Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 21, No. 2 (2012), 425-433 Original Research Species Composition and Abundance of Click-Beetles (Coleoptera, Elateridae) in Agrobiocenozes in Southern Lithuania Povilas Mulerčikas1*, Vytautas Tamutis1, 2, Sonata Kazlauskaitė1 1Department of Biology and Plant Protection, Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Studentų 11, Akademija, Kaunas distr., LT-53361, Lithuania 2Kaunas T. Ivanauskas zoological museum, Laisvės al. 106, LT-44253 Kaunas, Lithuania Received: 2 March 2011 Accepted: 1 August 2011 Abstract Click-beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species composition and abundance in agrobiocenozes were exam- ined. The research was carried out in four locations in southern Lithuania with different agrobiocenozes and soil types. In total 687 imago click-beetle specimens were caught belonging to 13 species and 10 genera. The most numerous species detected were Selatosomus aeneus (Linnaues, 1758), Agriotes lineatus (Linnaues, 1767), Agriotes obscurus (Linnaues, 1758), and Negastrius pulchellus (Linnaues, 1758). Zorochros der- mestoides (Herbst, 1806) was recorded for the first time for Lithuanian fauna. The number of specimens entering the traps declined steadily depending on soil granulometric structure. It has been observed to be higher in lighter soils and lower toward heavier soil types. The least number of click- beetle specimens was trapped in the agrobiocenozes with the intensively cultivated land over all study areas except sandy soils. This infers that intensive tillage may affect the abundance of click-beetles in agrobio- cenozes. The summary of research data clearly indicates that the highest abundance of click-beetles was detected in the seminatural meadow with light granulometric structure soil. Keywords: Elateridae, Coleoptera, agrobiocenozes, abundance, species composition Introduction species were qualified as rare and very rare [2]. Stenogostus rufus (De Geer, 1774) and Anostirus purpureus (Poda, 1761) Click-beetles (Elateridae: Coleoptera) is one of the are included in the Lithuanian Red Data Book [9, 10]. biggest families of beetles in the world, with more than Click-beetles are most commonly found in uncultivated 12,000 species belonging to 600 genera [1]. Click-beetle land areas such as perennial crops, pastures, and meadows. species composition has not been fully explored in Lithuania. Many more of them are detected in the plots adjacent to the 65 click-beetle species are referred to in the monograph meadows, in weedy and quack grass-invaded areas, espe- “Fauna of Lithuania. The beetles 1.” [2]. Some species have cially in fields where row crops were grown [2]. Different been announced later [3-6] or noted for Lithuania by Cate [7, click-beetle species choose to dwell in diverse soils, for 8]. Although 73 click-beetle species are noted for Lithuania instance Selatosomus aeneus resides in light sand or sandy at this moment, only 25 species were atributted to the “com- loam soils and Agriotes ustulatus (Schaller, 1783) prefers mon” category by Pileckis and Monsevičius (1995). Other heavy loam soils [11]. The most important click-beetle species as agrobio- *e-mail: [email protected] cenozes dwellers and agricultural plant pests are recog- 426 Mulerčikas P., et al. Table 1. Locations and soil types of investigated areas. Location Coordinate Elevations (m) Soil type Noreikiškės env. 54º53'6.49"N, 23º50'15.27"E 106 Loamy soil – Calc(ar)i- Hypostagnic Luvisols (LVj-w-cc) Braziūkai env. 54º53'46.09"N, 23º29'2.29"E 83 Sandy soil – Dystri- Haplic Arenosols (ARh-dy) Hard loamy clay soil – Eudocaleari- Epihypogleyic Cambisols Gudeliai env. 54º31'25.11"N, 23º40'55.24"E 117 (CMg-p-w-can) Leipalingis env. 54º5'28.17"N, 23º51'39.17"E 124 Sandy loam soil – Eutri- Haplic Arenosols (ARh-eu) nized, including Selatosomus aeneus, Agriotes lineatus, no more than two years as perennial grassland, which is a Agriotes obscurus, Agriotes ustulatus, Agriotes sputator couple of times a year mowed or grazed by livestock. Before (Linnaues, 1758), and Hemicrepidius niger (Linnaues, that it served as an intensively cultivated land. Seminatural 1758) [12-15]. Larvae of these species are polyphagous and meadow is a perennial grassland which for many years injurious to plants. Usually they feed on underground plant (>20) was not renewed. Seminatural meadow in some cases parts and injure germinating seeds, tubers, and roots [2, 16- have been grazed and mowed. Composition of vegetation 18]. The damage caused by click-beetle larvae can be so varies and is dominated by various gramineous. high that either reseeding of entire field of crop is necessary Specification of the crops in the investigated field trials or the whole yield of row crop can be destroyed [11]. is given in Table 2. Larvae of some click-beetle species dwell in forest litter Pitfall traps were used for click-beetle sampling. Traps and putrefying wood (especially in dry stumps). Larvae are were made from a half-liter plastic dish with height of 17 mm partially predatory, feeding on larvae and pupae of other and width of 10 mm. Formaldehyde of 4% solution was used insects, and also on wood and mycelium of fungus that for beetle conservation. Trials were set in the field randomly. putrefy the wood. Larvae of some click-beetle species are 5 pitfall traps were established in each field. Between differ- necrofagous and saprofagous [2]. Adults are recognized as ent traps 10 m distance was preserved. The same distance harmless, though they sometimes nibble the shoots of was kept from the field borders. The traps were checked plants. They feed on flower nectar, leaking plant juice, and every two weeks and click-beetle specimens were collected. the sweet secretions of aphids [17]. Beetles were identified using descriptive keys [1, 2]. The elaterid fauna of Lithuania in agrobiocenozes has Statistical data processing was performed using the not been well studied from the ecological point of view and ANOVA program of package SELEKCIJA [20]. Standard the occurrence of these species is closely related with some error was calculated using Microsoft Office Excel 2003. soil factors like soil type, agrobiocenozes type, different soil Dominance data were presented as the proportions of the conditions, and intensity of soil cultivation. The aim of our individuals of a species in each agrobiocenozes. The fol- study is to assess the click-beetle species composition and lowing classes of dominance (D) dominants are used: D1 – abundance in four different agrobiocenozes with diverse soil subrecedents (>1.0%), D2 – recedents (1.1-2.0%), D3 – types. subdominants (2.1-5.0%), D4 – dominants (5.1-10%), D5 – eudominants (>10%) [21]. Experimental Procedures Our study was conducted in four lacations in southern Lithuania (Fig. 1) with different soil types: loamy soil – Calc(ar)i- Hypostagnic Luvisols (LVj-w-cc) (1), sandy soil – Dystri- Haplic Arenosols (ARh-dy) (2), hard loamy clay soil – Eudocaleari- Epihypogleyic Cambisols (CMg-p-w- can) (3), ans sandy loam soil – Eutri- Haplic Arenosols (ARh-eu) (4) (Table 1) (classification of the soil following [19]). The research was carried out from May to October 2009. Four agrobiocenozes with different soil cultivation N intensities – intensively cultivated land, reclaimed pasture, I-II year perennial grasses, and seminatural meadow – were selected in each location. Intensively cultivated land is a field with no less than three years intensive soil cultivation (deep plowing in S autumn, harrowing during the growing season and etc.) con- secutively. Reclaimed pasture represents perennial grass- Fig. 1. Locations of study areas: 1. Noreikiškės env., 2. land, which is deeply tilled in autumn and used again as Braziukai env., 3. Gudeliai env., 4. Leipalingis env. (Scale farmland. I-II year perennial grass is newly sown and used 1:4,500,000). Species Composition and Abundance... 427 Table 2. Specification of the crops in the investigated field trials. Number of investigated areas Agrobiocenozes Noreikiškės env. Braziūkai env. Gudeliai env. Leipalingis env. crop adjacent crop adjacent crop adjacent crop adjacent Intensively barley grass oat grass, shrubs barley wheat maize grass, wheat cultivated land Reclaimed different grass, road- roadside, wheat ray grass, shrubs wheat triticale pasture crops side wheat I-II year perennial red clover, white clover, red clover, white clover, grass grass grass grass grasses gramineous gramineous gramineous gramineous Seminatural mainly mainly mainly mainly meadows meadows meadows meadows meadow gramineous gramineous gramineous gramineous Table 3. List of detected click-beetle species in different soil types. Soil types Names of species Total/D% 1.** 2.** 3.** 4.** Actenicerus sjaelandicus - - - 23/D5* 23/(D3)* Agriotes lineatus 27/D5* 51/D5* 47/D5* 16/D5* 141/(D5)* Agriotes obscurus 17/D5* 70/D5* 22/D5* 1/D1* 110/(D5)* Agriotes sputator 13/D4* - 4/D3* 4/D3* 21/(D3)* Agrypnus murinus 1/D1* 8/D3* 1/D2* 13/D4* 23/(D3)* Adrastus limbatus 1/D1* - - - 1/(D1)* Cidnopus aeruginosus - 8/D3* - - 8/(D2)* Hemicrepidius hirtus 15/D5* - 3/D3* 4/D3* 22/(D3)* Hemicrepidius niger 5/D3* 2/D1* 3/D3* 2/D2* 12/(D2)* Oedostethus quadripustulatus 58/D5* - 4/D3* - 62/(D4)* Negastrius pulchellus 2/D2* 13/D3* - 91/D5* 106/(D5)* Selatosomus aeneus - 153/D5* - 3/D2* 156/(D5)* Zorochros dermestoides - 1/D1* - 1/D1* 2/(D1)* Total: species/individuals 8/139* 9/306* 7/84* 10/158* 13/687* The following classes of dominance (D) dominants are used: D1 – subrecedents (>1.0%), D2 – recedents (1.1-2.0%), D3 – subdomi- nants (2.1-5.0%), D4 – dominants (5.1-10%), D5 – eudominants (>10%). *Number of individuals/category of dominance. **1. Loamy soil – Calc(ar)i- Hypostagnic Luvisols (LVj-w-cc); 2. Sandy soil – Dystri - Haplic Arenosols (ARh-dy); 3 Hard loamy clay soil – Eudocaleari- Epihypogleyic Cambisols (CMg-p-w-can); 4. Sandy loam soil – Eutri- Haplic Arenosols (ARh-eu). Results and Discussion Selatosomus Stephens 1830, and Zorochros C. G. Thomson 1859) (Table 3). Species Composition The largest number of click-beetle species detected in the sandy loam soil was 10 species.