The agroecology of carabid beetles

Carabid beetles exist in almost every type of habitat ranging from tropical rainforests to semi-arid deserts. In temperate regions they are usually the most abundant insects of cultivated land and consequently are frequently monitored as environmental indicators. The biology of carabid beetles has been studied throughout most of the 20th century, but it is only during the last three decades that their potential beneficial role in agroecosystems has been thoroughly investigated. This book provides an extensive overview of the recent literature from a number of topics relating to the ecology and behaviour of carabid beetles inhabiting agricultural land, their role in pest control and in the diet of farmland wildlife, along with a summary of their value as bioindicators. In addition, several exciting areas of further research are identified.

Carabid beetles : their ecology, survival and use in agroecosystems. Carabid assemblage organization and species composition. Carabid diets and food value. Relating diet and morphology in adult Carabid beetles. Diagnostic techniques for determining Carabid diets. Invertebrate pest control by Carabids. Weed seed predation by Carabid beetles. Impact of cultivation and crop husbandry practices. Carabids as indicators within temperate arable farming systems : implications from Scarab and link integrated farming systems projects. Non-crop habitat management for Carabid beetles. The spatial distribution of Carabid beetles in agricultural landscapes. Index.