Beetles (Coleoptera) in deciduous dead wood tree species trunks in Lithuania

Abstract

We present a list of beetles that emerged from wind-felled tree trunks of several tree species, including European ash (Fraxinus excelsior), aspen (Populus tremula), common oak (Quercus robur), birch (Betula sp.), small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata) and black alder (Alnus glutinosa). Four hundred and ninety species and 60 families of beetles were collected using trunk-emergence type traps. We found 440 beetle species that had previously been recorded from dead wood; the remaining 50 were newly discovered and all were considered as not directly associated with dead wood. Common oak trunks had the highest diversity of beetles, with approximately 42% of the identified beetle species found in our research. Of all the beetle species identified in the study, about half are saproxylic, while the remaining are considered as not having direct association with dead wood. The results of the study emphasise the importance of dead wood in maintaining beetle diversity in Lithuanian forests. This study provides a valuable baseline for future research on beetles in dead wood in Lithuania and may help to provide information for conservation efforts to protect these important habitats.

Tree Species Affect Beetle Diversity on the Common Deciduous Dead Wood in Lithuanian Unmanaged Forests

“…The data that support the findings of this study are openly available at https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e106132 [36].…”

“…A total of 6796 individuals belonging to 490 beetle species were identified (Table 2). More details are available in a full beetle species list in Table 2 of the publication by Lekoveckait ė et al [36]. On average, each tree species yielded 1133 beetle specimens (SD = 412.39) and 180 species (SD = 28.22) (Table 2).…”

“…Our study explores potential drivers of beetle species assemblages, and it is the first of its kind in Lithuania. We leverage the most comprehensive list of collected beetles in Lithuania, generated during our previous studies [36], together with information on their ecology. We aim to compare the species diversity of beetles in six broadleaved tree species of early decaying dead wood while considering the influence of tree identity, relatedness, and bark type.…”

Edible beetles (Coleoptera) as human food – A comprehensive review

“…Common techniques for catching insects in entomology were employed throughout the collection of materials. In Lithuania, Lekoveckaitė et al (2023) used modified emergence type traps to present the results of the first comprehensive research of saproxylic beetles. To preserve the environmental conditions inside the trap, translucent, air-permeable polyester material was used to sew the traps.…”

“…From June through October, every two weeks, a two-piece collecting jar that was filled with >99% propylene glycol and affixed to the trap's highest point was emptied. 82 samples in total were collected over the course of the four-year study (Lekoveckaitė et al, 2023). Saproxylic beetles are collected using a variety of techniques (Cheong, 2019;Micó et al, 2020;Parisi et al, 2020), the most common of which include window traps, trunk window traps, and emergence or elector traps.…”