Biodiversity of saproxylic beetles of pine forests in Slovenia with emphasis on Monochamus species
From 2007 to 2010, we assessed the presence of entomofauna in two ecological regions of Slovenia on three locations: on limestone parent rock in monocultures of Pinus nigra, on flysch in a stand of Pinus halepensis (both in the Sub-mediterranean ecological region) and in a stand of Pinus sylvestris on brown soil (Pre-alpine ecological region). The samples were collected in one-month intervals from May to November using four cross vane funnel traps per location with wet collecting cups and attractants (ethanol+α- pinene, Pheroprax® and Gallowit®). Collected insects from the order Coleoptera belonged to the families Curculionidae (and subfam. Scolytinae), Cerambycidae and Buprestidae. The most important saproxylic groups were Scolytinae as the primary saproxylic beetles at 90.7% (21,820 specimens), containing 21 taxa and 18 species ; Cerambycidae at 6.4 % (1534 specimens), 24 taxa, 20 species ; Curculionidae at 2.5% (613 specimens), eight species and Buprestidae at 0.4% (90 specimens) and one species. With respect to the number of species identified, the most numerous family was Cerambycidae ; the dominant species was Spondylis buprestoides, followed by Rhagium inquisitor, Arhopalus rusticus, Acanthocinus aedilis, Neoclytus acuminatus, Monochamus galloprovincialis, Leiopus nebulosus, Arhopalus ferus, Sticoleptura rubra and Cerambyx scopoli. Collected species of long-horned beetles represent ca. 10% of all known species of Cerambycidae in Slovenia. With regard to our findings, we can conclude that Slovenian forestry legislation (Act of Forestry 1993 and Rules on the Protection of Forests 2009) regarding the protection of forest biodiversity is appropriate for the preservation of saproxylics.
