Fauna and ecological characteristics of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the Nature Sanctuaries «Prichernomorskiy» and «Tuapsinskiy» (Russia)

Abstract

The paper presents a study on the ground beetle fauna (Coleoptera) in the middle highlands of the Northwestern Caucasus within the limits of the natural sanctuaries «Tuapsinskiy» and «Prichernomorskiy», located in the Krasnodarsky Krai (Russia). Despite the relatively well-studied fauna of ground beetles in the whole North-West Caucasus, a fauna inventory in the research area has not been carried out before. In addition, the available literature information is fragmentary and incomplete. Data on the species composition, some features of ecology and distribution of carabids on 16 model plots have been investigated for the first time. The field study was conducted mainly in 2018, using pitfall traps. We revealed 96 species, inhabiting both Protected Areas. We found a predominance of species with wide polysector and polyzonal types of ranges, as well as boreal Holarctic, Transpalearctic, Amphipalearctic, West Palearctic, and Euro-Siberian ranges. The chorological complexes richest in species were the Caucasian (Euxine) and Boreal ones. According to the ratio of ecological carabid groups, a predominance of the polytopic mesophilous species has been revealed. We have presented the demographic structure of populations and some peculiarities of the life cycles of three Carabus species, which are protected or requiring special attention in natural environment in the Krasnodarsky Krai. The life cycle of Carabus titan was implemented as a one-year spring-summer monocycle or two-year early summer monocycle with hibernating larvae and immature imago. The life cycle of Carabus starckianus was demonstrated as a one-year spring-summer recycle with hibernating immature and spent imago. Finally, the life cycle of Carabus prometheus was implemented as a one-year spring-winter recycle with hibernating immature and spent imago.

Keywords

• chorological analysis
• demographic structure
• ecological group
• krasnodarsky krai
• life cycles
• red data book species
• species complex