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A faunistic study on Carabidae and Scarabaeidae in alfalfa fields from Central Greece

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Abstract

This paper presents a study of the composition of Carabidae and Scarabaeidae among other surface-active Coleoptera along with their seasonal fluctuation, species richness and relative abundance in three alfalfa hay fields from Kopais Valley (Greece) over a period of systematic samplings (June 2008 to May 2010). Field A was cut monthly (about 4 times per year) and field B bimonthly (3 times), although no field was sprayed. Field C was cut monthly and sprayed with the insecticide bifenthrin three times during the growing season. In total, 48 species of soil Coleoptera belonging to 11 families (particularly Carabidae and Scarabaeidae) were recorded. The family Carabidae was dominated by autumn breeders, with a spring and autumn activity-density peak. Agricultural management did not cause differences in the estimated number of species.

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Acknowledgements

We thank A. Legakis, I. Anastasiou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and A. Tsagkarakis (Agricultural University of Athens, AUA) for their help with carabid beetle identification, the Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry of AUA for help with statistics, A. Trichas (Natural History Museum of Crete) and D. Kaltsas for advice and the Farm Unit of AUA for help with the experiments. This study was funded by the State Scholarships Foundation of Greece.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Votanicos, Athens, 118 55, Greece

    Evangelos G. Badieritakis & Nikolaos G. Emmanouel

  2. Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Stefanou Delta 8, Kifissia, Athens, 145 61, Greece

    Evangelos G. Badieritakis

  3. Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Votanicos, 118 55, Athens, Greece

    Argyro A. Fantinou

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  1. Evangelos G. Badieritakis
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  2. Argyro A. Fantinou
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  3. Nikolaos G. Emmanouel
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Correspondence to Evangelos G. Badieritakis.

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Badieritakis, E.G., Fantinou, A.A. & Emmanouel, N.G. A faunistic study on Carabidae and Scarabaeidae in alfalfa fields from Central Greece. Biologia 71, 1274–1280 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2016-0150

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2016-0150

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