Beetle communities (Insecta: Coleoptera) of Beech Forests at the Foothills of the Volcanic Carpathians, Ukraine

The paper focuses on the results of the study of beetle communities (Insecta: Coleoptera) in beech forests at the foothills of the Volcanic Carpathians. 4438 specimens of beetles, belonging to 346 species of 58 families have been collected using interception traps (polytraps). The theoretically calculated number of expected species (Chao estimation) is 474. The families of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) - 56 species (16.2%), weevils (Curculionidae) - 31 species (9%) and minute tree-fungus beetles (Ciidae) - 22 species (6.4%) predominate in terms of species richness. Among rove beetles in terms of quantity Mycetoporus longulus (38.7%), Lordithon exoletus (9.5%), Platarea brunea (7.5%), Lordithon lunulatus (5.2%) are eudominants. Among the representatives of the weevil guild Anisandrus dispar (41.9%), Xyleborinus saxesenii (22.5%) and Taphrorychus bicolor (15.2%) are eudominants. Dominants are presented by one species - Ernoporicus fagi (9,2%). Cis fagi (13.4%), C. festivus (10.8%) are eudoninantes among minute tree-fungus beetles. C. micans and Sulcacis nitidus (9.3% each), Ennearthron cornutum (8.1%) and Orthocis alni (7%) represent a group of dominants. The ecological characteristics of the beetle fauna have been in the focus of the author’s attention: 6 trophic groups were identified according to the peculiarities of trophic. Saprophages predominate on the larval stage - 129 species and on the imago stage with the total number of 103 species. Since the feeding of larvae and imago varies, the ratios of trophic groups for larvae and imago is different. However, both stages of development are characterized by the predominance of saprophagous and mycetophagous beetles. 26 categories were identified according to the types of microhabitats. Xylodetriticolous, fungicolous, phytodetriticolous and arboricolous constitute the group of predominant categories on the larval stage. Xylodetriticolous, fungicolous and phytodetriticolous are predominants on the imago stage. 2 groups have been indentified according to ecological valence. 3 groups each have been singled out according to landscape preferences and to the humidity criterion.