Norwegian Journal of Entomology Volume 49 No. 1 • 2002 Published by the Norwegian Entomological Society Oslo and Stavanger NORWEGIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY A continuation of Fauna Norvegica Serie B (1979-1998), Norwegian Journal ofEntomology (1975-1978) and Norsk entomologisk Tidsskrift (1921-1974). Published by The Norwegian Entomological Society (Norsk ento­ mologisk forening). Norwegian Journal ofEntomology publishes original papers and reviews on taxonomy, faunistics, zoogeography, general and applied ecology of insects and related terrestrial arthropods. Short communications, e.g. one or two printed pages, are also considered. Manuscripts should be sent to the editor. Editor Lauritz Semme, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1050 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway. E­ mail: [email protected]. Editorial secretary Lars Ove Hansen, Zoological Museum, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1172, Blindern, N-0318 Oslo. E-mail: [email protected]. Editorial board Arne C. 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Husk avsenderadresse. NEF web site: http://www.entomologi.no Front cover: Arctosa stigmosa (Thorell, 1875) (Araneae, Linyphiidae). Artist: KjetilAakra. Printed by: Reprografisk Industri AS, Oslo Norw. J. Entomol. 49, 1-17.2002 Factors affecting diversity of poultry house insects, with emphasis on beetles (Coleoptera) Anders Aak & Preben s. Ottesen Aak, A. & Ottesen, P.S. 2002. Factors Affecting Diversity of Poultry House Insects, with emphasis on beetles (Coleoptera). Norw. J. Entomol. 49, 1-17. Twenty-three poultry houses from five areas in the southern part ofNorway were sampled for insects associated with manure. The farms belong to five different poultry production categories. Species from the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera were trapped using Tullgren funnels. Among the Diptera, Sphaeroceridae and Psychodidae were dominating, while Carcinops pumilio was the most abundant Coleoptera species. Measurements of manure depth, temperature, and moisture content were performed. The production categories showed significant differences in the abiotic measurements. Cage-layer houses had small amounts of moist manure. Broiler houses type 1 and type 2 had small amounts of dry manure, while deep-pit and breeder houses had large amounts of manure with high and medium moisture contents respectively. The manure amounts were related to length of time in production. Distribution and abundance of the various taxa were analysed using reciprocal averaging (RA). Differences in the fauna between the production catego­ ries were observed. Houses with long accumulation periods contained Coleoptera and Lepidoptera species, while houses with shorter accumulation periods, mainly contained Diptera species. The most important factor affecting the insect fauna was found to be the length oftime ofmanure accumu­ lation, but indications of influence from the manure moisture content and the temperature on the faunal composition in poultry houses were also detected. Key words: Poultry manure, diversity, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera. Anders Aak, Gliickstads gate 6, NO-Oi70 OSLO, Norway Preben S. Ottesen, Norwegian Institute ofPublic Health, PD.Box 4404 Nydalen, NO-0403 OSLO, Norway INTRODUCTION species do not cause any problems even if they appear in large numbers. Predatory species such The insect fauna in poultry houses consists of a as Carcinops pumilio (Erichson, 1837) (Coleopte­ wide variety of species. Axtell & Arends (1990) ra: Histeridae) can help to reduce the pest popu­ present the most common ones, the problems asso­ lations (Axtell 1986). ciated with them and the different methods to help regulate their abundance. The major problems The insect fauna ofNorwegian poultry houses has with po.ultry house species are annoyance because only been investigated through limited surveys, of their large numbers (Mian 1994), structural and there are few published records about insects damage by adults and larvae (Vaughan et al. 1984), in poultry manure (Mehl 1981, Ottesen 1997). their potential as reservoirs for diseases (Reyna This study is an attempt to gather information et al. 1982, Davies & Wray 1995) and their ability about Norwegian poultry houses as a habitat for a to spread diseases between poultry houses (Otte­ large number of species, and it tries to establish sen 1997). Blood mites and insects may also affect the relationship between the different families and the productivity ofthe birds (AxtellI986, Hoglund species in the poultry production systems. This et al. 1995). On the other hand there are neutral or kind of information is useful in the handling of beneficial species present in the manure. These present and future problems associated with Aak & Ottesen: Factors Affecting Diversity of Poultry House Insects insects in poultry manure, and may be a starting is removed once a week. Deep-pit houses accu­ point for an increased understanding ofbiological mulate the manure in the basement for approxima­ control and IPM in Norwegian poultry houses. tely 45 weeks. In breeder houses it accumulates below slanted platforms for the same length of Previous studies in this field have concentrated time. Samples were taken from a total of23 poult­ on one or a few pest species and their potential ry farms. The farms are located in five areas in control agents (Hulley 1983, Mullens et al. 1996, the southern part of Norway (Figure 1). The five Rueda et al. 1997). The interactions between Mus­ areas are the North (area 1), the South-West (area ca domestica (L., 1758) (Diptera: Muscidae) and 2), the South-East (area 3), the East (area 4) and predatory Coleoptera have been studied by Hulley the North East (area 5). The West Coast ofNorway and Pfleiderer (1988), and models of C. pumilio and the mountain areas have little or no poultry population growth and their effects on House fly production. The initial idea was to sample one populations have been generated (Wilhoit et al. poultry house from each production category in 1991). Other investigations have taken the form each area for a total of 25 farms, but because of ofgeneral surveys presenting the different species differences in the number ofpoultry houses in the present in poultry houses (Green 1980, Pfeiffer areas, combined with permission to sample, and & Axtell 1980, Rueda & Axtell 1996) and some one failure in the sampling process, we ended up investigations have studied the effects ofmanure with a skewed distribution of the farm numbers. characteristics on the species (Hulley 1986, Staf­ The farms were picked out from a data base at the ford & Collison 1987, Fatchurochim et al. 1988, National Institute ofPublic Health, and they were Bernard & Harms 1992). chosen to ensure that each poultry house in the Our survey took a wider approach by treating the different production categories should be as simi­ various production systems as different habitats. lar as possible. A list ofthe farms is given in Table The faunal components are considered separately 1. Farms with the lesser Mealworm Alphitobius by relating the individual taxa to the abiotic mea­ diaperinus (Panzer, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrio­ surements, and as a whole by using multivariate nidae) were deliberately avoided since this is a analysis on the entire data set. To successfully new, and not naturally occurring, species in Nor­ manage the manure and control the insect fauna way (Ottesen 1997). It is, furthermore, only found it is important to understand the interactions be­ in one of the areas sampled. tween species combined with the effects of the abiotic factors. The purpose of the present study is to