Macrohabitat associations and phenology of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae, Leiodidae: Cholevinae)
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Macrohabitat associations and phenology of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae, Leiodidae: Cholevinae) Matthew Esh1 · Anne Oxbrough1 Received: 3 June 2020 / Accepted: 19 October 2020 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract As decomposers of vertebrate carcasses, carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae, Leiodidae: Cholevinae) play a significant role in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Despite this, the ecology and phenology of this group is relatively understudied. This research determines carrion beetle assemblages in three macrohabitats—native broadleaf woodland, non-native coniferous plantations and unforested sites of grassland or heathland. Further, it explores phenological changes over the growing season. Each macrohabitat type was replicated in eight geographical clusters, giving a total of 24 sites. Clusters were selected to give a wide geographical spread across Britain. Six pitfalls were set at each site, three baited with mice and three with cheese. Traps were set and collected fortnightly within every month from May to September 2016. The taxa differed in response to macrohabitat and growing season. Silphidae assemblages differed between forested and unforested habitats, whereas Leiodidae: Cholevinae were not distinguished by macrohabitat, although some specialists of forests were identified. Silphidae assemblages differed over the growing season, with May and June supporting a different suite of species to those in July—September. In contrast, Leiodidae: Cholevinae assemblages changed very little over the growing season though some species did prefer particular time periods. Implications for insect conservation This research presents the first large-scale study of the macrohabitat preference and phenology of carrion beetles in Western Europe, providing important ecological and phenological information which could aid in their conservation. Keywords Silphidae · Leiodidae · Cholevinae · Carrion · Habitat preference · Phenology
Introduction Carrion beetles play an important role in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems as decomposers of vertebrate carcasses, a key element of the nutrient cycle (Kočárek 2003). During this process, constituent components of carrion leach into the soil, facilitating nutrient release (Farwig et al. 2014). For instance, the increased nitrogen released in the microhabitat around a decomposing carcass enhances soil fertility and stimulates biomass production (Towne,2000). Through feeding and reproduction, carrion insects play a role in dispersing these nutrients (Barton et al. 2013). Together, these actions can directly affect decomposition rates (Pechal et al. 2014), and these can be altered by specific species of * Matthew Esh [email protected] 1
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carrion beetle (Farwig et al. 2014). Therefore, knowledge of the ecology of this important group will provide a basis for the understanding of the role they play in ecosystem functioning
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