Krau Wildlife Reserve Geology, Biodiversity and Socioeconomic Environment

Krau Wildlife Reserve Geology, Biodiversity and Socioeconomic Environment Edited by A. Latiff and Mohd Shafeea Leman

Published by Academy of Science Malaysia ________________________________________________________________________

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Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) species assembled at Gunung Benom Forest Reserve, Pahang, Malaysia

Fauziah Abdullah and Kamarulnizam Shamsulaman

Institute of Biological Sciences

Faculty of Science University of Malaya 50603 Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Tel: +603-79676731 Fax: +603-79674178

Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Abstract: An assemblage of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was conducted at Gunung Benom, Pahang to provide a checklist for Benom area. The sampling was conducted for six days from 10th to 14th Novenber 2009 at Gunung Benom dipterocarp forest at Lata Bujang A, Lata Bujang B and Kongsi Cina. Seven individuals belonging to seven species was sampled during the expedition. Five species were sampled at Lata Bujang A, two species at Kongsi Cina whereas no specimens was collected at Lata Bujang B. Light trapping was the most efficient trap assembling 71.43% of ground beetle specimens compared to Malaise trap and pitfall trap. New records for Benom area are Abacetus sp., Brachidius sp. Celaenephae sp., Dolichoetis staitus, Dolichoetis sp., Hexagonia sp and Orthogonius sp. keywords: Ground beetle, Carabidae, Gunung Benom, Abundance, Diversity, tropical rainforest

INTRODUCTION

Carabidae is a large family of beetle with more than 40,000 species worldwide. commonly known as the ground beetle. Approximately 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe however the number of species in Malaysia is unknown. Most carabids are shiny black or metallic and have ridged wing covers elytra. There is some variation in their body shape and coloring. The ground beetles are found under stone, logs, leaves, bark, or debris or running about on the ground. When disturbed they run rapidly but seldom fly. Most species hide during the day and feed at night. Many are attracted to light. Nearly all are predacious on other insect, and many are very beneficial. The member of a few genera are for example Scaphinotus feed on snail. The larvae are also predaceous and live in burrows and under bark or in debris (Triplehorn and Johnson, 2004).



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Studies on ground beetles include those by Ribera et al. (2001) who studied effect of land disturbance and stress on ground beetle assemblages. Brose (2003) studied regional diversity of temporary wetland carabid beetle communities between landscape features and cultivation intensity. Magura et. al (2004) study changes in carabid beetle assemblages along an urbanisation gradient in the city of Debrecen, Hungary. Kujawa et al. (2006) study dispersal of Harpalus rufipes (Coleoptera: Carabidae) between shelterbelt and cereal field.

Some recent studies on ground beetle diversity in Malaysia have been conducted at Kenyir (Abdullah et. al; 2008a) and Lanjak Entimau, Sarawak (Abdullah and Shamsulaman; 2010). Abdullah and Shamsulaman (2008) also reported on Carabidae assembled from light traps in a mango plantation at Chuping, Perlis, Malaysia. This study was conducted not only to add data on ground beetle of peninsular Malaysia but also to provide a checklist of ground beetles found at Benom Reserve Forest, Pahang Malaysia.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Study Area and duration Gunung Benom is one of the mountain in Pahang state in Malaysia located at 3° 50' N 102° 6' E with height of 2,107 m or 6913 feet (asl). The study was conducted from 10th to 14th November 2009 at three sites at Gunung Benom forest namely Lata Bujang A, Lata Bujang B and Kongsi Cina Sampling methods For maximum assemblage three methods were employed. Sampling methods followed methods used by Abdullah (2005, 2006, 2007) Abdullah and Sina (2009) and Abdullah et al (2008a, 2008b, 2008c, 2008d, 2009a, 2009b) and Abdullah and Shamsulaman (2010). Malaise traps and pitfall traps were set up for 24 hours whereas the light traps were set up between 1900 h to 2300 h. In total for the 6 days’ sampling duration 6 Malaise traps, 75 pitfall traps and 6 light traps were set up in Gunung Benom forest area. Sorting, preservation and identification

The ground beetles were sorted from other family of beetles from the killing jars. The beetles were identified to family according to Borror and DeLong (1971). Recently, Triplehorn and Johnson (2004) included tiger beetles (Family: Cicindelidae) in the same family as ground beetle (Family: Carabidae). However in this report we do not include tiger beetles. Then the carabids were placed in 70% alcohol for easy transport to University Malaya before pinning, drying, mounting and identified to species. Cross references were also done with other institutions to confirm species collected. The ground beetles were also crossed referred at Department of Agriculture of Peninsular Malaysia.



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RESULTS

Table 1 lists the ground beetle species found during the expedition. Since this is the first study at Gunung Benom forest on ground beetles, all species found are new records for Gunung Benom, Pahang. Abacetus sp. (Figure 1), Celaenephae sp (Figure 2) Dolichoetis staitus (Figure 3) and Dolichoetis sp.(Figure 4) Hexagonia sp.(Figure 5), were found at Lata Bujang A.

Fig 1. Abacetus sp.(8.69 mm) .

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Fig 2. Celaenephae sp (5.94 mm)



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Fig 3. Dolichoetis staitus Schidt (6.15 mm)

Fig 4. Dolichoetis sp. (4.87 mm)



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Fig 5. Hexagonia sp. (8.49 mm)

Only two species Brachidius sp (Figure 6) and Orthogonius sp.(Figure 7) were found at Kongsi Cina. No ground beetle was collected at Lata Bujang B.

Fig 6. Brachidius sp. (9.35 mm)

Fig 7. Orthogonius sp. (24.15 mm)



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Efficiency of Traps

Most ground beetles (71.43%; N = 5) caught in the expedition were sampled using light traps. Five identified species sampled by light traps were Celaenephae sp., Abacetus sp., Hexagonia sp., Dolichoetis staitus, Dolichoetis sp. whereas Brachidius sp. was sampled by Malaise trap and Orthogonius sp. Was sampled by pitfall trap as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Ground beetle species sampled using different traps No. of specimen caught Species of ground beetle Light trap Malaise trap Pitfall trap Celaenephae sp. 1 0 0 Abacetus sp. 1 0 0 Hexagonia sp. 1 0 0 Dolichoetis staitus 1 0 0 Dolichoetis sp. 1 0 0 Brachidius sp. 0 1 0 Orthogonius sp. 0 0 1

DISCUSSION

Less number of ground beetle species was sampled during this expedition at Gunung Benom compared to Lanjak Entimau and the man made lake, Tasik Kenyir. In earlier studies, 29 species were assembled from Kenyir Lake and 8 species from Lanjak Entimau. Orthogonius sp. and Abacetus sp. that were assembled from Gunung Benom were also also sampled at Kenyir Lake and Lanjak Entimau.

Temperature or humidity extremes, food availability, presence and distribution of competitors, life history, season, and weed cover are some factors that influenced ground beetles habitat distribution and abundance (Brose, 2003; Magura et. al., 2004; Purtauf et. al., 2005; Kujawa et. al., 2006; Rochefort et. al., 2006). McCrav and Willand (2005) and Synder and Ives (2001) suggested that higher humidity and soil humidity decreased the abundance and diversity of ground beetle. A study of a longer duration should be done at Benom forest reserve in order to determine the abundance and diversity of carabids. Nevertheless the results of this study has contributed to our knowledge of ground beetles for peninsular Malaysia.



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