GROUND BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE) FROM ALVAR HABITATS IN ONTARIO

摘要

An inventory of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was conducted in ten alvar sites, representing four alvar types, in southern Ontario. We identified 142 species from 8647 specimens. Species richness and numbers of specimens were generally higherin alvar grasslands. Alvar pavement and alvar shrubland generally had lower species richness and specimen numbers. Each site had between four and seven dominant (over 5% of individuals collected at the site) species, which varied between alvar types andlocalities. Three of the dominant species (Agonum nutans, Chlaenius purpuricollis, and Pterostichus novus) have rarely been collected in non-alvar sites in the region. Most of the species collected are associated with open habitats or grassy meadows. The carabid fauna collected was dominated by widespread or eastern North American species, although some northern and southern species were near the limits of their range. The known distribution of Cicindela denikei was extended eastward from northwesternOntario. Nine introduced European species were collected, and only two (Carabus nemoralis and Pterostichus melanarius) were dominant at any site.