. Entomol. 121: 269-279, 2024 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2024.028
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...
Carabid diversity in alpine environments: Investigating biogeographic and ecological traits of the communities living in the Dolomites (Italy)
Roberto PIZZOLOTTO
Eur. J. Entomol. 121: 219-233, 2024 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2024.024
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...
Feeding behavior and mobility of carabid beetles in response to perceived risk of predation
Stefanie E. DE HEIJ, Khaldoun A. ALI, Sean M. PRAGER, Christian J. WILLENBORG
Eur. J. Entomol. 120: 81-92, 2023 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2023.011
Carabid beetles are common inhabitants of agricultural fields where they encounter a variety of food options - including prey and weed seeds. The feeding behaviors of carabids are often influenced by the physical and chemical traits of prey and seed species, as such traits determine prey or seed species that are suitable for consumption. However, some carabid species may prey upon other carabids, complicating their role as beneficial insects due to consumptive (direct) and non-consumptive (indirect) intra-guild predation effects. The non-consumptive effects of intra-guild predation are expected to influence prey and seed foraging behaviors of carabids...