Ground beetles are the typical polyphagous predators, very important for the maintenance of agroecosystems and other ecosystems, therefore often the subject of research. The aim of this study is to determine the adults of the family of ground beetles. Moreover, the dominance and degree of faunal similarity of ground beetles were observed. During research in the fields of wheat, maize and sugar beet on the territory of Vojvodina on de fields of Bečej and Rimski Šančevi, using the method of "Barber traps" a total of 1,519 individuals of the ground beetles family were collected. The dominant species in the three above-mentioned crops and at all three sites were predators in the genera of Pterostichus spp., Harpalus spp. and Anchomenus spp. Furthermore, based on the obtained results it can be concluded that the composition of ground beetles is dependent on the ruling biotic and abiotic factors, and the combination of these factors creates a specific micro climate conditions, thus the characteristic fauna

Bursić, Vojislava

Ivanović, Ivana

Petrović, Aleksandra

Petrović, Miloš

Popović, Aleksandra

Šućur, Jovana

Popović Aleksandra

Petrović Miloš

Šućur Jovana

Petrović Aleksandra

Bursić Vojislava

Ivanović Ivana

University of Szeged

21st International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems    440  Ground Beetles as Bioregulators of Harmful Insect Populations on Arable Land  Aleksandra Popović1, Miloš Petrović1, Jovana Šućur1, Aleksandra Petrović1, Vojislava Bursić1, Ivana Ivanović1 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, 8 Trg Dositeja Obradovića Street, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia e-mail: popovica@polj.uns.ac.rs  ABSTRACT   Ground beetles are the typical polyphagous predators, very important for the maintenance of agroecosystems and other ecosystems, therefore often the subject of research. The aim of this study is to determine the adults of the family of ground beetles. Moreover, the dominance and degree of faunal similarity of ground beetles were observed. During research in the fields of wheat, maize and sugar beet on the territory of Vojvodina on de fields of Beč j and Rimski Šančevi, using the method of "Barber traps" a total of 1,519 individuals of the ground beetles family were collected. The dominant species in the thr e above-mentioned crops and at all three sites were predators in the genera of Pterostichus spp., Harpalus spp. and Anchomenus spp. Furthermore, based on the obtained results it can be concluded that the composition of ground beetles is dependent on the ruling biotic and abiotic factors, and the combination of these factors creates a specific micro climate conditions, thus the characteristic fauna.   AIMS AND BACKGROUND Ground beetles belong to the cosmopolitan group of insects, with over 40,000 species worldwide, out of which 2,700 species are registered in Europe. On the territory of Serbia, a total of 520 species of ground beetles were recorded2,3. Ground beetles are important biological control agents in agroecosystems. Members of ground beetles family as predators can significantly reduce the population of harmful species6,7. Considering that the agricultural land is covered with vegetation in some parts only a few months during the year, the seasonal activity of ground beetles involves their removal from agricultural areas to adjacent habitats for food and shelter. One very important reservoir of ground beetles is the vegetation on the edge areas of arable land.  The edges of the fields affect the increase in population of ground beetles by providing shelter and places to overwinter. The edges of the fields with a well-developed plant cover and stable micro habitats such as hedges indicate an increased rate of overwint ing in relation to the open-air habitats within an agricultural land7. Given the economic importance of this family, as well as its degree of exploration, the main objective of this study was to investigate the qualitative and quantitative composition of species in the family of ground beetles in the crops of wheat, sugar beet and maize.  EXPERIMENTAL The experiment was set up in chernozem soil in the crops of wheat, maize and sugar beet during  in the experimental field of the Institute for wheat, maize and sugar beet in Rimski Šančevi (GPS coordinate: N45 40 6.015 E19 5 3.376) and in the experimental fields of Bečej (GPS: N45 37 0 E20 1 59.999). Through the year of research, experimental plots with different plant species observed were located at the distance of 1-2 km within an experimental field. A total of 60 pitfall traps, i.e. Barber traps, were set in maize, wheat and sugar beet, ten in each plant species, at the 21st International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems    441  distance of 20 m in the same row of each field. The"Barber traps" were placed during the period of vegetation.  All numerical data obtained after processing the samples are expressed by appropriate quantitative and qualitative indicators.  In order to describe quantitative structure, the term active dominance was used, which is calculated according to the procedure applied by Heydemann:                No. of individuals of a given species D (%) = ─────────────────x100 The total no. of individuals of a given habitat  D - Active dominance of individuals of a given species   RESULTS AND DISCUSSION According to the research of numerous authors in entomofaunal fields of wheat, sugar beet, maize, sunflower and alfalfa, beetles representatives are very numerous, even dominant in the total registered macroentomofauna6. Durin research, ground beetles were distinguished as a very important group of predators.  In the crops of wheat, maize and sugar beet in the experimental fields of Becej and Rimski Sancevi, using the method of "Barber traps", a total number of 1,159 individuals of ground beetle family were collected and classified into 51 species. During the growing period of vegetation in the experimental fields of Beč j in all three crops a total number of 869 individuals were collected, while the smaller number of individuals was recorded in the fields of Rimski Šančevi, that is 650 individuals, where also the number of insecticide treatments was greater. The composition of the ground beetle fauna in a habitat depends primarily on the agrotechnical measures, cultivated crops, and much of the agroprotective belts, which were very scarce and rare in the observed sites, yet play an important role in maintaining the population of ground beetles and other insects.  As part of an agricultural land, the edge parts of plots are very important for biodiversity. Agroprotective belts enable biodiversity in agricultural areas in several ways: they are important for species that inhabit arable land, they are their shelter during and after the agricultural practices, and can also serve as places for overwintering or summer diapause5, or provide an alternative source of food.    In order to determine the dominant species, in the total insect material collected, the concept of an active dominance has been introduced, as stated in the experimental section. On the researching fields of Beč j, the dominant species in all three plant crops were Pterostichus sericeus and Harpalus rufipes; Anchomenus dorsalis pecies was dominant in wheat and maize, while in sugar beet it belonged to the subdominant species.  Individuals belonging to Poecilus cupreus species were dominated in wheat, subdominant in cor  whereas in sugar beet they were not recorded.  The number of individuals belonging to Calosoma auropunctatum was largest i.e. dominant in wheat, subdominant in sugar beet and recedent in maize.  Furthermore, the subdominant maize species were, in addition to the above-mentioned, Calathus ambiguus, Calathus melanocephalus, Harpalus distinguendus which dominated in sugar beet. All other species, belonged to the groups of recedent and subrecedent species (Figure 1).    21st International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems    442  Figure 1. Active dominance of ground beetles in three different plant crops in the experimental fields of Becej  In the experimental fields of Rimski Sancevi in 2010, dominant species were Anchomenus dorsalis, Poecilus cupreus in the crops of wheat and maize, and Harpalus rufipes in all three crops, then Calosoma auropunctatum in the crops of sugar beet and maize.  In much larger number, in sugar beet crop were found individuals be onging to species Pterostichus sericeus, but also Pterostichus koyi in wheat, and Trechus 4 - striatus in maize (Figure 2).  Figure 2. Active dominance of ground beetles in three different plant crops in the experimental fields of Rimski Šančevi   05101520253035% wheat% sugar beet% maize05101520253035% wheat% sugar beet% maize21st International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems    443  Similar studies were also carried out in Eastern Lithuania and 41 species of ground beetles were collected in the fields of wheat1. On the territory of Hungary the following species were present Anisodactylus signatus, Harpalus pubescens, Anchomenus dorsalis, H. distinguendus, Poecilus cupreus, Pterostichus sericeus and Zabrus tenebrioides, which also coincides with the species that were found at our sites.  Then, species belonging to gender Bembidion, according to research of many authors, are very widespread and numerous both in wheat and sugar beet, alfalfa, cabbage, carrots and grassy areas, while in our samples only single individuals of Bembidion properans pecies were recorded in wheat and sugar beet4.  When it comes to a diet regime of ground beetles, we can analyse the diet of the dominant species in order to partially understand their vital role as bioregulators. Divided ground beetles between phytophagous, predators and om ivores. According to this division, among recorded dominant species during the study, onl  Z. tenebrioides species belongs to phytophagous species, while the group of predators, which is far more numerous, includes: P.vulgaris, A. dorsalis, P. cupreus, P. sericeus, P. punctulatus, P. koyi, C. auropunctatum, Calathus ambiguus, Trechus qadristriatus, Brachynus crepitans while Harpalus rufipes, Harpalus distinguendus belong to omnivores. When it comes to the last group f ground beetles, omnivores, some authors believe that this group of insects is very important because of its abundance and that they should be considered harmful, while increasing number of authors, however, argues that they do insignificant damage, and are more significant as predators5.   CONCLUSIONS Based on the presented results it can be concluded that in the collected material almost all species belong to beneficial insects, i.e. predators or omnivores, with the exception of Z.tenebrioides species, which indicates the important role of this group of insects in the abundance regulation of pest species that inhabit a variety of plant crops on arable land. We can conclude that agroprotective belt, which consists of a thick hedge and crop residues instead of grassy edge parts of arable land, provides the shelter to insects during winter and vegetation period. Also, preservation of ground beetle habitat and application of appropriate cultural practices can improve natural regulation of harmful insects which also reduces their need for chemical control.  REFERENCES [1] Bukejs, A., Balalaikins, M., (2008): Ground Beetl s (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Wheat       Agrocenosis in Latvia. Acta Zoologica Lituanica. Volume 18, Issue 2.   [2] Ćurčić, S.B. (2000): On the diversity of some ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae:  Carabidae and Harpalinae) in Serbia. Archive of Biological Science (Belgrade) 52(4):219–226. [3] Ćurčić, S.B., Brajković, M.M., Ćurčić, B.P.M., (2007): The Carabidae of Serbia. Faculty of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University ofVienna & UNESCO MAB Committee of Serbia; Belgrade-Vienna; Vol.11, pp. 1085 [4] Kennedy, P. (1994): The distribution and movement of ground beetles in relation to set-aside arable land. In: Desender K, Dufrene M, Loreau M, Cuff ML, Maelfait J-P, (eds.) Ground Beetles: Ecology and Evolution. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp. 439-444. [5] Maudsley, M.J. (2000): A review of the ecology and conservation of hedgerow invertebrates in Britain. J Environ Manage 60, 65-7. [6] Popović, A., Štrbac, P. (2011): Occurrence and fauna composition of ground beetles in wheat fields. Journal of Central European Agriculture. Vol. 11 (2011), No. 4 (423-432) 21st International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems    444  [7] Popovic, A. (2014): Fauna of carabid beetles (Coleopt ra; Carabidae) in defferent agro-ecological conditions of Vojvodina. Faculty of Agriculture, Novi Sad. Doctoral thesis, UC 631.95 (043.3), pp 1-123.  

Ground beetles as bioregulators of harmful insect populations on arable land

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Ground beetles as bioregulators of harmful insect populations on arable land

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