‘Carabidologists do it all’ (Niemelä 1996a) is a phrase with which most European carabidologists are familiar. Indeed, during the last half a century, professional and amateur entomologists have contributed enormously to our understanding of the basic biology of carabid beetles. The success of the field is in no small part due to regular European Carabidologists’ Meetings, which started in 1969 in Wijster, the Netherlands, with the 14th meeting again held in the Netherlands in 2009, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first meeting and 50 years of long-term research in the Dwingelderveld. This paper offers a subjective summary of some of the major developments in carabidology since the 1960s. Taxonomy of the family Carabidae is now reasonably established, and the application of modern taxonomic tools has brought up several surprises like elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Progress has been made on the ultimate and proximate factors of seasonality and timing of reproduction, which only exceptionally show non-seasonality. Triggers can be linked to evolutionary events and plausibly explained by the “taxon cycle” theory. Fairly little is still known about certain feeding preferences, including granivory and ants, as well as unique life history strategies, such as ectoparasitism and predation on higher taxa. The study of carabids has been instrumental in developing metapopulation theory (even if it was termed differently). Dispersal is one of the areas intensively studied, and results show an intricate interaction between walking and flying as the major mechanisms. The ecological study of carabids is still hampered by some unresolved questions about sampling and data evaluation. It is recognised that knowledge is uneven, especially concerning larvae and species in tropical areas. By their abundance and wide distribution, carabid beetles can be useful in population studies, bioindication, conservation biology and landscape ecology. Indeed, 40 years of carabidological research have provided so much data and insights, that among insects - and arguably most other terrestrial organisms - carabid beetles are one of the most worthwhile model groups for biological studies.

The carabid beetle assemblage found feeding on fig fruit falls at night was studied in a terra firme rain forest near Manaus (Amazonia) from July 1991 to August 1996. A total of 8926 carabid beetles were collected on 64 fruit falls from 10 fig species. The most abundant genus was Notiobia with eight species, N. pseudolimbipennis being the most abundant. The Notiobia species comprised 92% of all specimens collected and all feed on small fig seeds. Their species abundance patterns varied considerably between individual fruit falls and during the course of a single fruit fall. However, the species abundance patterns for all Notiobia at all observed fruit falls for each of the two commonest fig species (Ficus subapiculata, F. guianensis), as well as for fruit falls of the remaining fig species, were very similar. Through feeding and breeding experiments and observations of reproductive success by dissection of females, only two of the eight Notiobia species were found to be specialized fig seed feeders, being able to reproduce only on fig fruit falls. The remaining six species of this genus use fig fruit falls as alternate hosts or ‘stepping stones’ between fruit falls of their host trees, which are widely separated both in time and space.

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Feeding on small tree seeds at fruit falls is a specific adaptation of harpaline ground beetles and their larvae in tropical rain forests. Using mandibles as tools, they have to perforate the seed shell to reach the nutritious interior. The isometric growth of larval mandibles, known from predatory species, would result in a changing ratio between seed and mandible size during the course of development. The stable size of host tree seeds should select an optimum mandible size, similar for the three larval instars in spermophageous species. We found an increasing tendency to maintain the length of the apical mandible part (apex) in seed feeding species.The size increase is higher in the species from Australia, Africa and South East Asia than in the New World species of the genus Notiobia. Feeding experiments have revealed that larvae of species with a stronger increase in apex growth are also able to develop as predators of Drosophila larvae. Our results furthermore point to an influence of beetle size and shell hardness of the host tree seeds on the apex size and its growth rate.

-Two canopies of a widely distributed Amazonian tree species, Goupia glabra Aubl. (Celastraceae, height 38 and 45m) were fogged several times with 1% natural pyrethrum during the rainy and dry seasons (1991)(1992)(1993)(1994) in the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve near Manaus/Brazil. mostly Formicidae, and Diptcra dominated. A total of 95 ant species occurred on a single tree. Most ants were permanently foraging in the canopy and their recolonization after fogging seems to building Cecidomyiidae and -2) Cecidomyiidae and the parasitic Hymenoptera.Key words: Canopy fogging, pyrethrum, arthropods, recolonization, interactions, Amazon, Neotropics.Artrópodos Obtidos Através de Nebulização Repetitiva da Copa de uma Árvore Amazônica, "Cupiuba" (Goupia glabra), com Piretróiide Natural.RESUMO -Duas copas de uma espécie de árvore amplamente distribuída na Amazônia, Goupia glabra Aubl. (Celastraceae, altura 38 e 45m) foram renebulizadas várias vezes com píretro natural 1%, durante o período chuvoso e seco (1991-94) na Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke próximo de Manaus/Brasil. Entre 50 e 158 ind./m 2 de artrópodos foram obtidos por árvore e evento de nebulização. Hymenoptera, na sua maioria Formicidae, e Diptera dominaram. Um total de 95 espécies de formigas ocorreram numa única árvore. A maioria das formigas estava permanentemente forrageando na copa e a sua recolonização depois a nebulização parece seguir vias estocásticas. Os dados sugerem uma interação entre Formicidae e Cecidomyiidae (construindo galhas) e Cecidomyiidae e Hymenoptera parasítica.

The larvae of the North African winter breeders Broscus laevigatus and Orthomus atlanticus survive a temperature of 30° C and a relative atmospheric humidity of 75% only briefly. The first larval instar of O. atlanticus is particularly sensitive to dehydration. It does not live longer than the corresponding larval instar of the Central European species Pterostichus angustatus Dft.Examinations at a temperature of 20° C and a relative atmospheric humidity of 75% proved that the first larval instar of Br. laevigatus is well adapted to these conditions and on average remains alive for 121.7 hours, as against 19.6 hours at a temperature of 30° C. This is regarded as adaptability to the short periods of drought which still occur at the beginning of the rainy season. In their first stage the larvae of O. atlanticus die after as little as 4.5 hours.The two species develop at a low temperature which corresponds to the average winter temperature in the Cyrenaika (Libya, North Africa). Susceptibility to drought at high temperatures and the absence of the low temperatures they need for their development prevent Br. laevigatus and O. atlanticus from breeding during the North African summer.As the larvae of O. atlanticus in their first stage of development are susceptible to dehydration, reproduction in this species is mainly limited to the winter. Its different stages of development withstand high temperatures better than those of B. laevigatus. On account to the poor adaptability of its larval stages to high temperatures B. laevigatus is forced to propagate during the winter. Low temperatures (14° C) during the first larval instars accelerate the development of the third instar of the two species at a temperature of 20° C and reduce the mortality rate of O. atlanticus considerably. The accelerated development caused by low temperatures reflects in a somewhat lesser degree the larval diapause of the autumn breeders that live in the temperature zones.

In a 30 km deep coastal area of the Cyrenaika (Libya) a total of 28 species of carabids was collected on regular excursions in 1967 and 1968. In midsummer almost no carabids were caught. They appeared at the beginning of autumn and were caught in winter regularly in equal numbers. During March, April and May the number of catches increased considerably. Using ground traps no more than two species (Carterus silvestrii, Pristonychus picicornis) were caught and that only from December to May. From the pattern of their occurrence we can conclude that in the Cyrenaika carabid beetles propagate mainly during the winter.By examining the gonads, catching larvae and breeding, it was possible to prove that the speciesBroscus laevigatus, Harpalus litigiosus ssp.cyrenaicus andPristonychus picicornis propagate in winter. Examination of the gonads also indicates a winter propagation of the speciesPterostichus barbarus andLaemostenus complanatus ssp.cyrenaicus. It is not certain, however, thatCarterus silvestrii propagates during the winter.The speciesCalathus fuscipes andCalathus mollis from the temperate northern regions, which are known as autumn breeders, were caught in Libya too, which indicates a relation between the autumn breeders of Middle and Northern Europe and the 'winter breeders' of the South Mediterranean countries. The presence ofPogonus chalceus in Libya strongly suggests that, in certain biotopes, spring breeders may develop besides the dominant autumn breeders.

RESUMO -Durante um período de sete anos (1991-1997), 22 espécies de cicindelídeos, representando 9 gêneros, foram encontradas perto de Manaus, Brasil. Nas várzeas ao longo do Rio Solimões-Amazonas (Ilha de Marchantaria), três espécies diurnas habitam as florestas inundáveis e seis espécies (duas diurnas, quatro noturnas) vivem nas áreas abertas. Apresentase dados sobre sua história natural e suas adaptações às condições de vida nas áreas alagáveis. Quinze espécies foram localizadas na terra firme (Reserva Florestal A. Ducke). Cinco espécies diurnas habitam o chão da floresta, duas espécies a copa de árvores, e oito espécies (sete diurnas, uma noturna) vivem em áreas abertas sob areia branca ou sob laterita. Somente uma espécie, Pentacomia lacordairei, foi encontrada nas florestas inundáveis e da terra firme. Apresenta-se uma chave para os gêneros das larvas de cicindelídeos localizadas perto de Manaus.