Aktivita epigeických chrobákov (Coleoptera) v alpínskom pásme Západných Tatier (severné Slovensko)

Abstract

Epigaeic beetle assemblages were studied in the Bobrovecká valley, the Západné Tatry Mts., in three sites by the line transect method in 1992. The first transect was situated under the Sivý Mt. (1 310–1 805 m a.s.l.), the second in the end of the Bobrovecká valley (1 710–1 895 m a.s.l.), and the third under the Salatín Mt. (1 390–1 750 m a.s.l.). Soil traps (0.7 l tin cans) were applied for sampling. Totally, 5 traps were regularly spaced in the each line transect in the period from 25. May to 21. October 1992. Species diversity was estimated by Margalef’s index. 1 150 ind. of 165 species of 25 families were determined in the soil samples. Carabus sylvestris (18.8 %), Nebria tatrica (8.1 %), Carabus arcensis (5.7 %), Choleva nivalis (5.0%), and Carpatobyrrhulus tatricus (2,6 %) dominated the assemblages. Species of the genus Carabus represented 27.0% of the total assemblage abundance. Carabus fabricii, Carabus arcensis, Pseudanophthalmus pilosellus stobieckii, Bembidion glaciale, Pterostichus morio carpathicus, Pteroloma forstroemi, Choleva spadicea, Choleva paskoviensis, Sphaerosoma laevicolle, Chrysolina lichenis moravica, Oreina bifrons onebergeri, Minota halmae, Otiorhynchus arcticus, Otiorhynchus lepidopterus, and Plinthus sturmi were characteristic and specific species of high mountain epigaeic and geocolous beetle assemblages. A new species, Leptinus seriatus, and several endemic and rare species, e.g. Nebria tatrica, Deltomerus tatricus, Carpatobyrrhulus tatricus, Choleva spadicea, etc., were also detected in the samples. Margalef’s index values varied between 5.2–10.5. The index reached the minimum value in October, while the maximum value in August. Beetle activity peaked in August (38.6 % of collected ind.) and September (30.0 %). The detected species were classified into the three types of trophic guilds. Zoophagous beetles represented the most diverse trophic group. Species of the families Carabidae, Dytiscidae, Silphidae, Staphylinidae, Cantharidae, Dasytidae, Rhizophagidae, and Coccinellidae dominated the assemblage by 50.0 %. Phytophagous beetles of families Hydrophilidae, Byrrhidae, Elateridae, Byturidae, Chrysomelidae, Curculionidae, and Scolytidae represented 32.0 % of the assemblage. The remaining trophic guilds, mycophagous and copropfagous species, represented only 18.0 % of the assemblage. Species structures as well as the high species diversity indicate the high biological and nature conservation values of the studied area.