We analysed the structure of the communities of the ground beetles of the tribe Carabini (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in urban environments on the examples of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Donetsk and Lviv. The ground beetles of this tribe in the five researched megapolises are represented by 24 species of the Calosoma and Carabus genera. The cities each have from 9 (Kharkiv, Donetsk) — 11 (Kyiv) to 14–15 (Dnipro, Lviv) registered species. Only three species (Carabus granulatus, C. cancellatus, C. convexus) turned out to be present in all the studied cities, where they were relatively abundant, and six (Calosoma auropunctatum, C. inquisitor, Carabus coriaceus, C. marginalis, С. nemoralis, C. scabriusculus) were recorded reasonably frequently in most of the cities. In the parks of Kyiv and Lviv (south forest zone), forest (Carabus coriaceus, C. convexus, C. nemoralis) and polytopic species (C. сancellatus) were dominant, while the inhabitants of open biotopes (С. granulatus, C. excellens, C. scabriusculus) were uncommon. In Kharkiv (forest-steppe zone), the common species were both polytopic (Сarabus granulatus, C. cancellatus) and forest (C. marginalis). In Donetsk and Dnipro (steppe zone), some steppe elements (Carabus estreicheri, C. perrini, C. sibiricus) occurred, but the dominant species were habitat generalist (С. granulatus) and certain forest species (C. convexus). At the same time, almost half the recorded species of the tribe were registered as rare or accidental elements in the cities studied, though typical for the natural biocenoses of the geographic region surrounding those cities. A short ecological characteristic of all species of tribe in urbocenoses is given.

An analytical review of existing methods of quality control for cultures of insects for rearing is presented. It is shown that there is a need to search for new approaches to solving this problem. The suggested methods for quality control for insect cultures are based on the rule of taxis intensity dependence on insect viability level. Testing of new methods of control and prediction of biological material viability was carried out on several breeds of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) and a laboratory culture of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.). It was established that the caterpillars of silkworm breeds with high viability show higher chemotaxis intensity. It was found that intensity of taxis manifestation can be considered as a criterion of population condition. Selection of the most promising breeds of silkworm can be carried out at the moment of hatching without expensive rearing. It was shown that testing of neonate caterpillars by chemotaxis intensity provides the control of viability in all stages of insect development. Evaluation of chemotaxis intensity of adult males on female sex pheromone gives the possibility to select the specimens with the highest physiological properties for hybridization as well as to predict viability for progeny. The method of biological material selection by chemotaxis intensity was improved due to decrease the time of selection from 30 to 15 minutes and preliminary starvation of these insects. Positive correlation was evaluated between general viability of silkworm culture and intensity of chemotaxis of neonate larvae to the smell of mulberry leaf during 15 minutes after 12 hours of starvation. A significant increase of viability for silkworm breeds and hybrids was registered using such selection method during the spring and summer rearing. This selection method can be used also for assessment of culture viability. A new express-method of biological material selection for insect cultures establishment has been approbated. It is based on the positive correlation between insect viability parameters and their trophotaxis intensity. It is shown that for establishment of a laboratory culture of gypsy moth it is necessary to obtain the material from populations with the highest chemotaxis intensity. It was experimentally proved that parameters of chemotaxis intensity and insect viability reflect a certain level of population heterozygosity. The higher is the intensity of chemotaxis, the higher is the relative level of population heterozygosity. This fact gives the possibility to determine the level of heterozygosity for artificial insect populations by testing larvae for chemotaxis intensity. This method may be suitable for monitoring of natural populations condition in zones with intensive anthropogenic loading.

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This article presents a general overview of the superfamily Scarabaeoidea in five parks of Kharkov city and some adjacent agrocenosises. The species composition includes 32 species from four families of Scarabaeoidea. The Scarabaeidae family dominated in biodiversity and abundance (26 species from 16 genera). Six species (Dorcus parallelopipedus, Platyderes caraboides, Anoplotrupes stercorosus, Aphodius melanostictus, Pleurophorus caesus and Onthophagus coenobita) were sporadically registered as common, but in separate urban cenosises the number of species did not exceed one or three. The species composition and abundance of lamellicorn beetles was higher in large parks with only slight recreational disturbance. Here from 13 to 20 species were registered. On lawns in the center and in other districts of the city Scarabaeoidea species met very rarely. In the agrocenosises on the outskirts of Kharkov city – 16 species are noted, almost half of which were registered as common. The faunistic similarity of different urban cenosises was at low to medium levels (an average 0.20–0.47). These indices were slightly higher (0.38–0.67) for areas with lower recreational pressure. The indices of faunal similarity of separate parks and agrocenoses were lower (0.18–0.56, but on average – 0.33). At the level of common species, there was no faunistic similarity. The significance of such differences was due to both the low number of most Lamellicorn species and some of their ecological characteristics. The main differences were observed in the ratio of trophic groups and features of the spatial distribution of the dominant species. Smaller differences were observed on biotopic characteristic of most species. There were no differences in the hygropreference of the scarabeid species. In the parks herpetobiont saprophagous species dominated (mainly coprophagous and dendrophagous). In the agrocenoses, dendrochordobiontic phytophagous species predominated. The peculiarities of the ratio of different ecological groups of Scarabaeoidea in urban and agrocenosises are discussed.

The purpose of the research was to assess the species composition and biodiversity indices for xylophagous beetles collected by window traps in the parts of Gomilshanski lisy National Nature Park with different management regimes and anthropogenic load. Four window traps were placed in each of the five groups of sample plots: clear felling, selective felling, stationary recreation, regulated recreation and protected zone. The data were analysed using the statistical software package PAST, particularly, the Menhinick index (DMn) and dominance index (D) were evaluated and classical clustering (unweighted pair-group average [UPGMA]) was performed. A total of 42 species of xylophages (9903 individuals) were collected from Curculionidae (Scolytinae and Cossoninae), Cerambycidae, Histeridae, Bostrichidae, Buprestidae and Lymexilidae. The highest species richness was in the plots of clear and selective felling (25 and 22 species, respectively) and the lowest was in the protected zone (16 species), regulated recreation (19 species) and stationary recreation (22 species). The Menhinick index (DMn) was the lowest in the protected zone (0.27), increased in the zone of regulated recreation (0.43) and stationary recreation (0.45) and was maximal in the plots of selective and clear felling (0.69 and 0.77, respectively). The number of individuals was maximal in the protected zone and minimal at the plots of selective and clear felling. All sites were dominated by Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg, 1837) (66–85% individuals) and Anisandrus dispar (Fabricius, 1792) (8.5–20.7% individuals). Minimal dominance (0.49) was found in the plot of clear felling. Cluster analysis showed similarity of the xylophage complex in the plots of clear and selective felling, as well as in the zone of stationary and regulated recreation, which differed from the protected zone.