Investigation of a high-elevation population of Hoplogonus simsoni Parry, 1875 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) on Mt Poimena, Blue Tier, using regurgitated bird pellets

摘要

This study utilises an indirect source of data to investigate a high-elevation population of Hoplogonus simsoni Parry, 1875 at Poimena, NE Tasmania, an area significantly impacted by anthropogenic disturbance from 1875 to the 1960s. Exoskeletal material found in regurgitated pellets of black currawongs and forest ravens, as well as presence of intact beetles and larvae were used to confirm the existence of a population of H. simsoni on the slopes of Mt Poimena, an area predicted to be unsuitable for the species in 2004. Regenerating native vegetation leading to improved soil condition is considered essential for the continuance and expansion of the beetle population at this location.