Document Type
Peer-Review Article
Abstract
Habitat associations of size-selected (≥ 5 mm length) rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), hereafter referred to as “macro-staphylinids,” were studied in west-central Illinois forest and prairie habitats in 2005 using pitfall traps. Habitats sampled included oak-hickory forest last burned in spring 2004, oak-hickory forest burned in spring 2005, oak-hickory forest unburned for 5+ years, unburned early successional forest, reconstructed prairie last burned in spring 2004, and reconstructed prairie burned in spring 2005. A total of 361 macrostaphylinids, representing 12 species, were collected, with Philonthus caerulipennis (Mannerheim), Platydracus maculosus (Gravenhorst), Platydracus fossator Gravenhorst, Platydracus zonatus (Gravenhorst), and Tachinus fimbriatus Gravenhorst comprising 94% of all macro-staphylinids collected. Fewest numbers of macro-staphylinids were collected in prairie habitats, particularly the prairie burned in spring 2005. A multi-response permutation procedure revealed significant variation in species composition among habitats, with relatively large differences between burned and unburned forest habitats and between forest and prairie habitats. Within-habitat variation in species composition was relatively high in the prairie and recently burned forest habitats. Indicator species analysis revealed a significant association of Philonthus asper Horn with the early successional forest, and four species had relatively high indicator values for multiple forest habitats, with fire playing a potentially important role in some cases. More intensive sampling and larger sample sizes are needed to clarify these potential habitat associations.
Recommended Citation
McCravy, Kenneth W. and Willand, Jason E.
2010.
"Habitat Associations of Macro-Staphylinids (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) at Alice L. Kibbe Life Science Station, Hancock County, Illinois,"
The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 43
(1)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22543/0090-0222.2206
Available at:
https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol43/iss1/2