Abstract
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has adopted two different pitfall trap protocols to survey the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus. One protocol uses a transect of eight pitfall traps that prohibit bait contact over the course of three trap nights. The other protocol uses buckets that allow for bait contact over a five night trapping period. A trap night is defined as one trap open for one night, and the transect protocol has historically been calculated as eight trap nights per calendar night while; the bucket protocol has been calculated as one trap night per calendar night. This study examined the effectiveness of each protocol based on the number of beetles (Nicrophorus spp.) captured per trap night (BTN) in field and laboratory trials. When each transect was considered as a single trap instead of eight separate traps, no significant difference in BTN was detected between the protocols in any year. Laboratory trials were conducted using Nicrophorus marginatus to determine differences in capture efficiency based on protocol, time after release, and feeding status. The proportion of beetles captured after 5 days was greater when compared to 3 days for either protocol. Our results indicate that cup transects used to sample the American burying beetle should be considered as a single trap when calculating trap night and that the use of five trap nights rather than three would increase the likelihood of capturing beetles.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adis J (1979) Problems of interpreting arthropod sampling with pitfall traps. Zool Anz 202:177–184
Backlund DC, Marrone GM (1997) New records of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier, (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in South Dakota. Coleopt Bull 51:53–58
Backlund DC, Marrone GM, Williams CK,Tilmon K (2008) Population estimate of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in South Dakota. Coleopt Bull 62:9–15
Bedick JC (1997) Distribution and ecology of the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus, Olivier) in south-central Nebraska. MA thesis, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Bedick JC, Ratcliffe BC, Hoback WW, Higley LG (1999) Distribution, ecology, and population dynamics of the American burying beetle [Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera, Silphidae)] in south-central Nebraska, USA. J Insect Conserv 3:171–181
Bedick JC, Ratcliffe BC, Higley LG (2004) A new sampling protocol for the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Coleopt Bull 58:57–70
Carlton CE, Rothwein F (1998) The endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier, at the edge of its range in Arkansas (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Coleopt Bull 52:179–185
Creighton JC, Schnell GD (1998) Short-term movement patterns of the endangered American burying beetle Nicrophorus americanus. Biol Conserv 86:187–281
Creighton JC, Vaughn CC, Chapman BR (1993) Habitat preference of the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) in Oklahoma. Southwest Nat 38:275–306
Creighton JC, Bastarache R, Lomolino MV, Belk MC (2007) Effect of forest removal on the abundance of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae). J Insect Conserv 13:37–43
Digweed SC, Curries CR, Carcamo HA, Spence JR (1995) Digging out the “digging-in effect” of pitfall traps: Influences of depletion and disturbance on catches of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Pedobiologia 39:561–576
Fournier E, Loreau M (2002) Foraging activity of the carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius Ill. in field margin habitats. Agr. Ecosyst Environ 89:253–259
Godwin WB, Minich V (2005) Status of the American burying beetles, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier, Coleoptera: Silphidae) at Camp Maxey, Lamar county, Texas. Interagency Final Report to Texas Army National Guard. Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas
Greenslade P, Greenslade PJM (1971) The use of baits and preservatives in pitfall traps. J Aust Entomol Soc 10:253–260
Guarisco H (1997) Discovery of the federally endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) in the Chatauqua hills of southeastern Kansas. Trans Kansas Acad Sci 100:116–122
Holloway AK, Schnell GD (1997) Relationship between numbers of the endangered American burying beetle Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae) and available food resources. Biol Conserv 81:145–152
Jurzenski J, Snethen DG, Brust M, Hoback WW (2011) New records of carrion beetles in Nebraska reveal increased presence of the American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Great Plains Res 21:131–143
Kozol AJ (1995) Ecology and population genetics of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus. Ph.D. Dissertation, Boston University. Boston, USA
Kozol A, Scott MP, Traniello JFA (1988) The American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus: studies on the natural history of a declining species. Psyche 95:167–176
Leasure DR, Rupe DM, Phillips EA, Opine DR, Huxel GR (2012) Efficient new above-ground bucket traps produce comparable data to that of standard transects for the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Coleopt Bull 66:209–218
LeDoux DG and Riley TJ (2002) Occurrence of the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus: Coleoptera:Silphidae) at Cherokee Prairie Natural Area, Franklin county, Arkansas. Proceedings of the 18th North American Prairie Conference pp 231
Lomolino MV, Creighton JC (1996) Habitat selection, breeding success and conservation of the endangered American burying beetle Nicrophorus americanus. Biol Conserv 77:235–241
Lomolino MV, Creighton JC, Schnell GD, Certain DL (1995) Ecology and conservation of the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus). Conserv Biol 9:605–614
McClelland WT, Hain FP, DeMars CJ, Fargo WS, Coulson RN, Nebeker TE (1978) Sampling bark beetle emergence: a review of methodologies, a proposal for standardization, and a new trap design. Bull Entomol Soc Am 24:137–140
Peyton M (2003) Range and population size of the American burying beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in the dissected hills of south-central Nebraska. Great Plains Res 13:127–138
Raithel CJ, Ginsberg HS, Prospero ML (2006) Population trends and flight behavior of the American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae), on Block Island, RI. J Insect Conserv 10:317–322
Smith ADF (2009) American burying beetle survey, Camp Gruber training site, Oklahoma. Unpublished report to the department of the Army ARNG training site, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma Army National Guard
Smith ADF and Clifford C (2005) American burying beetle survey, Camp Gruber training Site, Oklahoma. Unpublished report to the department of the Army ARNG training site, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma Army National Guard
Smith ADF and Clifford C (2006) American burying beetle survey, Camp Gruber training site, Oklahoma. Unpublished report to the department of the Army ARNG training site, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma Army National Guard
Smith ADF and Clifford C (2007) American burying beetle survey, Camp Gruber training site, Oklahoma. Unpublished report to the department of the Army ARNG training site, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma Army National Guard
Smith ADF and Clifford C (2008) American burying beetle survey, Camp Gruber training site, Oklahoma. Unpublished report to the department of the Army ARNG training site, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma Army National Guard
Szalanksi AL, Sikes DS, Bischof R, Fritz M (2000) Population genetics and phylogenetics of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Ann Entomol Soc Am 93:589–594
Szyszko J, Gryuntal S, Schwerk A (2004) Differences in locomotory activity between male and female Carabus hortensis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a pine forest and a beech forest in relation to feeding state. Environ Entomol 33:1442–1446
USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) (1991) American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) recovery plan. Newton Corner, Massachusetts 80 pp
USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) (2008a) American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) 5-year review: summary and evaluation. New England Field Office, Concord
USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) (2008b) Nebraska survey protocol, project report. Grand Island, Nebraska
USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) (2009) American burying beetle Nicrophorus americanus survey guidance for Oklahoma. Tulsa, Oklahoma
USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) (2011) American burying beetle Nicrophorus americanus survey guidance for Oklahoma. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Walker TL, Hoback WW (2007) Effects of invasive eastern redcedar on capture rates of Nicrophorus americanus and other Silphidae. Environ Entomol 36:297–307
Wallin H (1991) Movement patterns and foraging tactics of a caterpillar hunter inhabiting alfalfa fields. Funct Ecol 5:740–749
Acknowledgments
Funding for this study was provided by the Nebraska Department of Roads, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. We wish to thank M. Parenti, A. Koehler, R. Butler and T. L. Duncan for field assistance. The views and opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Department of Transportation. American burying beetle trapping was conducted under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Permit #TE045150-0.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Butler, S.R., Harms, R., Farnsworth-Hoback, K. et al. Standardized capture rates of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae) using different trap protocols. J Insect Conserv 17, 607–613 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-012-9545-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-012-9545-5