Comparison of methods for sampling saproxylic beetles in fine wood
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33338/ef.84404Abstract
Three methods for extracting saproxylic beetles from wood samples were compared. The aim with the samples was to collect substrate-specific data on the beetle fauna in different types of small diameter wood. The methods were: (1) sifting – peeling bark from the wood, sifting it and extracting beetles in Tullgren funnels, (2) box-rearing – storing wood in dark wooden boxes and using light to attract emerging beetles; and (3) sack-rearing – hanging the wood in white cotton sacks with a collection vial at the bottom. Rearing sacks gave the species richest samples. Box-rearing gave similar results, but some small beetle species, especially Staphylinidae, were less frequent. Sifting was not useful for species occurring as larvae in the wood, but gave results similar to the two rearing methods for most species that occurred as adults, and was the most efficient method for the Staphylinidae. The two rearing methods were somewhat more labour intensive than sifting, but produced more beetles per sample. Sack-rearing was somewhat more efficient than box-rearing.
