diversity Article Change of Ellipsoid Biovolume (EV) of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) along an Urban–Suburban–Rural Gradient of Central Slovakia Vladimír Langraf 1,* , Stanislav David 2, Ramona Babosová 1 , Kornélia Petroviˇcová 3 and Janka Schlarmannová 1,* 1 Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 1, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia;
[email protected] 2 Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 1, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia;
[email protected] 3 Department of Environment and Zoology, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources Slovak, University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] (V.L.);
[email protected] (J.S.) Received: 29 November 2020; Accepted: 11 December 2020; Published: 14 December 2020 Abstract: Changes in the structure of ground beetle communities indicate environmental stability or instability influenced by, e.g., urbanization, agriculture, and forestry. It can affect flight capability and ellipsoid biovolume (EV) of ground beetles. Therefore, we analyzed ground beetles in various habitats. In the course of the period from 2015 to 2017, we recorded in pitfall traps 2379 individuals (1030 males and 1349 females) belonging to 52 species at six localities (two rural, two suburban, two urban). We observed the decrease in the average EV value and morphometric characters (length, height, and width of the body) of ground beetles in the direction of the rural–suburban–urban gradient. Our results also suggest a decrease in EV of apterous and brachypterous species and an increase in macropterous species in the urban and suburban landscapes near agricultural fields.