Louisiana Oak Twig Project
 

Fine Beetles:
On the efficacy and community structure of
Coleoptera reared from twigs

 Twigs represent an abundant source of fine woody debris and have been well studied in regards to economically important beetle species such as the Scolytinae (bark beetles) but typically non-economically important species are ignored.  A simple study exploring 1) the efficacy of rearing Coleoptera from fine woody debris and 2) the effect of debris position was conducted. A single Quercus falcata Michx. (Southern Red Oak) was felled March 2006. Twigs averaging 36cm in length and 14mm diameter were randomly placed into bundles of ten. At each of three sites three bundles were placed directly on the ground, three propped against a standing tree, and three tied approximately 1m above the ground tight against the branch of a living woody plant. The 27 bundles were collected ca. 10 months later during January 2007 and each was placed into a rearing chamber with a thin film of propylene glycol in the bottom as a preservative. Specimens were collected from the rearing chambers ca. 6 months later in July 2007. More than 400 adult Coleoptera specimens were collected representing 33 species within 16 families. Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles) and Curculionidae (weevils) exhibited the highest richness, with 9 and 5 species respectively. Comparisons of twig communities among the bundle positions will be discussed.

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