Occurrence of flat bugs (Heteroptera: Aradidae) in burned and unburned forests

Authors

• Joakim Hjältén
• Ola Atlegrim
• Frida Sandström
• Roger Pettersson
• Eric Rexstad

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33338/ef.84299

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine the effect of fire on flat bug diversity and abundance in coniferous and mixed forests in interior Alaska. Eighty individuals, of which 78 in the burned areas and two in the control areas, of six aradid species were collected: Aradus abbas (Bergroth), A. funestus (Bergroth), A. lugubris (Fallén), A. signaticornis (Sahlberg), A. tuberculifer (Kirby) and Aneurus simplex (Uhler). Generally, all flat bug species were more abundant in the burned areas than in control areas with statistically significant differences for four of the six species and for pooled nymphs. Habitat preferences and potential mechanisms connecting mycophagy and pyrophagy are discussed.