Diversified habitat as reservoir for ground-dwelling arthropods (Col., Carabidae) – preliminary results

Abstract: Within intensive, agricultural landscape habitat diversification can result in reduced pest populations through enhancement of the activity of natural enemies. Numerous studies have examined the responses of pests and beneficial arthropods to plant diversification in ephemeralcropping habitats. In our preliminary study, possible attractiveness of a mixture of flowering plants for ground-dwelling beetles from the family Carabidae was compared to adjacent maize field. The research was carried out in 2013, in the experimental fields belonging to the Chemical Company BASF and located in Pągów, SW Poland. In our study a slightly more ground beetles were collected by pitfall trapping in the mixture than in the maize field. Also, in that more diverse area more beetle species were present providing further evidence that such diversified habitat can positvely affect beneficial organisms. However, further research is needed to confirm the results.