SAMPLING CARABID ASSEMBLAGES WITH PITFALL TRAPS: THE MADNESS AND THE METHOD

1994 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 881-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Spence ◽  
Jari K. Niemelä
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Pitfall Trapping

AbstractWe describe a litter-washing technique for collecting quantitative samples of ground-beetles (Carabidae), and compare the results with those from liner extraction by Tullgren funnels and pitfall (rapping. We also compare performance of four types of pitfall traps across five habitats. Carabid species composition from litter washing and funnel extraction was similar but washing revealed higher densities. Large-bodied species predominated in pitfall samples and small-bodied species predominated in litter samples. Uncovered, round pitfall traps yielded generally higher catches than rectangular or covered, round traps but the pattern was not consistent over all species or the five habitats. Ecological studies of carabid populations and assemblages using pitfall traps may be improved if they are both designed and interpreted in light of the biology of the group and with regard to the deficiencies of pitfall trapping as discussed here and elsewhere.

Comparison of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spiders (Araneae) collected in pan and pitfall traps

2003 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
pp. 609-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Buddle ◽  
H.E. James Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Method ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Pan Traps

Pitfall trapping is a widely used sampling method for biodiversity-related research of ground-dwelling arthropods. The trap is a container, usually with a preservative, that is sunk into the ground to collect arthropods which happen upon the trap perimeter and fall in (Lemieux and Lindgren 1999; Work et al. 2002). Two types receive the most use: deep circular pitfall traps and shallow rectangular pan traps (Marshall et al. 2001). The preserving fluid can influence trap efficacy (Deville and Wheeler 1998). Our objectives were to compare the efficiency of pitfall and pan traps with and without detergent in the preserving fluid (Marshall et al. 1994), using carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spiders (Araneae) as focal taxa.

scholarly journals Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) diversity from pastures in Southern Bulgaria

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodora Teofilova ◽  
Ivailo Todorov ◽  
Milka Elshishka ◽  
Vlada Peneva
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Ecological Structure

This study aimed at clarifying the species composition and ecological structure of carabids, associated with active pastures. Field work was carried out in 2017 and 2018. Pitfall traps (5 in each site) were set in 10 sampling sites in Thracean Lowland and Sarnena Sredna Gora Mts. Captured beetles belonged to 90 species and 33 genera, representing 12% of the species and 26% of the ground beetle genera occurring in Bulgaria. The most diverse was genus Harpalus (22 species), followed by the genera Amara (7 species), Microlestes (6 species), Ophonus (6 species) and Parophonus (5 species). Twenty species were new for the region of the Thracean Lowland: Amara fulvipes (Audinet-Serville, 1821), Anisodactylus binotatus (Fabricius, 1787), A. intermedius Dejean, 1829, Apotomus clypeonitens Müller, 1943, Calathus cinctus Motschulsky, 1850, Carterus gilvipes (Piochard de la Brûlerie, 1873), Gynandromorphus etruscus (Quensel en Schönherr, 1806), Harpalus fuscicornis Ménétriés, 1832, H. subcylindricus Dejean, 1829, Microlestes apterus Holdhaus, 1904, M. corticalis (L. Dufour, 1820), M. fulvibasis (Reitter, 1901), M. maurus (Sturm, 1827), M. minutulus (Goeze, 1777), Notiophilus laticollis Chaudoir, 1850, Pangus scaritides (Sturm, 1818), Parophonus laeviceps (Ménétriés, 1832), P. planicollis (Dejean, 1829), Polystichus connexus (Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785) and Pterostichus strenuus (Panzer, 1796). Twenty species were new for the whole Sredna Gora Mts.: Acinopus picipes (Olivier, 1795), A. megacephalus (P. Rossi, 1794), Amara anthobia A. Villa et G. B. Villa, 1833, Ditomus calydonius (P. Rossi, 1790), Harpalus albanicus Reitter, 1900, H. angulatus Putzeys, 1878, H. attenuatus Stephens, 1828, H. dimidiatus (P. Rossi, 1790), H. flavicornis Dejean, 1829, H. pumilus Sturm, 1818, H. pygmaeus Dejean, 1829, H. subcylindricus Dejean, 1829, H. tardus (Panzer, 1796), H. signaticornis (Duftschmid, 1812), Lebia scapularis (Geoffroy, 1785), Microlestes fissuralis (Reitter, 1901), M. fulvibasis (Reitter, 1901), M. maurus (Sturm, 1827), M. minutulus (Goeze, 1777) and Ophonus sabulicola (Panzer, 1796). Fourty-one species were new for the region of the Sarnena Sredna Gora. Genus Apotomus, Gynandromorphus, Pangus and Polystichus were new geographic records for Thracean Lowland. Genera Acinopus and Ditomus were new for the Sredna Gora Mts. Fourteen life form categories were established (9 zoophagous and 5 mixophytophagous). The analysis of the life forms showed a slight predominance of the mixophytophages (53 species; 59%) over the zoophages (37 species; 41%). Microlestes minutulus was a constant species occurring in all sampling sites.

Activity Patterns of Carabidae and Staphylinidae in Centipedegrass in Georgia

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Kristine Braman ◽  
Andrew F. Pendley
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Relative Activity ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Trapping Method

Pitfall traps were used to determine the carabid and staphylinid fauna in managed centipedegrass turf during 1989–1991. Twentyone species of carabids and 16 species of staphylinids were identified. The relative activity and species composition of the two families of beetles varied with year and site of study. Seasonal activity patterns, as indicated by the pitfall trapping method, for the most abundant species are presented.

scholarly journals Can Baited Pitfall Traps for Sampling Dung Beetles Replace Conventional Traps for Sampling Ants?

Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 376
Author(s):  
Kelley Rita Przybyszewski ◽  
Ricardo José Silva ◽  
Ricardo Eduardo Vicente ◽  
João Victor Garcia Freitas ◽  
Mônica Josene Barbosa Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Small Decrease ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Native Habitat ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Total Species

Ants  and  dung  beetles  are  widely  used  in  monitoring  biodiversity  and  are  considered  excellent  environmental  indicators.  Although  the pitfall trap is the most commonly used method to sample dung beetles and ants in ecological studies, beetles are usually sampled using dung‐baited pitfall traps while ants are sampled using un‐baited pitfalls. In the protocol for collecting the beetles it is necessary to have attractive baits in pitfalls. In order to minimize collection effort and costs and to facilitate logistics, it is necessary to determine if there is an effect of the baits on the biodiversity of ants collected in the same traps. Therefore, the objective of this work was to find out whether baited pitfalls could replace conventional pitfalls for the capture of ants. In a total of 42 areas of native habitat, three baited pitfall traps and three without bait were installed, all in the same transect, equidistant ten meters and in activity for 48 hours. In total, 150 species were collected, of which 131 were recorded in non‐baited pitfalls and 107 in baited pitfalls. Traps without bait contributed to 28% of the total number of species captured in this study, whereas pitfalls with bait contributed only to 12% of the total species caught. However, 60% of the total species were captured regardless of the method. In addition to the loss of species among the types of traps, the effect of the method modifies the species composition. We concluded that depending on the type of study, a small decrease in the number of species and change in the composition can influence the results. Thus, we recommend that baited pitfalls should not replace conventional pitfalls.Palavras-chave: Método de coleta; Protocolo de coleta; Desenho da amostra; Esforço de amostragem.

DESIGN FOR A LOW-COST, COVERED, RAMP PITFALL TRAP

2000 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice Bouchard ◽  
Terry A. Wheeler ◽  
Henri Goulet
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Metal Design ◽  
Original Metal

Pitfall traps are used extensively to sample ground-dwelling arthropods for systematic and ecological studies. They are inexpensive and easy to use and can be operated for relatively long periods of time without maintenance. These traps can collect arthropods in numbers that are suitable for rigorous statistical analysis, although their efficiency is influenced by many biotic and abiotic variables (Greenslade 1964; Spence and Niemelä 1994). Typically, pitfall traps are most productive when they are buried in the substrate, with the upper edge flush with the soil surface; traps with their upper edge above the substrate are much less effective (Greenslade 1964). Because of this, studies of ground-dwelling arthropods in habitats where soil is thin or lacking, or where digging is difficult, are left with no satisfactory alternatives to pitfall traps. A ramp pitfall trap developed by Bostanian et al. (1983) is useful in these habitats because it can be placed on the ground surface without digging. However, the original metal design was strongly biased toward the collection of large (>10 mm) ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) (Bostanian et al. 1983); it was also large, bulky, and relatively expensive. In this paper, we describe a ramp pitfall trap that is inexpensive, easily constructed, and durable. The trap is light, portable, easily installed, and effective in collecting all sizes of arthropods and can be used in many habitat types.

OCCURRENCE AND ACTIVITY OF GROUND BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE) IN A PEST MANAGEMENT APPLE ORCHARD

1978 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. Holliday ◽  
E. A. C. Hagley
Keyword(s):  
Pest Management ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Apple Orchard ◽  
The Other ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Pterostichus Melanarius

AbstractPitfall trapping was carried out in a southern Ontario apple orchard for 3 years. The three commonest carabids collected were Harpalus affinis Schr., Pterostichus melanarius Ill., and Amara spp. Variation in activity was related to mean air temperatures in P. melanarius but not in the other two species. The use of pitfall traps in enclosures showed that none of the above species use flight as the principal means of locomotion. Immature H. affinis adults probably undergo a dispersal flight in July. Amara spp. and P. melanarius both fly within the orchard to some extent.

scholarly journals Carabid beetles of the environs of Lake Elton: fauna, population dynamics, demography

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirill Makarov ◽  
Andrey Matalin
Keyword(s):  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Demographic Structure ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Local Fauna ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Lake Elton ◽  
Sampling Event

The present paper includes the results of a year-round pitfall trapping survey of ground beetles in the region of Lake Elton, Volgograd Area, Russia. The main objectives of the project lie in studying the local fauna of Carabidae in the Lake Elton region, as well as their demographic structure and dispersal potential of the local populations of particular carabid species. A total of ten model habitats: six zonal (characteristic of that particular biogeographic area) and four azonal (present in a variety of biogeographical areas) were studied. In each model habitat, ten pitfall traps were set from 10 May 2006 until 10 May 2007 and were checked at 10-day intervals except for the period with negative temperatures (from 1 November 2006 until 31 March 2007). During the period of observation, 51,314 specimens of Carabidae, belonging to 149 species, were trapped. The resulting sampling-event dataset includes 24,291 plot-based observations (= sampling events), some of them containing zero records of particular species in a certain habitat and time. This is the first sampling-event dataset of a year-round pitfall trapping survey (from May 2006 until May 2007) of ground-beetle communities and the demographic structure of local populations of particular species in the Lake Elton region, Volgograd Area, Russia.

Carabidae of Barnaul city parks: ecological characteristics and species composition

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 348-353
Author(s):  
E. A. Kuchina ◽  
N. D. Ovcharenko ◽  
L. D. Vasileva
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
Species Diversity Index ◽  
Steppe Species

<p>Anthropogenic impact on the population of ground beetles leads to a change in their numbers, structure of dominance, density, species composition, spectrum of life forms. This makes the beetles Carabidae a convenient and informative bioindicator of the ecological state of biocenoses. The material for this work was the Carabidae collections conducted in June-August 2016-2017 in the park zone of different regions of Barnaul, differing in location, area, hydrological regime, vegetation cover, purpose and anthropogenic load. When processing the material, the quantitative, species and generic composition of the carabidae was determined, calculations were made for such indicators as the Berger-Parker dominance index, the Shannon species diversity index (Hs), and the Jacquard species similarity index. The fauna (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the park zone of Barnaul is represented by 55 species belonging to 20 genera. The dominant group is represented by species belonging to steppe, forest and polyzonal groups. Forest-steppe species of ground beetles as dominants have not been identified in any of the investigated territories. The greatest variety of ecological groups was noted on the territory of the Yubileyny рark, which is explained by the presence of zones with various microclimatic conditions, the presence of a birch grove that flows through the park with the Pivovarka River, and a wide log in the park. Registered species belong to eight groups of life forms belonging to two classes - zoophagous and myxophytophagous. On the numerical and species abundance, zoophages predominate. The spectrum of life forms corresponds to the zonal spectrum characteristic of the forest-steppe zone.</p><p> </p>

THE EFFECT OF SOD TYPE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF GROUND BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE) IN A PEST MANAGEMENT APPLE ORCHARD

1984 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. Holliday ◽  
E. A. C. Hagley
Keyword(s):  
Pest Management ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Apple Orchard ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Soil Sampling ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Trap Catches

AbstractThe effects on carabids of natural, fescue, and rye sod types and of tillage were investigated in a pest management apple orchard. Carabids were sampled before and after the treatments by pitfall trapping and by two types of soil sampling. There were no significant effects of sod type on pitfall trap catches; however the abundance of all common species in soil samples was significantly affected by sod types. Usually in soil samples carabids were most abundant in natural sod and least abundant in tilled plots; numbers were intermediate in fescue and rye. Sod type did not affect structure or diversity of the carabid fauna.

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