ROMANIAN ACADEMY INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY BUCHAREST PhD. THESIS SUMMARY RESEARCH ON PARASITISM AND OTHER INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS OF COLEOPTERA FROM DOLJ COUNTY Coordinator: C.S.I PhD. CODREANU-BĂLCESCU DOINA Candidate: LILA GIMA 2018 BUCHAREST 1 CONTENTS Introduction CHAPTER I. History of the research of parasites, predators and forests present at coleopteras at national and international level, with special reference to Dolj County ………………………………………………………………..…... 11 CHAPTER II. Factors which affects the life cycles of insects (especially Coleoptera) 3.1. Abiotic factors …………………………………………………………………………………….….…….. 29 3.2 Biotic factors ………………………………………………………………………………..………………. 32 3.3. Internal factors (endogenous) …………………………………………………………………………...….. 33 3.4. Anthropic factor …………………………………………………………………………...……………….. 34 3.5. Current trends ………………………………………………………………………….........................…… 34 CHAPTER III. General data on the Coleoptera order (taxonomy and biology) ………………………...…………………...….. 36 CHAPTER IV. The physico-geographical characteristics of Dolj County 4.1. General presentation of Dolj County (location, climate, relief, flora, fauna) …..………………………….. 42 4.2. Natural habitats with special status according to the legislation ……………………….………………..…. 44 4.3. Types of ecosystems in which we have researched and described them ………………………………..…. 46 CHAPTER V. Methods of research, collection, preparation and conservation for coleoptera, parasites, predators and mites ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……. 54 CHAPTER VI. RESULTS OF RESEARCH ON PARASITES AND OTHER INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONS AT COLEOPTERANS IN DOLJ COUNTY ……………………………………………………………………….. 62 6.1. Spreading of coleopterans species, hosts for parasites, predators and mites, in Dolj County and in neighboring areas ……………………………………………………………………..………………………… 65 6.1.1. Host species in the Scarabaeoidea family ……………………………………...………………………… 65 6.1.2. Host species of the Chrysomeloidea family ………………………………………...……………………. 75 6.1.3. Host species of the Dytiscoidea family ……………………………………………...…………………… 80 6.1.3.1. Data on the presence of the families Dytiscidae and Hydrophilidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in the entomological fauna of Oltenia ………………………………………………………………………..….…….. 84 6.1.3.2. Coleopterans from the Pool Craiovița Nouă area, Craiova, Dolj County …………..……………….…. 88 6.2. Interspecific relationships 6.2.1. General data ……………………………………………………………………………….………….. 92 6.2.1.1. Parasites and parasitism ……………………………………………………..………………….. 95 6.2.1.2. Mites and the phenomenon of phoresy ……………………………………………………..…... 102 6.2.1.3. Predators and predatorism ………………………………………………………………………. 106 6.3. Research on parasite species, predators and mites at coleopteras from different ecosystems at Dolj County in 2009-2017…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 108 6.3.1. The relationship of parasitism Cybister (Scaphinectes) lateralimarginalis (De Geer 1774) (host larva) / Drilomermis leioderma (Poinar & Petersen, 1978) (parasite larva) - Description of the research sites …………………………………………………..…………………... 110 - Cybister (Scaphinectes) lateralimarginalis (general data) …………………………………..…..……. 111 - Drilomermis leioderma (general data) …………………………………………….…………………... 113 - Materials and methods, results and discussions ……………………………….………………...…….. 114 - Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………...….. 122 2 6.3.2. The relationship of parasitism Cerambyx cerdo Linné, 1758 (host) / Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. 1912 (parasit) - Description of the research sites ………………………………………………………………..……... 124 - Cerambyx cerdo (general data) ……………………………………………….…….............................. 125 - Beauveria bassiana (general data) …………………………………………..………………...…......... 126 - Materials and methods, results and discussions …………………………….…………………...…….. 129 - Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………...………….. 132 6.3.3. Predatory relationship Melasoma populi (Stephens, 1834) (attacked larva) / Zicrona caerulea (Linné., 1758) (predator) - Description of the research sites ………..………………………………………………………...……. 135 - Melasoma populi (general data) ………………………………………..…………………….……..…. 136 - Zicrona caerulea (general data) ……………………………………..…………………………………. 138 - Materials and methods, results and discussions ……………………….…………………………...….. 139 - Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………...….. 142 6.3.4. The relationship of parasitism Aphodius fimetarius (Linné, 1758) (host) / Ascarops strongylina Rudolphi, 1819 (parasit) - Description of the research sites …………………………………………………………..…………... 143 - Aphodius fimetarius (general data) ……………………………………………..…………………..…. 144 - Ascarops strongylina (general data) ………………………………………………..…..…………..…. 145 - Materials and methods, results and discussions ………………………………….………………...….. 146 - Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………...….. 149 6.3.5. The relationship of parasitism Oryctes nasicornis Linné, 1758 (host) / Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (parasit) - Description of the research sites …………………………..………………………………..…………. 150 - Oryctes nasicornis (general data) ……………………………………………..………………..……... 151 - Metarhizium anisopliae (general data) ………………………………………..………………..……... 151 - Materials and methods, results and discussions …………………………….……………………...….. 152 - Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………………...…….. 156 6.3.6. The relationship of phoresy Oryctes nasicornis Linné, 1758 ♀ (coleopter transporter) / Hypoaspis sp. G. Canestrini, 1884 (acarian passenger) - Description of the research sites (Craiova, Valea Stanciului) ………………………..…………...…... 158 - Oryctes nasicornis (general data) …………………………………………………….…………...…... 158 - Hypoaspis sp. (general data) ……………………………..……………………………………………. 159 - Materials and methods, results and discussions ………………………………….……………...…….. 160 - Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………..... 163 6.3.7. The relationship of phoresy Pentodon idiota idiota Herbst, 1789 (coleopter transporter) / Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli, 1772) (acarian passenger) - Description of the research sites …………………………………………………………………..…... 164 - Pentodon idiota idiota (general data) …………………………………………..…………………...…. 165 - Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (general data) …………………………………..……………………. 166 - Materials and methods, results and discussions ……………………………….……………………..... 166 - Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………………...…….. 170 6.3.8. The relationship of parasitism Melolontha melolontha (Linné, 1758) (host) / Gordius aquaticus Linné, 1758 (parasit) - Description of the research sites ………………………………………………………………..……... 171 - Melolontha melolontha (general data) ……………………………………………………….………… 172 - Gordius aquaticus (general data) ………………………………………………..…………………...... 173 - Materials and methods, results and discussions …………………………….……………………...….. 174 - Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………...….. 178 6.3.9. The relationship of parasitism Melolontha melolontha (Linné, 1758) (host) / Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (Pallas 1781) (parasit) - Description of the research sites ………………………………………………….…………………... 180 - Melolontha melolontha (general data) ………………………………………………………………… 180 - Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (general data) …………………………………………………... 181 3 - Materials and methods, results and discussions ……………………………………………………….. 182 - Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 184 6.3.10. The relationship of phoresy Copris lunaris (Linné, 1758) (coleopter transporter) / Uropoda copridis, Uropoda sp.1 și Uropoda sp.2 Oudemans, 1916 (acarian passenger) - Description of the research sites (Craiova - Pool Craiovița Nouă, Mogoșești, Ciupercenii Noi) ………………………………………………………………………………………………...……… 185 - Copris lunaris (general data) ……………………………………………………………………….... 187 6.3.10.1. Uropodoidea (tortoise mites) associated with Copris lunaris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae ………………………………………………………………… 187 - Materials and methods, results and discussions ……………………………………………………….. 189 - Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………...... 198 6.3.11. The relationship of phoresy Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) vacca (Linné, 1767) (coleopter transporter) / Macrocheles punctillatus (Willmann, 1939) (acarian passenger) - Description of the research sites (Melinești – Ohaba, Radomir) …………………………………… 199 - Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) vacca (general data) ……………………………………..……. 201 - Macrocheles punctillatus și Macrocheles sp. (general data) …………………………………………... 201 - Materials and methods, results and discussions …………………………………………………..…... 202 - Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………….… 206 6.3.12. The relationship of phoresy Onthophagus taurus (Schreber, 1759) (coleopter transporter) / Macrocheles sp. (Willmann, 1939) (acarian passenger) - Description of the research sites ………………………………………………………………..….. 207 - Onthophagus taurus (general data) ……………………………………………………………….... 208 - Macrocheles sp. (general data) ……………………………………………………………….…….. 208 - Materials and methods, results and discussions …………………………………………………….. 209 - Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………...…………. 210 6.4. Synthesis of the results regarding the interspecific relations of parasitism, predatorism, foression at coleopterans species found in ecosystems on the territory of Dolj County ……………………………..……. 212 CHAPTER VII. Ecological considerations and recommendations on the role of interspecific relations in nature and biodiversity conservation ……………………………………………………………………………...….. 214 7.1. Sinecological analysis of coleoptera populations ………………………………………….…………... 217 7.2. Effects of anthropic activity ……………………………………………………………………………. 221 General conclusions …………………………..………………………………………………………..….