BEETLES (INSECTA, COLEOPTERA) — THE INHABITANTS OF THE NESTS OFIRDS OF PREY (ORDER ACCIPITRIFORMES AND FALCONIFORMES) IN BELARUS

Abstract

This article contains information on species composition and ecological structure of beetles recorded in nests of birds of prey. 71 nests were studied from 2004 to 2012, in allof which beetles were recorded (5 720 examples). All in all in the nests of birds of prey 44 species of 14 families of beetles were observed. The greatest number of species belong to beetles of Staphylinidae family — 14 species, and Histeridae — 8 species. According to the index of relative abundance beetles of Staphylinidae family also prevail in the nests (60.5% from the total number of examples of beetles observed in the nests). The
most common species of nidicolous was Haploglossa picipennis (Gyllenhal, 1827). On the basis of trophic specialization beetles identified in the nests belong to 11 groups. Zoophages prevail according to the index of relative abundance (64.74%), which may be attributed to favorable environmental conditions in the nests of birds of prey. The index of faunistic similarity coefficient proves confinement of nidicolous beetles to the type of the nest, and not to the species of the studied birds of prey.

Ref.: 19 titles.