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Carabidae (Coleoptera) in Nova Scotia, Canada wild blueberry fields: prospects for biological control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 November 2012

G.C. Cutler ,
J.M. Renkema ,
C.G. Majka  and
J.M. Sproule
G.C. Cutler*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, PO Box 550, 21 Cox Road, Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N 5E3 Canada
J.M. Renkema
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, PO Box 550, 21 Cox Road, Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N 5E3 Canada
C.G. Majka
Affiliation:
Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3 H 3A6 Canada
J.M. Sproule
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, PO Box 550, 21 Cox Road, Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N 5E3 Canada
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: chris.cutler@dal.ca).
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Abstract

The Carabidae (Coleoptera) are a diverse family of beetles with almost 300 species identified in Nova Scotia, Canada. Carabid beetle communities have been studied in several agricultural systems, but not wild blueberries, an important crop in eastern Canada. In the interest of potentially developing conservation biological control programs in wild blueberry, we collected Carabidae in crop (fruit-bearing) and sprout (vegetative) blueberry fields in Nova Scotia in order to assess species diversity and abundance over space and time. Over 3200 specimens were collected, representing 51 species. A large portion of collected specimens (39%) were nonnative, and the most abundant species were generally predacious and synanthropic. Species diversity tended to be higher near forest edges than further into fields, but not for all abundant species. Several of the most prominent predators showed significant differences in preference of crop versus sprout fields, distribution throughout fields, and seasonable abundance. These findings have implications for conservation biological control efforts with carabid beetles against several insect pests in wild blueberry.

Résumé

Les Carabidae (Coleoptera) sont une famille diversifiée de coléoptères dont presque 300 espèces ont été retrouvées en Nouvelle-Écosse, Canada. Les communautés de coléoptères carabidés ont été étudiées dans plusieurs systèmes agricoles, mais jamais dans les bleuetières sauvages, une culture importante dans l'est du Canada. Avec l'intention d'essayer de mettre au point des programmes de lutte biologique par conservation dans les bleuetières sauvages, nous avons récolté des Carabidae dans des bleuetières productrices (porteuses de fruits) et en bourgeons (végétatives) en Nouvelle-Écosse afin d'en évaluer la diversité et l'abondance spécifiques dans l'espace et dans le temps. Nous avons récolté plus de 3200 spécimens, appartenant à 51 espèces. Une proportion importante (39%) des spécimens récoltés sont non indigènes et les espèces les plus abondantes sont généralement prédatrices et synanthropiques. La diversité spécifique a tendance à être plus élevée près des lisières de forêt que plus à l'intérieur des champs, mais non chez toutes les espèces abondantes. Plusieurs des espèces prédatrices dominantes affichent des différences significatives de préférence entre les champs producteurs et les champs en bourgeons, de répartition dans les champs et d'abondance saisonnière. Ces résultats ont des incidences sur les efforts de lutte biologique par conservation au moyen de coléoptères carabidés pour le contrôle de plusieurs insectes ravageurs dans les bleuetières sauvages.

Type
Original Article
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 144 , Issue 6 , December 2012 , pp. 779 - 791
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2012

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