The distribution and occurrence, with the time-factor taken into consideration, were monitored in Finland for the mainly dung-living histerid genera Margarinotus, Hister, and Atholus (all predators), and for the Scarabaeidae genera Onthophagus and Aphodius, in which almost all species are dung-feeders. All available records from Finland of the 54 species studied were gathered and distribution maps based on the UTM grid are provided for each species with brief comments on the occurrence of the species today. Within the Histeridae the following species showed a decline in their occunence: Margarinotus purpurascens, M. neglectus, Hister funestus, H. bissexstrinatus and Atholus bimaculatus, and within the Scarabaeidae: Onthophagus nuchicornis,O. gibbulus, O. fracticornis, O. similis, Aphodius subterraneus, A. sphacelatus and A. merdarius. The four Onthophagus species and A. sphacelatus disappeared in the 1950s and 1960s and are at present probably extinct in Finland. Changes in the agricultural ecosystems, caused by different kinds of changes in the traditional husbandry, are suggested as a reason for the decline in the occurrence of certain vulnerable species.

Four different combinations of light-traps and bulbs were tested during the summer 1996 in Kainuu, northern Finland: a Jalas model with a 160-W (J/160W) blended light lamp or a 125-W (J/125W) mercury vapour lamp, a Ryrholm trap with a 125-W (R/125W) mercury vapour lamp and a Rothamsted trap with a 200-W tungsten lamp (G/200W). The traps were rotated between four sites every night, but were kept in the same position for the fifth night in order to prevent the possible influence of moonlight. The longest distance between the traps was 150m, and there was no direct visibility between any of them. Three orders were inspected, i.e. Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hemiptera, the total numbers of individuals and species being as follows: 20857/425, 862/101 and 1868/58. G/200W collected significantly fewer moths than the other traps. In some cases, J/125W collected significantly more moths and less species than the J/160W design. The R/125W design collected significantly more species than the J/160W design. Similar differences in the effectiveness of the lamps and traps were found in the case of Coleoptera and Hemiptera. Alpha diversities showed the same trend.

Saproxylic insects were collected during fifteen expeditions to the Republic of Kareliain summers 1991-94. A total of 63 species (48 beetles, 15 others) included in the Finnish red data book are reported. Fourteen species of Coleoptera and Aradus ribauti Wagner are reported as new for Karelia. Notes on the biology of e.g. Hylochares cruentatus (Gyllenhal), Rhizophagus puncticollis Sahlberg, Cis fissicomis Mellié, Sulcacis bidentulus (Rosenhauer) and Leptura thoracica Creutzer are given. The number of threatened species found is striking considering the short period of time spent collecting in the field. We ascribe this to the management history of forests in Karelia, especially to the large amount of decaying wood in managed forests even. The forests in Karelia will be of crucial importance in preserving biodiversity and the last viable populations of numerous species that have disappeared in other parts of Fennoscandia.

The possible use of secondary genitalia (styles and spiculum ventrale) for the identification of females of Altica is investigated. Two identification keys are presented, one using both morphological and secondary genital characters and one using secondary genital characters only. The Finnish species are reviewed: A. cirsii Israelson is deleted, and A. quercetorum saliceti Weise and A. carduorum (Guerin-Meneville) are added to the Finnish list, now comprising 12 species. The geographical and temporal aspects of the distribution of the species in Finland is shown on UTM maps.

The threatened species of the insect orders Heteroptera, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera found in Ruissalo, an island with widest oak forests of Finland, are listed. Of the 154 species of threatened Lepidoptera in Finland 12% (19 species) and of the 332 species of threatened Coleoptera 16% (53) are found in Ruissalo. A considerable part of the threatened species of both Lepidoptera and Coleoptera are dependent on oak. The most important areas of the oak forests are already under protection and the other parts of them belong to the national conservation program of herb-grass forests. A forestry plan prepared by the City of Turku considers the nature values of the island of Ruissalo.