Beitrag zum Vorkommen und Ausbreitung des Trauer-Rosenkäfers Oxythyrea funesta (Poda, 1761) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in Deutschland:: ein Citizen-Science-Projekt

Der auffällig gezeichnete Trauerrosenkäfer Oxythyrea funesta konnte sich in den letzten 30 Jahren in Mitteleuropa rasant ausbreiten und eignet sich auch deshalb als Modell für Citizen-Science-Projekte. Bei „kerbtier.de“ wurde 2019 ein Kartierungsprojekt gestartet, um die Art durch Fotos der Nutzer gezielt zu melden und die Ausbreitung in Deutschland besser zu dokumentieren. Es wurden insgesamt 1.345 Anfragen von 309 Nutzern ausgewertet. Unsere Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass Oxythyrea funesta mittlerweile aus allen Regionen Deutschlands nachgewiesen ist und in der südlichen Hälfte Deutschlands eine weit verbreitete und häufige Art ist. In Norddeutschland liegt ihr aktueller Verbreitungsschwerpunkt in und um die Städte Hannover, Bremen und Hamburg. Generell scheint die Art vom Klimawandel zu profitieren, sowie durch das Vorhandensein von ausreichend Blütenpflanzen und Komposthaufen in urbanen Gebieten, wo die Art überwiegend dokumentiert wurde. Die Eignung von Citizen-Science-Projekten in der Biodiversitätsforschung wird diskutiert.The characteristic white-spotted rose beetle Oxythyrea funesta has spread rapidly in Central Europe over the past 30 years and is therefore a suitable model for Citizen Science projects. A project to document the dispersal of O. funesta in Germany was started on “kerbtier.de” in 2019 to record the species through photos uploaded by the users. 1,345 inquiries from 309 users were evaluated. Our results show that O. funesta is currently present in all regions of Germany and became a widespread and common species in the southern half of Germany. In Northern Germany, its current distribution is focused in and around the cities of Hanover, Bremen and Hamburg. In general, the species appears to benefit from climate change, as well as from the presence of sufficient flowering plants and compost heaps in urban areas where the species has been mainly documented. The suitability of Citizen-Science-projects in biodiversity research is discussed

Climate gradients, and patterns of biodiversity and biotic homogenization in urban residential yards

Residential yards constitute a substantive biodiverse greenspace within urban areas. This biodiversity results from a combination of native and non-native species and can contribute to biotic homogenization. Geographical climatic patterns affect the distribution of native species and may differently affect non-native species. In this study, we examined biodiversity and biotic homogenization patterns of yard-dwelling land snails across 12 towns in Oklahoma and Kansas (USA). The 3 x 4 array of towns incorporated a N-S winter temperature gradient (mean low January temperature range = -8.4 to 0.1°C) and an E-W annual rainfall gradient (annual rainfall range = 113.8 to 61.3 cm/yr). Ten yards per town were surveyed. We hypothesized that mild winter temperatures and greater annual rainfall would be associated with greater snail abundance and richness, and that the presence of non-native species would contribute to biotic homogenization. Non-native snails were present and often abundant in all towns. Snail communities varied with both rainfall and cold temperature. Contrary to our prediction, snail abundance was inversely related to annual rainfall–likely because drier conditions resulted in greater yard watering that both augmented rainfall and maintained moist conditions. Sørensen similarity between towns for the entire land snail community and for only non-native species both showed distance-decay patterns, with snail composition becoming less similar with increasing distance—patterns resulting from species turnover. The biotic homogenization index also showed a distance-related pattern, such that closer towns were more likely to have biotic homogenization whereas more distant towns tended to have biotic differentiation. These results support the concept that biotic homogenization is more likely regionally and that climatic changes over distance result in species turnover and can reduce spatially broad biotic homogenization.Funding was provided by the University of Oklahoma: SRI funds, Oklahoma Biological Survey small grants program, and University Libraries (all to EAB). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Open Access fees paid for in whole or in part by the University of Oklahoma LibrariesYe

Data från: Klöver som bottengröda i havre stödjer pollinatörer och dämpar ogrästrycket utan att minska skörden

We studied the effects of undersowing oats with a mixture of three annual clovers species across different aspects of cropping system multi-functionality using 26 observation plots in a paired field design with 13 fields. We investigated 16 below-and above-ground ecosystem service indicators related to soil mineral nitrogen, arable weed control, pollination, disease and pest pressures, natural pest control and crop yield. We measured each of the 16 ecosystem service indicators in an intercropped and in a control treatment with identical management. Some indicators were measured before and after the experiment in both treatments to assess the magnitude of change by the treatment. For further information, see methods in the publication Boetzl et al. (2023) Undersowing oats with clovers supports pollinators and suppresses arable weeds without reducing yields. Journal of Applied Ecology. The data in the 'combined_dataset.csv' file have information on different ecosystem service indicators collected in 13 fields ('field_ID') and two treatments per field (intercropped and control). 27 rows. The 16 ecosystem service indicators contained are: soil mineral nitrogen (before and after the experiment), arable weed cover, arable weed biomass, granivorous carabid beetle density, flower cover, pollinator density, root disease severity (before and after the experiment), root-feeding nematode density (before and after the experiment), cereal leaf beetle damage, predatory nematode density (before and after the experiment), predatory carabid beetle density, staphylinid beetle density, spider density, predation rates on the soil level, oat yield and oat yield nitrogen content. Additionally, the biomass of undersown clovers in the intercropped treatment, the area covered by the intercropped treatment, the field size and the arable land cover in 1 km radius around the oat field are stated.Data innehåller information om 16 ekosystemtjänst-indikatorer som mättes i 13 fält med insådder av en blandning av klöverarter på en del av fältet. Alla mätningar gjordes i den insådda ytan samt i en närliggande kontroll utan insådd på samma fält. En mer utförlig beskrivning ges på engelska. Data i filen 'combined_dataset.csv' innehåller information om olika ekosystemtjänst-indikatorer som samlades in från 13 fält ('field_ID') och två olika behandlingar per fält (intercropped and control). 27 rader. En utförligare beskrivning ges på den engelska sidan

Taxonomy and distribution of Cylindera germanica (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Middle East with the description of two new subspecies (Coleoptera, Carabidae Cicindelinae)

Boetzl, Fabian A., Franzen, Michael (2020): Taxonomy and distribution of Cylindera germanica (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Middle East with the description of two new subspecies (Coleoptera, Carabidae Cicindelinae). Zootaxa 4809 (1): 95-110, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4809.1.

It’s a matter of design - how pitfall trap design affects trap samples and possible predictions

Background: Pitfall traps are commonly used to assess ground dwelling arthropod communities. The effects of different pitfall trap designs on the trapping outcome are poorly investigated however they might affect conclusions drawn from pitfall trap data greatly. Methods: We tested four pitfall trap types which have been used in previous studies for their effectiveness: a simple type, a faster exchangeable type with an extended plastic rim plate and two types with guidance barriers (V- and X-shaped). About 20 traps were active for 10 weeks and emptied biweekly resulting in 100 trap samples. Results: Pitfall traps with guidance barriers were up to five times more effective than simple pitfall traps and trap samples resulted in more similar assemblage approximations. Pitfall traps with extended plastic rim plates did not only perform poorly but also resulted in distinct carabid assemblages with less individuals of small species and a larger variation. Discussion: Due to the obvious trait filtering and resulting altered assemblages, we suggest not to use pitfall traps with extended plastic rim plates. In comprehensive biodiversity inventories, a smaller number of pitfall traps with guidance barriers and a larger number of spatial replicates is of advantage, while due to comparability reasons, the use of simple pitfall traps will be recommended in most other cases

activity denisties

site = study site; position = trap position within the transect; interval = sampling interval; transect = transect number; setup & sorted = individuals who set up and sorted the tranps & trap samples; comment = loss (reason specified in additional_comment

Pest control potential of adjacent agri‐environment schemes varies with crop type and is shaped by landscape context and within‐field position

Increasing natural pest control in agricultural fields is an important aim of ecological intensification. Combined effects of landscape context and local placement of agri‐environmental schemes (AES) on natural pest control and within‐field distance functions of natural pest control agents have rarely been addressed but might affect the distribution of biocontrol providers. Importantly, it is currently unknown whether ecosystem services provided by adjacent AES are consistent for different crop types during crop rotation. In this study, we assessed whether crop rotation from oilseed rape to cereals altered within‐field distance functions of ground‐dwelling predators from adjacent agri‐environmental fields along a gradient in landscape context. Additionally, we recorded crop pests, predation rates, parasitoids as well as crop yields on a total of 30 study sites. Distance functions varied between trophic levels: Carabid richness decreased while densities of carabid beetles, staphylinid beetles as well as crop yields increased towards the field centres. Distance functions of parasitoids and pests were modulated by the amount of semi‐natural habitat in the surrounding landscape, while the effects of adjacent AES were limited. Distance decay functions found for ground‐dwelling predators in oilseed rape in the previous year were not always present in cereals. Increasing distance to the field edge also increased effects of crop rotation on carabid beetle assemblages, indicating a source habitat function of field edges. Synthesis and applications. Distance functions of natural pest control are not universal and the effects of agri‐environmental schemes (AES) in different adjacent crops during crop rotation vary and depend on ecological contrasts. A network of semi‐natural habitats and spatially optimized AES habitats can benefit pest control in agricultural landscapes, but constraints as a result of crop type need to be addressed by annually targeted, spatially shifting agri‐environment schemes for different crops

Data from: Agri-environmental schemes promote ground-dwelling predators in adjacent oilseed rape fields: diversity, species traits and distance-decay functions

1. Rising demands for agricultural products and high environmental costs of intensive agriculture reinforce the need for ecological replacements in agricultural management. In Europe, agri-environmental schemes (AES) are implemented to enhance species richness and provision of ecosystem services, but the effectiveness of different AES types and the spatial extent of possible beneficial effects are little understood. In this study we assessed the effects of different AES types on diversity, species traits and distance-decay functions of ground- dwelling predators in adjacent crop fields. 2. On 31 study sites with winter oilseed rape (OSR) adjacent to four types of AES differing in management intensity and habitat age we recorded ground-dwelling predators (carabid beetles, staphylinid beetles and spiders) during OSR growth from April to July. Effects of the AES on species richness, activity densities and different traits of these taxa were examined with transects of pitfall traps running along a continuous distance gradient from the AES across the habitat border into the OSR fields. 3. Ground-dwelling predator communities benefitted similarly from the different AES types. In adjacent OSR, activity densities, carabid species richness and the proportion of predatory carabid beetles declined from the field edge while mean body size increased. Adjacent AES increased the proportion of predatory species and simultaneously decreased the proportion of granivorous or frugivorous species in adjacent OSR fields. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate a beneficial effect of adjacent agri-environmental schemes (AES) on ground-dwelling predators in oilseed rape (OSR), mostly irrespective of AES type and therefore management intensity and habitat age. The short-ranged distance decay effects on natural enemies in OSR underpin that a strategic spatial placement of AES in agricultural landscapes is required to maximise biological pest control. This could help replace anthropogenic input in modern agriculture and secure adequate yields