R.U. SAIMOVA, K.I. BATYROVA, N.A. BEKENOVA, E. KAUYNBAEVA, and B.K. ESIMOV
SUMMARY
The recent study on ground beetles (Carabidae) was carried out in 2020 over five different agroecosystems, i.e., alfalfa, barley, corn, soybean, and triticale, at the Kaskelen Experimental Farm, Southeast Kazakhstan. Overall, 38 species of ground beetles related to 24 genera were identified. From these, the Harpаlus rufipes, Poecilus cupreusP. versicolor were the dominant ones in the different agroecosystems. Most of the ground beetles are general predators and useful as entomophages. These beetles and their larvae exterminate various agricultural pests. However, the presence of P. versicolorand P. cupreus suggests a threat to the crops. Those species have a mixed diet and are also known as economically significant pests, of which the most famous is the ground beetle Zabrus morio. Different agroecosystems have shown different distributions of ground beetle species, indicating the influence of cultivated crops on the formation of the ground beetle community. Findings from the study could provide the basis for designing crop management programs after promoting the presence of ground beetles that can contribute to the prevention and control of agricultural pests.
Date published: June 2022
Keywords: Ground beetles diversity, species distribution, crop management, pests, agro-ecosystems
DOI: http://doi.org/10.54910/sabrao2022.54.2.21