Guidelines for the monitoring of Cerambyx cerdo

Abstract

Cerambyx cerdo is a longhorn beetle widely distributed in southern and central Europe. This saproxylic beetle is generally associated with oak forests where there are mature or partially dead and sun-exposed trees. Its populations are currently threatened by forest practices such as the removal of partially dead trees and the decline in the number of old oak trees situated in open or semi-open landscapes. Thus, C. cerdo has been included in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive. The present paper is part of a special issue on monitoring of saproxylic beetles which are protected in Europe, based on the research carried out during the LIFE-MIPP project, with a revision of the current knowledge on systematics, ecology and conservation of C. cerdo. The main aim of the present paper is to test different monitoring methods in order to develop a quick and reproducible protocol for the conservation of this species. The methods tested were: artificial sap attracting the adults, baited traps, VES (visual encounter survey) and collecting remains of predation along transects. Based on these results, a detailed monitoring method for C. cerdo using baited trap is proposed in this paper, together with a discussion on its constraints, spatial validity and possible interferences. In order to assess the conservation status of populations of C. cerdo in Europe and to compare populations over time, a method for the calculation of a reference value, based on the monitoring method, is provided.