Distribution of Carabidae and Staphylinidae in agroecosystems

Abstract

The objective of this work was to determine the distribution of species richness and habitat preference of Carabidae and Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in two areas cultivated with soybean/corn under no-tillage and conventional tillage systems and in adjacents areas with forest fragment and a Pinus stand, respectively. Beetles were sampled by pitfall traps which were distributed in two transects of 100 m. The distribution of species richness in the crops and forest fragment/Pinus was evaluated by regression analysis. Cluster analysis was used to identify species in relation to preference for the forest fragment, Pinus, crop and interface. The distribution of Carabidae and Staphylinidae species richness did not show variation in relation to the position in transect, while the species richness observed in the interfaces between forest fragment or Pinus stand and crops were higher compared with the ones found in other habitats. The occurrence of Carabidae species differed in relation to the vegetation type: Megacephala sp. and Scarites sp. preferred crop areas under soybean/corn rotation system. The same was observed with Odontochila nodicornis (Dejean) in the forest fragment and Pinus stand. The species Abaris basistriatus Chaudoir was characterized as a generalist species in relation to habitat preference.