University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 6-1971 Elevational Studies of Silphidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Southeast Tennessee Barry Charles Lumpkin University of Tennessee, Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Lumpkin, Barry Charles, "Elevational Studies of Silphidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Southeast Tennessee. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1971. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/4237 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Barry Charles Lumpkin entitled "Elevational Studies of Silphidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Southeast Tennessee." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, with a major in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. Arthur C. Cole, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: J.N. Liles, R.R. Schmoller Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) /,/ May 4, 1971 To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Barry Charles Lumpkin entitled 11Elevational Studies of Silphidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Southeast Tennessee." I recommend that it be accepted for nine quarter hours of credit in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the de­ gree of Master of Science, with a major in.Zoology. We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Accepted for the Council: Graduate Studies and Research ELEVATIONAL STUDIES OF SILPHIDAE (INSECTA: COLEOPrERA) IN SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE A Thesis Presented to the Graduate Council of The University of Tennessee In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Barry Charles Lumpkin June 1971 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to his major professor, Dr. Arthur C. Cele, for his patient guidance and scholarly criticism in the preparation of this manuscript. Thanks are also given to the other members ef the author's advisory committee, Dr. J. N. Liles and Dr. R. R. Schmoller, for their editorial advice and technical assistance. Additional thanks is extended to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and staff for its valuable assistance in carrying out this project, and for the use of the park insect collection as an aid in identification. Also thanks to the Department of Zoology and Ento­ mology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for providing a re­ search vehicle. ii 97�663 ABSTRACT During the period of June 17-December 2, 1970 baited pit-fall traps were used to collect 3467 specimens of Silphidae and related car­ rion frequenting Coleoptera at varying altitudes (800-6500 ft. ) in south­ east Tennessee. Ten species of Silphidae and representatives of five other families of beetles (Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Histeridae, Scara­ baeidae, and Trogidae) were consistently collected from the traps during the study period, The genus Nicrophorous appeared to occupy the higher elevations in the study area while the genus Silphidae occupied the lower elevations. !· marginatus and!· hydrophiloides appeared to have their elevational centers at higher altitudes than those found in the study area. The population peaks for!· vespilloides, !• orbicouis, li• tomentosus, and�. americana were reached in late summer. !· margin­ atus, !· pustulatus, !• surinamensis, �. noveboracensis, and�. inegualis appear to have reached their population peaks before this study began. The Carabidae and Staphylinidae exhibited three centers of elevational distribution (800, 2000, and 5000 ft.). The Histeridae exhibited two elevational peaks (800 and 1000 ft.), while both the Scarabaeidae and Trogidae only exhibited one peak each (900 and 1000 ft.). The Histeridae, Scarabaeidae, and Trogidae appear to reach their population peaks in late summer, while Carabidae and Staphylinidae appear to have reached their population peaks before this study began. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION. .. 1 II. PROCEDURE . 3 Location of Study Area. 3 Materials and Methods . 12 Microclimatic Conditions of the Study Area. 16 III. RESUL_TS • 23 Identification. 23 Elevational Centers of Distribution of the Silphidae. 26 Seasonal Succession of the Silphidae. 26 Notes on Related Coleoptera . 30 DI. DISCUSSION. 38 v. SUMMA.RY . 44 LITERATURE CITED. 46 VITA. 50 iv LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I. Altitude and County-State Locatien of Trap Sites •• . 6 II. Means (Degrees F.) of Ground Temperatures for Indi- vidual Traps and Trap Sites June 17 Through December 2 •• 18 III. Means (Degrees F.) of Air Temperatures for Individual Traps and Trap Sites June 17 Through December 2 ••• 21 rJ. Total Number of Coleoptera Cellected in Carrion Baited Traps June 17 Through December 2 . • . 24 v. Total Number of Silphidae Collected in Carrion Baited Traps June 17 Thr0Ugh December 2 . • • � . 24 VI. Numbers of Specimens of Silphidae Collected from A and B Traps at Each Trap Site June 17 Through December 2 . - . • 27 VII. Centers of Elevational Distribution for the Silphidae. • 0 29 VIII. Comparison of the Numbers of Silphidae Collected During Three Time Periods 0 • 0 e e • • e • . 31 IX. Numbers of Specimens of Related Coleoptera Collected from A and B Traps at Each Trap Site June 17 Through December 2 •••••• i •••••• . 33 X. Comparison of the Numbers of Related Coleoptera Collected During Three Time Periods., • • • • • Q • • • • • • • • • • 36 V LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Map of Study Area Showing Numbered Trap Sites Represented by X Marks. Small Insert Map Shows Study Area in Rela- tion to Tennessee•• v •••••••••••• . 5 2. Average Drop in Mean Ground Temperature (Degrees F.) Per Trap Site as Elevation is Increased ••••• •• • . 20 3. Average Drop in Mean Air Temperature (Degrees F.) Per Trap Site as Elevation is Increased. • . • . • . • . • 22 4. Elevational Data for N. vesJ2illoides (-) and S. americana (- ---) • . • • . • • • . • . • • . • 28 5. Elevational Data for!• orbicouis (-)and!• tomentosus E- --�) • e • • e • e • • • 0 • 0 0 • • • t • • . 28 6. Elevational Data for !•margina tus (-) and !• J2UStulatus t'-- � . 0 • ' . 28 7. Elevational Data for N. surinam.ensis (-)and!•hydro­ philoides � ---) • • • • D f 8 e e O e • e • 0 0 e • e • • • 28 . ' 8. · Seasonal Population Trends of Silphidae for Study Period June 17 Through December 2, !i� vespilloides (----�, !• orbicouis E-· -·), !• tom.entosus (-··-�, !• marginatus <--L !· pustu1atus (...... ), [9 americana �---L !· surinam.ensis (-•.-), and !• hydrophiloides (- - • �. • . 32 vi vii FIGURE PAGE 9. Elevational Data for Carabidae (-), Staphylinidae E- - --L and the Histeridae (• ••.•) • • ' • 0 • 0 • • • 0 • • . 34 10. Elevational Data for Scarabaeidae (--) and Trogidae �--� 34 11. Seasonal Population Trends of Related Coleoptera for Study Period June 17 Through December 2, Carabidae (-), Staphylinidae (----), Histeridae (• • • -�, Scarabaeidae E-·-. -, , and Trogidae (-.. -�• . • • • 41 37 12. Centers of Elevational Distribution for Silphidae••••••• 40 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The Silphidae (Coleoptera) have been universally recognized by researchers as carrion related insects, Many superstitions and false ideas have been passed down from generation to generation concerning these active little insects (Abbott, 1927a, Fabre, 1899) , Enormous amounts of information on these insects has appeared in scientific journals for quite some time. One of the earlier papers by C. U. Clark (1895) noted the feeding habits of these beetles, Further literature review reveals that almost all of the research that has been, and is being done on the Silphidae concerns their food locating and feeding habits (Steele, 1927; Walsh, 1933; Cole, 1942; Shubeck, 1968). Al­ though this seems to be the more important aspect of the relationship of silphids to man, other ecological factors need to be carefully studied in order to better understand these insects. One such factor is the elevational relationships of the Silphidae. It is known that there are many changes in environmentai infiuences (weather, soii, vegetation, etc.) as elevation increases or decreases, Likewise, the insect types should change along with these environmentai influences. Research on summer foliage insects of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee by R. H. Whittaker in 1952, showed definite distributional patterns with relation to elevation in many groups of insects. Although ranges of most of the insects studied during this project overlapped tre­ mendously, centers of species distribution seemed to appear at various 1 2 elevations. Walker (1957) studied arthropods associated with decaying materials in our habitats of Middle Tennessee, but altitude was not a factor studied. Walker used different types of bait, and found that the degree of difference in collections from var ious habitats was quite large. G. F. Bornemissza (1957) studied the arthropod succession of carrion in Western Australia. Five different stages of carcass decompo­ sition were