Carabid taxocenes of an urban park in subtropical Brazil: I. Specific composition, seasonality and constancy (Insecta: Coleoptera: Carabidae)∗

Excerpted from a MSc dissertation by the first author, Curso de Pós‐graduaçao em Ecologia, UFRGS.

Epigeal carabids of a typical urban park in subtropical Brazil (Porto Alegre) were sampled using 48 dry pitfall traps running for 13 months and emptied at weekly intervals. Sampling was confined to patches covered by Hedera helix (English ivy). A total of 2107 specimens in 27 species, 15 genera and 8 tribes were captured. The tribe best represented in terms of number of species and of specimens was the Pterostichini. Significant differences in species richness according to seasons (spring‐summer and autumn‐winter) were obtained and were due to vagrant species. The 6 most abundant species were also the most constant Parhypates (Paranortes) cordicollis, Feroniomorpha striatulus, Loxandrus sp. 3, Galerita collaris, Loxandrus sp. 1 and Oodes marginella. The highest species richness was found in patches densely covered by ivy both in the patch centre and in the patch margin when bordered by lawns. P. (P.) cordicollis was the most characteristic ivy dweller carabid and is here appointed as a potential candidate for studies on active or passive bioindication.

Notes

Excerpted from a MSc dissertation by the first author, Curso de Pós‐graduaçao em Ecologia, UFRGS.