Vertical and seasonal distribution of flying beetles in a suburban temperate deciduous forest collected by water pan trap

Abstract

Vertical and seasonal distributions of flying beetles were investigated in a suburban temperate deciduous forest in Kanazawa, Japan using water pan traps to determine the abundance and composition among vertical strata, change in the abundance and composition through seasons and determinant factors in generating the distributions. Traps were placed at three levels (0.5 m, 10 m, and 20 m above ground) on a tower. Samplings were carried out seasonally from May to November in 1999 and 2000. Variations in the abundance of flying beetles were observed from different layers. The results showed that the abundance and composition of flying beetles varied among strata and seasons. In both 1999 and 2000, Elateridae was consistently most abundant in the bottom layer, while Attelabidae and Cantharidae were most abundant in the upper layer. In 1999, Eucnemidae and overall scavengers were most abundance in the bottom layer, but results were not consistent with those in 2000. In general, the abundance of herbivores reaches a peak in the early season (May/June) and decreases in the following months. Peaks of abundance in predators vary vertically. In the bottom layer a peak was observed in the early season (May/June), while in the upper layer this was observed in July. Scavengers had two peaks, in May/June and September. These patterns indicated that vertical distributions in the abundance of different feeding guilds varied through seasons.

Seasonal changes of functional groups in coleopteran communities in pine forests

“…Our results are supported by a previous study, which reported that early occurrence of herbivores is due to preference of young leaves and availability of food resources (Leksono et al 2005). Similarly, the order of coleopteran guilds in oak forest is herbivores in May and June, scavengers in June and predators in July (Leksono et al 2005). The fact that community composition or population abundance depends on the resources available is well-known for many beetles: Ips typographus on dead wood (Økland and (Harvey et al 2008), and detritivores, predators and fungivores on quality and quantity of organic matters (Clough et al 2007).…”

“…Therefore, July is the optimum period for herbivores. Our results are supported by a previous study, which reported that early occurrence of herbivores is due to preference of young leaves and availability of food resources (Leksono et al 2005). Similarly, the order of coleopteran guilds in oak forest is herbivores in May and June, scavengers in June and predators in July (Leksono et al 2005).…”

“…Considering seasonal changes of food resources to coleopterans in forests and the composition of coleopteran functional groups dependent on available resources, it is expected that the composition of functional groups varies seasonally (Leksono et al 2005).…”

Species composition of Modellidae and Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) in a coppice woodland

“…The tower was constructed of alloy metal with a height of 23 m. The mean annual air temperature in Kanazawa is 14.3°C, with the highest monthly mean temperature of 26°C (August) and the lowest of 1°C (January) (Leksono et al 2005). The vegetation around the tower is a secondary deciduous broad-leaved forest dominated by deciduous oak trees: Quercus serrata and Quercus variabilis.…”

Komposisi Serangga Kanopi di Kebun Apel di Poncokusumo, Malang dan Bumiaji, Batu

“…Jember (Budiarti, 2011). Hal yang sama ditunjukkan dari hasil penelitian di kanopi hutan di Jepang (Leksono et al, 2005) dan di Brasil. Di kedua lokasi jumlah spesimen yang ditemukan pada musim berbunga lebih tinggi dibandingkan non bunga (buah muda).…”