BEETLES (INSECTA, COLEOPTERA) IN THE PLANT ASSOCIATIONSWITH THE HEATHER IN BELORUSSKOYE POOZERYE(THE BELARUSIAN LAKE DISTRICT)

Abstract

The species composition of beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera) in associations of heather (Сalluna vulgaris (L.) Hull.) on
raised bogs and in pine forests in Belorusskoye Poozerye (the Belarusian Lake District) have been studied. There have been identified 84 species belonging to 17 families. The maximal number of species has been recorded in intact raised bogs (50 species from 14 families), while the minimal number — in pine forests on mineral soils (41 species, 14 families). On raised bogs the greatest number of species is presented by leaf beetles (31.82—32.0 % of all species). Lady birds predominate in pine forests (17.07 %). More than half of the families (57.14—64.28 %) are represented by 3—4 species. In all habitats, from 1 to 3 species are characterized by high occurrence, among which Lochmaea suturalis (Thomson, 1866) and Strophosoma capitatum (De Geer, 1775) are heatherʼs phytophages. Most species are likely to form topical connections with Сalluna vulgaris (L.) Hull. Only 15 species (17.85 %) occur in the three studied habitats. The species composition in pine forests noticeably differs from that of raised bogs, both natural and transformed.

Fig. 4. Table 2. Ref.: 13 titles.