Life History, Biology, and Distribution ofPterostichus melanarius(Coleoptera: Carabidae) in North America

Abstract

Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger, 1798) is a Palearctic generalist predator native to Europe. It was unintentionally introduced to North America at least twice in the mid 1920s and has since become widespread in Canada and the United States. Although P. melanarius is a valuable natural enemy in many different agricultural systems, we are not aware of any effort to compile in one publication details of its life history, diet, distribution, and factors that influence its populations. Some studies in North America have investigated the effects of P. melanarius on pest species and native carabid assemblages. Moreover, given that it is an exotic species whose range appears to still be expanding, it will be valuable to predict its potential distribution in North America. Therefore, the goals of this paper are to: 1) compile information on the life history and biology of P. melanarius, 2) review the effects of various agricultural practices on this species, and 3) use ecological niche modeling to determine the potential range of P. melanarius in the United States and which climate variables are most important for range expansion. Our review revealed that P. melanarius appears to provide benefits most consistently in diverse agricultural systems managed with no-till or reduced till methods, whereas our modeling revealed that P. melanarius likely occupies, or will occupy, more of the northern U.S. than is currently recognized, particularly in the Appalachian and Rocky Mountain regions.

Use of semiochemical-baited traps to monitor the range expansion of the invasive Sitona lineatus (Curculionidae: Coleoptera) and the presence of associated ground beetles

“…Populations of this species were heavily concentrated in the south, central, and capital regions, whereas they were less commonly recovered from samples collected in the Peace region. More ground beetles were captured during the fall collection period, which coincided with peak populations of P. melanarius in mid-July–August, when mating occurs (Busch et al 2021). The dominant presence of P. melanarius in our study coincides with findings in other studies that sampled ground beetle assemblages in different ecosystems in Alberta (Cárcamo et al 1995; Hartley et al 2007).…”

Simulating capture efficiency of pitfall traps based on sampling strategy and the movement of ground‐dwelling arthropods

“…In North America, it is one of the most successful introduced and established arthropod invaders (Niemela et al, 1997). This species is a generalist predator and thus considered to be a beneficial insect in many different agricultural systems (Busch et al, 2021), as it is an important natural enemy of several pests and thus often serves as a biocontrol (Sunderland, 2002), e.g. for the field slug Deroceras reticulatum (O.F.…”