Beetles in Conservation

Beetles, the most diverse group of insects, are often abundant in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Many species are under threat from human changes to natural environments, and some are valuable tools in conservation, because they respond rapidly to changes that occur. Knowledge of these responses, of both abundance and composition of assemblages, enable use of some beetles to monitor environmental changes. Beetles impinge on humanity on many ways: as cultural objects, desirable collectables, major pests and competitors for resources need by people, as beneficial consumers of other pests, and by ensuring the continuity of vital ecological processes. This book is the first major global overview of the importance of conservation of beetles, and brings together much hitherto scattered information to demonstrate the needs for conservation, and how it may be approached. It is a source of value to students, research workers, conservation biologists and ecosystem managers as an introduction to the richness and importance of this predominant component of invertebrate life.

Preface vii

Acknowledgements x

1 Introduction 1

Beetles and conservation 1

Beetle extinctions and extirpations 5

Beetle diversity 7

Beetle recognition and identification 12

Sampling and surveying beetles for conservation 16

Studying rare species 28

Evaluating conservation status and significance 34

2 Practical Conservation: Basic Approaches and Considerations 43

Species importance 45

Planning for species conservation 53

Population structure and beetle dispersal 63

Beetle assemblages for conservation 68

3 Threats to Beetles: the Role of Habitat 72

Habitats 76

Habitats and resources in the landscape 87

Habitat gradients for beetles 101

Remnant habitat values: brownfield sites 107

Islands and island habitats 109

4 Collecting and over-collecting 117

Commercial collecting 118

Bycatch and collector responsibility 121

5 Alien species 122

Effects and interactions with native beetles and other organisms 122

Alien beetles as vectors 129

6 Pollution and Climate Change 131

Pollution 131

Climate change 133

7 Components of Beetle Species Conservation: Ex Situ Conservation 137

Ex situ conservation 137

New populations 140

Salvage or rescue operations 142

Releases 144

8 Threats or Management: the Conservation Manager’s Dilemma 147

Fire 153

Manipulating beetle populations 156

Habitat restoration 158

9 Conservation Lessons from Beetles 164

Water beetles 164

Ground beetles and tiger beetles 168

Dung beetles 176

Stag beetles 186

Jewel beetles 189

Ladybirds 189

Longhorn beetles 192

10 Concluding Thoughts 195

References 208

Index 233

“Overall, I found that Beetles in Conservationis an impressive consolidation of the current beetle literature. Thus, I highly recommend it for anyone involved in the conservation, management or study of beetles (or indeed, most other insect orders) worldwide.” (Austral Ecology, 1 November 2012)

"Beetles in Conservation gives a comprehensive overview of an admittedly vast subject that will be added to by other studies of a far more restricted nature. Professor New is to be congratulated on writing a text that will be valued and quoted and which will inspire everyone interested in both Coleoptera and conservation." (J Insect Conserv, 2010)

"This scholarly work brings together in a single volume information derived from a selection of widely scattered studies, making it valuable to advanced students and researchers in several disciplines, notably entomology, conservation biology, invertebrate ecology, and wildlife management. Practicing professionals entrusted with the conservation of fragile natural resources will also find much to interest them here." (CHOICE, December 2010)

Tim New is Emeritus Professor in Zoology at La Trobe University , Melbourne. His entomological interests include many aspects of systematics, ecology and conservation, and he is acknowledged as one of the leading advocates for insect conservation. He has published widely in this field, and has travelled widely to look at insects and talk about them in many parts of the world. Beetles, the most diverse group of insects, are often abundant in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Many species are under threat from human changes to natural environments, and some are valuable tools in conservation, because they respond rapidly to changes that occur. Knowledge of these responses, of both abundance and composition of assemblages, enable use of some beetles to monitor environmental changes. Beetles impinge on humanity on many ways: as cultural objects, desirable collectables, major pests and competitors for resources need by people, as beneficial consumers of other pests, and by ensuring the continuity of vital ecological processes. This book is the first major global overview of the importance of conservation of beetles, and brings together much hitherto scattered information to demonstrate the needs for conservation, and how it may be approached. It is a source of value to students, research workers, conservation biologists and ecosystem managers as an introduction to the richness and importance of this predominant component of invertebrate life.