New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Species composition, abundance, and activity of predatory
arthropods in carrot fields, Canterbury, New Zealand
W. SIVASUBRAMANIAM*
S. D. WRATTEN
Department of Entomology and Animal Ecology
P.O. Box 84, Lincoln University
Canterbury, New Zealand
J. KLIMASZEWSKlt
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
Mt Albert Research Centre
Private Bag 92-170
Auckland, New Zealand
*Present address: 93 Herbert Street, Dandenong,
Victoria 3175, Australia.
^Present address: BC Research Inc., 3650 Wesbrook
Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6S 2L2.
Abstract Pitfall trapping (November 1993 to April
1994) and Malaise trapping (January to June 1995)
were carried out to study the predatory arthropod
fauna in carrot fields at four sites in Canterbury, New
Zealand. Staphylinidae (rove beetles), Linyphiidae
(money spiders), Lycosidae (wolf spiders),
Phalangiidae (harvestmen), and Carabidae (ground
beetles) were the most abundant predators. At Lincoln,
spiders, staphylinids, harvestmen, and carabids
comprised 68, 13, 11, and 2.6 percent, respectively,
of all total predaceous arthropods in pitfall traps. At
Killinchy (30 km from Lincoln) these four taxa constituted
77,8.5,0.7, and 6.5 percent of the pitfall trap
catches. Overall, a total of 33 staphylinid species was
recorded, including one, Ocypus ater (Gravenhorst),
which was new to New Zealand. The total number
of predators caught in pitfall traps declined in March
and April.
In pitfall traps the abundant species were the
staphylinids Amischa analis (Grav.), A. nigrofusca (Step.), Atheta
fungi (Grav.), A.
amicula (Step.), and
Xantholinus linearis (Oliver); the carabids Metaglymma
monilifer Bates and Holcaspis angustula Chaudoir; the spiders Lepthyphantes
tenuis (Blackwall), Erigone spp. and 'Lycosa' hilaris Koch;
and the harvestman Phalangium opilio L. In Malaise
traps, abundant staphylinid species were Tachyporus
nitidulus (Fab.), Amischa decipiens (Sharp), and
Atheta fungi (Grav.). The seasonal activity and abundance
of the dominant species are described, and
their potential importance in control of carrot rust fly
(Psila rosae F.) and pests in other crops is discussed.
Keywords Staphylinidae; Carabidae; Linyphiidae;
Lycosidae; Phalangiidae; abundance; species composition;
phenology; carrot
Received 8 August 1996; accepted 20 February 1997
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 1997, Vol. 24: 205-212
0301-4223/2402-0205 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (638K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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