Carabid beetles in commercial raspberry fields in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia and a sampling protocol for <i>Pterostichus melanarius</i> (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Authors

  • David A. Raworth Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre P.O. Box 1000-6947 #7 Highway Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0
  • Sharon J. Clements Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre P.O. Box 1000-6947 #7 Highway Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0
  • Connie Cirkony Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre P.O. Box 1000-6947 #7 Highway Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0
  • Yves Bousquet Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada K.W. Neatby Bldg. Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6

Abstract

Carabid beetles were sampled in 15 raspberry fields in the Fraser Valley of BC from April to September, 1994. At least 28 species were caught, but one, Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger), dominated with 80% of all individuals. Eight of the nine most numerous species (>200 individuals caught) were introduced in North America. Significant, 30-fold differences were detected between fields with respect to abundance of seven of these species. The differences could not be attributed to soil type, type of habitat at the edge of the field nearest the traps, or spray history. A sampling protocol for pest managers was developed in which 1 to 3 consecutive weekly samples during July provide a relative index of annual abundance of P. melanarius throughout the season. Traps should be set at a standard distance from the edge of a field because numbers increase with distance from the edge. At least 10 traps per field are required for reasonable precision.

Key words: Carabidae; raspberry; sampling; Pterostichus melanarius; predator

Downloads

Issue

Vol. 94 (1997): Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with the Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia agree to the following terms:

-Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

-Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

-Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).