Plant Protect. Sci., 2012, 48(3):116-122 | DOI: 10.17221/2/2012-PPS

Rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in an apple orchard

Alois HONĚK1, Matúą KOCIAN2, Zdenka MARTINKOVÁ3
1 Department of Entomology, Division of Plant Health, Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic
2 Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
3 Department of Plant Ecology and Weed Science, Division of Agroecology, Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic

Many rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) species are carnivorous. Despite their positive role in the biological control of agricultural arthropod pests rove beetles are relatively poorly studied in general, and little is known about their habitat associations including their occurrence and seasonal activity in the apple-orchard environment. In 1994, abundance and composition of adult staphylinid taxocenosis was established in a 12-years-old apple orchard at Prague-Ruzyně, and compared with taxocenoses inhabiting nearby grassy ridge, winter wheat field and forest. The staphylinids were collected throughout the vegetation season using unbaited pitfall traps. Staphylinid activity was highest in the apple orchard where 28 species were established in the total sample of 1238 individuals. Dominant species Drusilla canaliculata (F.), Ocypus nero semilanatus Müller, Dinarea angustula (Gyllenhal) and Oxytelus insecatus Gravenhorst together represented 93% of the total sample. The former two species dominated also the taxocenosis of grassy ridge and could disperse to the orchard from surrounding swards. Most established species are polyphagous predators or parasitoids that might contribute to the biological control of some orchard pests.

Keywords: community; grass sward; field; forest; taxocenosis; seasonal dynamics; abundance; activity; diversity; similarity

Published: September 30, 2012  Show citation

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HONĚK A, KOCIAN M, MARTINKOVÁ Z. Rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in an apple orchard. Plant Protect. Sci. 2012;48(3):116-122. doi: 10.17221/2/2012-PPS.
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