Pitfall Traps and Mini-Winkler Extractor as Complementary Methods to Sample Soil Coleoptera.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Soil Biology
• Entomology

Background:

• Soil invertebrates, particularly Coleoptera (beetles), are crucial for ecosystem functioning.
• Effective sampling methods are essential for accurately assessing soil beetle diversity and abundance.
• The Pantanal, a vast tropical wetland, presents unique ecological conditions influencing soil fauna distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of pitfall traps and mini-Winkler extractors for sampling soil Coleoptera.
• To evaluate these methods as complementary tools for assessing beetle community diversity.
• To investigate seasonal variations (dry vs. high water) in sampling efficiency in different Pantanal habitats.

Main Methods:

• Field sampling conducted in inundated and non-inundated areas of the Pantanal, Brazil.
• Paired plots (10x10m) utilized, with each plot containing nine pitfall traps and mini-Winkler extractors sampling 2m² of leaf litter and soil.
• Total collection of 4260 adult beetles across 36 families, 113 genera, and 505 species over dry and high water seasons.

Main Results:

• Pitfall traps captured the majority of beetles (69%), while mini-Winkler extractors collected 31%.
• Each method captured unique species: 252 species exclusively in pitfall traps, 147 exclusively in mini-Winkler extractors.
• A significant overlap of 106 species was found between the two methods, indicating complementary data acquisition.

Conclusions:

• Pitfall traps and mini-Winkler extractors provide distinct and complementary information on soil beetle communities.
• Utilizing both methods enhances the thoroughness and accuracy of soil beetle diversity assessments.
• These findings are critical for understanding invertebrate biodiversity in tropical wetland ecosystems.